All articles by Nic Paton
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ArticleConfessions of a benefits manager: Candid tries to educate the talent team
We have a bit of a problem with the talent team. A misnomer if ever there was one. It might be different in other organisations but our recruiters are not a very talented bunch. I’m pretty sure that the criteria for hiring them is a dubious certificate in media studies ...
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AnalysisWhat does the group risk market look like post-pandemic?
Need to know:The pandemic has focused minds on health and wellbeing, and fuelled growing interest in group risk products.Employers are looking to extend cover to wider cohorts of employees.Long Covid and the surrounding mental health and wellbeing challenges mean group risk products are becoming increasingly important.To maximise these products, communication ...
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Case StudiesTrayport adds group income protection to reassure employees post-Covid
Energy trading software firm Trayport introduced group income protection via Zurich during the pandemic in January 2021, to provide added reassurance to its UK employees.David Glennon, rewards manager at Trayport, says: “When Covid came along, we wanted to find opportunities to give our employees additional peace of mind. We already ...
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OpinionKatherine Chapman: As costs rise, how can pay strategies help employees make ends meet?
We are living in unprecedented times, with inflation at a record high and spiralling energy and food bills. The worst income squeeze on record lies before us and no one will feel it more sharply than the nearly five million people in low-paid and insecure jobs, already struggling to meet ...
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OpinionDaniela Silcock: Why master trusts have become the pension destination of choice
Master trusts have come into their own over the past 10 years. From a niche arrangement pre-automatic enrolment, master trusts have become the pension scheme type into which 84% of employees are enrolled.Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) modelling expects that out of around 15 million active defined contribution (DC) pension savers ...
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ArticleING appoints new head of HR for UK and Middle East
Financial services firm ING has appointed a new head of HR for the UK and Middle East.Elena Orsini started in the role this month (April), will be based in London and responsible for 800 full-time employees across the two regions.She has nearly 25 years’ experience in HR. Most recently she ...
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ArticleRachel Suff: Can employers do more to support staff with stress?
Work-related stress can pose a risk to businesses as well as employees, often resulting in higher sickness absence, lower staff engagement and reduced performance.The latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)/Simplyhealth Health and wellbeing at work report (published on 5 April) found that work-related stress remains a persistent and ...
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ArticleConfessions of a benefits manager: Candid considers the future of work
Big Bad Boss tells me (as though it is an honour to be asked) to join the Future of Work Committee.Why I would think being co-opted to do more work is a good thing, I don’t know. Big Bad Boss always thinks exposure to the Higher Beings in C-Suite is ...
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Analysis
Rebecca Berry and Sarah Taylor: employers face a balancing act on ‘living with’ Covid
The change in emphasis of the government’s ‘Living with Covid’ guidance raises many questions for employers. These include:What does the lifting of the legal requirement to self-isolate for those who test positive for Covid -19 (Coronavirus) mean for employers?How should employers implement the guidance that those who test positive for ...
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ArticleSeven out of 10 employers actively promoting pensions to younger employees
Employee Benefits poll: More than seven out of 10 employers are already actively promoting their pensions to younger employees, and many more intend to do so in the future.More than 71% of respondents to an online survey said they were actively engaging younger employees in pensions through targeted communications. A ...
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OpinionAndrea London: Is there is a real risk of ageism in our hybrid future?
New hybrid working models are quickly becoming the norm, with their constant requirement for online productivity, virtual working and remote meetings/presentations. However, are our older generation cognisant of these technological advances and are they able to keep up?We seem to be noting an increased polarisation of the labour market in ...
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ArticleMaking post-pandemic working more pawsome
Something for the weekend: The tail-wagging, excited-until-I’ll-explode welcome those of us who have dogs brace ourselves for as we walk in the door each evening is one of the things that makes the daily treadmill of commute/work/sleep bearable.The unconditional love dogs have for their ‘hoomans’ means the fact dog ownership ...
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OpinionKatie Ash: Protecting employee mental health is more than just a workplace perk
As such a large part of an employee’s life is spent at work, it’s important that employers play an active role in ensuring that their workers develop and maintain a good quality of life and a healthy relationship with their place of work.This is particularly important post pandemic, when it ...
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ArticlePoll: 67% of employers either offering or planning to offer fertility support
Employee Benefits poll: Two-thirds of employers now either offer or are considering offering fertility support to their employees.Fertility support can encompass things such as discounts on private fertility treatments, access to education, tests or specialists, or extra paid time off work.Just over 31% of respondents to an online survey said ...
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OpinionDr Karen Michell: Employers can offer multiple support options for employees' physical health
The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, we all know, took the world by storm. While we soon learnt that most people who contracted the virus would get better, what became apparent later was that full recovery was not going to be the reality for everyone.In the UK alone an estimated 1.3 million ...
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OpinionCherry White: Employers should promote physical activity through the workplace
When offices closed in March 2020, it forced a rushed transition to working from home (WFH) full time.Instead of sitting at ergonomically designed workstations, many employees suddenly found themselves hunched over kitchen counters or slouched on the sofa as they worked from tiny laptops. ‘Commuting’ simply meant stepping into a ...
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OpinionClaire McCartney: Employers need to listen to the needs of young adult carers
There are an estimated 3.7 million carers in England and Wales and a growing number of people are having to juggle their jobs with caring responsibilities. So, how can organisations best support their staff and what are the benefits?First, employers need to identify which of their employees are balancing caring ...
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ArticleCommunity Integrated Care to increase support worker pay from April
Social care charity Community Integrated Care (CIC) is to increase its hourly pay rate for its frontline support staff to £10 in England and £11 in Scotland from next month (April).The move, which will come into effect from 1 April, means the charity’s frontline support workers will receive an hourly ...
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Article60% of employees feel their work is acknowledged by managers
More UK organisations are recognising the importance of saying thank you or well done to their employees, with 60% of employees saying they feel their work is now being acknowledged by their managers and leaders, up 4% on 2021, according to research by staff recognition and HR consultancy OC Tanner.Its ...
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ArticlePoll: 30% of employers considering moving to a four-day week
Employee Benefits poll: Nearly a third of employers say they are open to the idea of shifting to a four-day working week, while more than a quarter have already made the transition to a more flexible hourly model.While nearly half (43%) of respondents to an online survey remained adamant they ...