All articles by Nicola Sullivan – Page 66

  • Analysis

    Buyer’s guide to absence management systems

    2008-06-01T23:00:00Z

    Absence management systems can help employers to identify and tackle the causes of employees' sickness, says Nicola SullivanAbsence management systems enable employers to record and monitor incidences of staff absence and identify what action needs to be taken in each case. The overall purpose of these systems is to help ...

  • Article

    News analysis: Employers concerned about extension of flexible working rights

    2008-06-01T23:00:00Z

    Small employers are concerned about plans to give more employees the right to request flexible workingThe government's plans to extend the right to request flexible working to an extra 4.5 million people next April have met with a mixed reaction from employers.Small businesses have reacted negatively to the recommendation by ...

  • Article

    Cost is top priority for fleets

    2008-06-01T00:00:01Z

    Despite political and business pressures to reduce carbon emissions, fleet managers are more concerned about saving money than being green when procuring vehicles.Of the 2,600 fleet decision-makers who took part in the Masterlease Global research survey half cited cost savings as their top priority.This factor came top of the list ...

  • Article

    RBS staff given access to CT scanner

    2008-05-29T09:08:05Z

    The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has given staff access to a state-of-the-art CT scanner that it gifted to the National Health Service (NHS) and a medical research centre 25% of the time.The bank's arrangement with the Queens Medical Research Institute (QMRI) and NHS Lothian to buy the 320-multi-detector scanner ...

  • Article

    Eversheds launches bikes for work scheme to promote wellbeing

    2008-05-28T09:18:07Z

    Eversheds has launched a cycle to work scheme to boost its green credentials and promote healthy living among its workforce.The law firm set the scheme live in May, after employees expressed an interest in cycling to work. Around 2,700 of the firm's 3,600 staff members are eligible to take part ...

  • Article

    Thomas Cook surveys staff on training programmes

    2008-05-28T09:08:32Z

    Thomas Cook has surveyed employees in a bid to maximise the effectiveness of their management practices and training programmes.More than 2,700 employees working in the UK and abroad for Thomas Cook's holiday division were asked what they thought of the guidance provided by managers and how effective training and development ...

  • Article

    HSBC's remuneration package deemed excessive

    2008-05-27T13:38:25Z

    HSBC’s proposed new remuneration package for directors is set to incur the wrath of shareholders at the bank’s annual general meeting on Friday.The scheme which offers generous annual bonuses and long-term incentives is expected to reward executives with a £100 million pay out over the next three years.Pirc, which provides ...

  • Article

    City bonuses at all-time high despite economic downturn

    2008-05-27T11:29:55Z

    Trade union GMB have criticised record city bonuses of £12.6 billion for the first three month †as being unreflective of the uncertain economic climate and "defy economic gravity".Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the average weekly bonuses given to 1.04 million financial workers in the UK have ...

  • Article

    Combined Benefit Services closes

    2008-05-22T15:20:00Z

    Voluntary benefits provider, Combined Benefits Services (CBS), has closed with effect from 16 May 2008.Discounts available through its free lifestyle benefits option, MyChoices, can no longer be accessed, but any orders placed through the scheme before 16 May will be processed by discount suppliers. Employees who have purchased a MyChoicesExtra ...

  • Article

    JLT Benefit Solutions to launch online benefits platform

    2008-05-22T11:16:10Z

    JLT Benefits Solutions (JLT) is to launch an online benefits platform to provide employers web-based communication and benefits management.The online platform will deliver advice, as well as procurement and administration services. The technology will also be able to be licensed and implemented into employer organisations and product providers.Duncan Howarth, managing ...

  • Article

    Employees value extended paid sick leave over private cancer treatment

    2008-05-21T10:16:12Z

    Employees would prefer to be given extended paid sick leave rather than funding for private treatment if they were diagnosed with cancer.Of the 1,300 working adults surveyed for Aon Consulting's Employment benefits survey 2008, 49% said they would rather receive extended paid sick leave, which allowed them to return to ...

  • Article

    Extra rights for agency and temporary workers

    2008-05-21T09:15:59Z

    The government has announced that agency and temporary workers will be given increased rights after a deal was struck with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).Employers will have to treat agency workers the same as permanent staff after 12 weeks on the job, meaning ...

  • Article

    Red Letter Days launches a new corporate events division

    2008-05-20T11:07:30Z

    Red Letter Days, the experience company, has launched a new corporate events division to expand the motivation, reward and recognition services it offers companies.In partnership with MotivAction Group, Red Letter Days, now provides corporate customers family fun days, team building days, conferences, theme evenings and overseas incentives.Heather Rogers director of ...

  • Article

    Marks and Spencer slashes bonuses despite £1bn profit

    2008-05-20T09:54:09Z

    Marks and Spencer has axed bonuses for senior management and reduced them for other staff this year despite making profits of more than £1bn.The retailer has axed all bonuses for top management staff, meaning chief executive Sir Stuart Rose will be missing out on his cash reward, which was £2.6 ...

  • Article

    Flexible working requests to be extended to extra 4.5 million parents

    2008-05-15T13:33:07Z

    An extra 4.5 million parents in the UK are set to gain the right to request flexible working, after the publication of the government's independent review.Business secretary John Hutton has accepted recommendations made in the review conducted by Imelda Walsh, HR director at Sainsbury's, to extend the right to request ...

  • Article

    Public sector hit by highest absence

    2008-05-14T15:57:51Z

    Employee absence levels in public sector organisations are 55% higher than those experienced by the private sector employers.According to the latest annual Confederation of British Industry/Axa Absence Survey, average absence levels across the public sector stood at nine days per employee for 2007, compared to 5.8 days in the private ...

  • Article

    Unum launches new group income protection service

    2008-05-09T09:59:58Z

    Disability insurer Unum has launched a new service to help employers manage their sickness absence costs and keep group income protection (GIP) premiums to a minimum.Premier, an enhanced version of Unum's Active Key Account Management service, is now available for the insurer's GIP clients. Premier provides vocational rehabilitation support before ...

  • Article

    Novae Group launches group self invested personal pension (Sipp)

    2008-05-08T10:14:38Z

    Specialist insurance firm Novae Group has launched a group self invested pension plan (Sipp) in an effort to provide its workforce with greater control over their pension investments and to promote equity participation.The Sipp has received a 10% take up by employees who are keen to maximise tax breaks by ...

  • Article

    TD Waterhouse boosts flexible benefits with five new benefits

    2008-05-08T09:35:42Z

    TD Waterhouse has bolstered its flexible benefits programme by adding five extra benefits in order to improve employee wellbeing, offer financial protection and maximise tax efficiency.†After the annual review of its flex programme, devised by Aon Consulting, the discount brokerage group has introduced a range of benefits that include long ...

  • Article

    Manufacturers call for delay on the extension of flexible working

    2008-05-07T09:26:53Z

    The manufacturers' organisation EEF †has called upon the government to delay plans to extend the right to work flexibly until employers have adjusted to current legislation.The government commissioned the Walsh Review to look at whether flexible working should be extended to parents of children older than six. The findings of ...