All Opinion articles – Page 63
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OpinionMichelle Cracknell: A new approach is required to help people plan for retirement
The pension landscape has undertaken a massive rebuild in order to be sustainable in our ageing society. The topping-out ceremony was the pension freedoms introduced from April 2015. Now, we need to make the new pensions infrastructure habitable for members so they can properly plan for retirement, making informed choices ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Success deserves to be celebrated
One of the things I love most about my role – and there are many – is judging the Employee Benefits Awards each year. One of the reasons I became a journalist is that I’m intrinsically curious and the whole judging process presents a real insight into what employers are ...
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OpinionEmma Hart: Sport teaches motivation and teamwork
As children, we are encouraged to take part in physical activities, through which we learn motivation, determination and teamwork among a wide range of other positive skills. Parents are not always trying to create the next Chris Hoy or Steve Redgrave, but rather trying to encourage us to learn from ...
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OpinionKatherine Bond: Rewards derive from good performance
The worlds of high-performance sport and business are both obsessed with results, and there is often great reward that comes with producing great results.For the Olympic athlete, the potential reward of an Olympic medal is a huge motivator and gives some interesting insights into human motivation and rewards.Potential Olympians choose ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Should we have a national living wage?
Earlier this week, I read several articles in the Financial Times about how the world will be watching the UK when the new national living wage of £7.20 an hour for workers over 25 comes into effect from today.These articles described how countries around the world, including Germany, Japan and ...
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OpinionDr Fehmidah Munir: Breaking up sitting time can improve physical and mental wellbeing
Sitting for long periods has been found to be harmful. We will sit at our desks at work for a long time and then go home and watch TV. So we are sitting again. Prolonged sitting has been linked to a risk of diabetes, obesity, and a lot of metabolic ...
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OpinionStephen Chater: Share schemes offer significant tax incentives
Typically, an organisation’s choice of employee share scheme will depend on the degree of employee share ownership that it wishes to introduce. One employer might want only key people to own shares, whereas another might prefer all employees to become part-owners of the business by introducing an all-employee share scheme.Various ...
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OpinionIan McKenna: Smart technology can drive engagement with retirement savings
Achieving effective engagement with employees about their retirementbenefits is crucial for an employer to get the best return on such spend. If people do not understand something, it is virtually impossible for them to appreciate its value.Smartphones and tablets can now make this far easier, but this needs more than ...
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OpinionLouise Neilson: Health cash plans and PMI proactively support staff
The National House Building Council’s (NHBC) health and wellbeing strategy is supported by benefits that help to attract and retain talent. We want to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to wellbeing, ensuring that our employees are well at work and as productive as possible, and to support ...
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OpinionGeorgina Beechinor: Home is where the start is in pensions auto-enrolment case
One qualifying criteria for pensions auto-enrolment is that, under their contract, an individual is a “worker”, “who is working or ordinarily works in Great Britain”. The UK Pensions Regulator (TPR) has power to issue compliance notices to employers that fail to comply with this requirement.In the case of The Queen ...
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OpinionGeorge Bull: Salary sacrifice can benefit both employer and employee
Salary sacrifice arrangements are very simple, highly effective and potentially beneficial to both employee and employer. It is almost too good to be true.At the heart of a salary sacrifice arrangement is an agreement between an employer and an employee to change the terms of the employment contract to reduce ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Is menstrual leave a forward-thinking or outdated concept?
Earlier this week, Bristol-based organisation Coexist hit the headlines with the news that it has introduced ‘period leave’ for its employees.This will enable staff to stay home should they feel the need to without having to make excuses or take the time as sick leave.I have to say I’m in ...
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OpinionConor D'Arcy: Consider the long-term consequences of approaches to the national living wage
Since its announcement last summer, the national living wage (NLW) has rarely been far from the headlines. Commentators have discussed its merits and demerits, but whatever your opinion, it is a big deal: the Resolution Foundation estimates that it will result in a pay rise for roughly 4.5m workers.But pay ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Fleet goes futuristic
It’s fair to say that cars and I aren’t the most natural of pairings. I have no interest in regularly upgrading the car that I drive and couldn’t name the latest must-have makes and models if my life depended on it.Yet, this week, my interest was piqued during a discussion ...
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OpinionWhat are the key issues affecting global employers’ benefits strategies?
The rise of the global employer, and the importance of emerging markets for expanding organisations, has changed the way businesses engage with their employees. The needs arising from different cultural norms and fulfilling the expectations of a varied workforce have created rich, robust employee networks, but with it has come ...
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OpinionTim Middleton: Striking the right balance with pension communications
The new tax year sees yet another adjustment to the rules governing tax relief for registered pension schemes. As the current regime celebrates its tenth anniversary, one of its principal objectives, a simplification of the tax rules, now seems a cruel and ironic joke. There will now be no fewer ...
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OpinionSally Hart: A crisis is not something employers can control, but they can be prepared
Being prepared for the unexpected will give an employer peace of mind, faster resolution, and highlight commitment to the safety and wellbeing of employees.Employers should consider potential risks and review all insurance policies to ensure cover is adequate, as insurers often exclude things like war and acts of terrorism. Emergency ...
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OpinionLynette Jacobs: Employers need to determine their objectives in extending a share plan internationally
Extending a share plan internationally is no longer an exception and the considerations for a small organisation extending participation into three jurisdictions and a multinational group operating a plan in 80 countries will be the same.The employer should first determine its objectives in extending the plan overseas, typically to strengthen ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: Why should we celebrate success?
On Wednesday evening, I attended the Top Employers annual certification dinner, which recognised the 71 organisations that have been awarded a place on this year’s list – in a setting that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Harry Potter novel.The employers recognised this year included: Asda, Estee Lauder ...
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OpinionJuliette Graham: The implications of the Bank of England's proposal on bonus buy-outs
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) last month published a controversial proposal on buy-out bonuses aimed at stopping employees at the largest banks from being able to wipe the slate clean when they move firm. The proposal requires new employers to reduce or clawback buy-out bonuses if the ex-employer decides that ...