All articles by Nick Martindale – Page 4
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AnalysisHow can benefits technology be used to meet employee expectations in 2021?
Need to know:Data drawn from employee benefits platforms, HR systems and apps can provide valuable insight into how well benefits are working.Tracking data and employee views over a period of time can help to identify shifts in requirements.Technology is helping to shape strategy in areas such as health and wellbeing.Data ...
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AnalysisCan employers truly future-proof a benefits strategy?
Need to know:The pandemic has forced organisations to re-evaluate their benefits strategy.Future schemes are likely to include elements around health and financial awareness.Wider societal trends should also be factored into any futureproofing strategy.It is fair to say that 2020 presented its share of unexpected events. Even with the best planning, ...
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Case StudiesUniversity of Lincoln adapts benefits strategy in order to provide valued rewards
For the employee benefits team at the University of Lincoln, the arrival of Covid-19 meant having to react quickly to ensure its benefits offering remained viable and relevant.A number of benefits were put on the back burner, including its car purchase scheme and discounts around season tickets, staff parking, holidays, ...
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AnalysisIs mental health first aid becoming a tick-box exercise?
Need to know:Mental health first aid training is becoming increasingly popular, but there is a danger that it is incorrectly seen as a quick fix to a serious problem.Employers should examine the end goals, and ask questions about how and why they are implementing the programme, to ensure they do ...
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Case StudiesCeuta Group uses mental health first aid training as first step to broader support
Treacy Webster, director of talent management and development at consumer brand business Ceuta Group, was aware of a growing need to help employees who might be struggling with mental health issues, but it was an HR forum put on by a local recruitment agency that encouraged her to take action. ...
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AnalysisHow financial education can help employees make sense of their benefits
Need to knowFinancial education that helps employees understand topics like money management, debt consolidation and savings will be most effective when accompanied by relevant products for them to subsequently use.Pensions are a primary subject for many employers, but more immediate concerns should be taken into account to get staff to ...
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Case StudiesAMV uses financial advice to boost pensions understanding and financial wellbeing
In 2007, Advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO (AMV) started working closely with benefits broker Connor Broadley to offer education around pensions and other financial matters, using staff surveys to discover what topics employees would be interested in learning about.Since then, employees have been able to book appointments with representatives ...
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Case StudiesFujitsu uses gamification to ingrain behavioural change and improve employee health
IT services firm Fujitsu runs an annual step challenge, during which employees compete in teams of up to seven, with the ultimate aim of helping staff become more active, as well as improving engagement.The challenge itself is hosted by Virgin Pulse. Individuals and teams compete over a 100-day period during ...
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AnalysisHealthy competition: Is gamification the key to boosting employee health and wellbeing?
Need to know:The use of gamification is growing across many elements of the employee experience, and can be used to engage employees in wellbeing initiatives, from step challenges to nutritional habits.It is important to ensure that gamified systems are inclusive and engaging, andthat the competitive element does not put off ...
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AnalysisWhat employees want: How to get the most value from a benefits offering
Need to know:Surveys, exit interviews and benefits usage data are all constructive ways of finding out what staff appreciate, but employers should be aware that some valuable benefits might still fall by the wayside.Eliciting feedback and suggestions from employees who have actively used less widely understood products, such as group ...
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Case StudiesVHR keeps benefits relevant in a time of rapid growth
Technical recruitment business VHR has grown rapidly over the past three years, and now employs 80 people. This means that the business must consider the benefits it provides to employees more carefully, says Emma Gaywood, HR adviser.VHR now surveys all staff twice a year, asking them to rate benefits in ...
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AnalysisEngagement and motivation: Maintaining productivity and happiness in the first quarter
Need to know:Following the festive break, employees can return to work demotivated, and determined to look for new challenges elsewhere.Easing staff in with a welcome event will give them something to look forward to and decrease the difficulty of returning to work in January.Supporting employees who are trying to look ...
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Case StudiesQBE boosts wellness programme by training managers to support mental health
In 2016 and 2017, business insurer QBE introduced a range of wellbeing measures designed to support the mental health of its 1,950 employees across 16 countries.The benefits and initiatives the organisation implemented during this period included an employee assistance programme (EAP), mindfulness workshops, a story-sharing page on the staff intranet ...
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AnalysisHow can preventative health measures support employee wellness?
Need to know:Before implementing a preventative wellness strategy, employers should uncover the specific health and wellbeing challenges faced by their workforce.Proactive wellness initiatives should consider both physical and mental health; on-site or subsidised yoga classes, for example, can be a good way to address both.Technology is vital in helping to ...
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Case StudiesSuresite uses posters and case studies to showcase mental health support
Retail card services organisation Suresite offers mental health support to its 49 employees through its Chamber cash plan, provided by healthcare insurer Westfield Health. The plan, which is for British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) accredited and affiliated member organisations, includes access to a 24-hour advice line, face-to-face counselling and cognitive ...
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AnalysisHow can communications engage staff around emotional wellbeing supports?
Need to know:Internal campaigns that promote mental health awareness and use personal stories are a useful way to engage staff with their emotional wellbeing.Organisational culture and senior leaders acting as role models can further encourage important conversations in the workplace.Interactive apps, automated emails and data-driven communications are becoming more prominent ...
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AnalysisTop considerations when selecting a master trust provider
Need to know: Employers need to consider a range of issues when picking a master trust including financial security and future plans.Employers should consider what will work best for members, including investment strategy.It is important to keep any scheme under review to ensure it remains fit for purpose.For some employers, ...
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Case StudiesKier Group consolidated pensions into master trust arrangement
Property, construction and services group Kier previously ran a number of different defined contribution schemes, but moved to a master trust in July 2016.Mark Bradshaw, group reward and benefits director, says: “We wanted just one, to make communication of our pension offering easier for [employees] to understand, as well as ...
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AnalysisHow can employers' ensure their benefits strategies are future proofed?
Need to know:Future-proofing a benefits strategy needs to take into account an organisation's wider business goals, macro-economic trends and legislation.Benefits technology needs to be factored into any strategy, including the potential for artificial intelligence.Any strategy needs to be adaptable and able to react to changing needs and circumstances.It is a ...
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Case StudiesAshford Borough Council reforms benefits strategy to meet future business challenges
When Ashford Borough Council took the decision to overhaul its benefits strategy in 2011, one of its key motivations was to create a system that would help it attract and retain talent at a time when the public sector was not seen as an attractive destination.Susanna Aiano, personnel projects and ...