Opinion – Page 9

  • pension schemes contracted out
    Opinion

    Beth Brown: High Court calls into question amendments to contracted out pension schemes

    2023-08-09T08:00:33Z

    Anyone involved with pension schemes which contracted out on a salary-related basis after 1997 will want to be aware of a recent High Court ruling which could impact their scheme.In Virgin Media v NTL Trustees and others, the High Court held that the absence of a Section 37 certificate invalidated ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Do lazy girl jobs have a place in today's workplaces?

    2023-08-04T08:00:06Z

    It isn’t very often a phrase stops me in my tracks. Over the past few weeks, however, the Tik-Tok trend for “lazy girl jobs” has done just that. Coined by several content creators, the term is used to refer to jobs that are deemed undemanding but well paid. Typically, these ...

  • Chris-Kisby
    Opinion

    Chris Kisby: Key considerations around overseas working

    2023-08-02T08:00:12Z

    For many, the idea of working from another country, be that permanently or for a short period, is a very tempting one, but there are considerations for when an employee makes a request to move abroad.It might be that an employer already has an office in the country where an ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Should the Flexible Working Bill go further?

    2023-07-28T08:00:15Z

    When the Flexible Working Bill received Royal Assent last week, many commentators, particularly parental rights campaigners, hailed this as a huge step forward.In a nutshell, the new legislation makes several changes to the way flexible working requests will work in practice, including:Giving employees the right to make two flexible working ...

  • NehaLuggDavidLorimer
    Opinion

    Neha Lugg and David Lorimer: How to make work events that involve alcohol more inclusive

    2023-07-26T08:00:04Z

    Alcohol-free is fast becoming not only a religious or cultural choice, but a lifestyle choice. There have also been a significant number of alarming headlines demonstrating the role that alcohol has played at workplace events, resulting in harassment or other inappropriate behaviour, and significant reputational harm.Employers should look at workplace ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Are employers meeting employees' ESG expectations?

    2023-07-21T10:38:11Z

    At a time when the cost-of-living crisis means higher pay is a focus for many employees, it is testament to the ever-increasing focus on sustainability that nearly half (48%) of employees hailing from generation Z say they would consider leaving a job if their employer did not demonstrate action on ...

  • work from anywhere
    Opinion

    Paula Squire: The issues surrounding work-from-anywhere policies

    2023-07-19T08:00:13Z

    With flexible, remote and hybrid working now the norm within many UK businesses, the concept of work from anywhere has begun to take off, with employers fielding increasing requests from workers who want to pack up their laptop and log on from a tropical beach or a new bustling city.This ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: It's good to talk

    2023-07-14T08:00:02Z

    When was the last time you spoke to each member of your team? And how about colleagues from other departments across the business?This week, it was really brought home to me how easy it is to feel that you have been in touch with colleagues and friends, without actually speaking ...

  • flexible working trends
    Opinion

    Stephen Morrall: How flexible working trends have developed since lockdown

    2023-07-12T08:00:24Z

    With the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill moving closer to becoming law, employees are set to benefit from a positive reform of employment rules which reflect growing trends toward flexible working across the UK.Under current legislation, a person who has 26 weeks of continuous service with their employer can request ...

  • mental health
    Opinion

    Laura Tracey: New guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health

    2023-07-05T08:00:27Z

    Mental health problems are and continue to be a significant concern and employers have not only a moral, but a legal obligation to help protect and support employees who may be suffering from such issues.Employees may find mental health conditions difficult to talk about and even try to conceal them, ...

  • Ruari-Grant-PLSA
    Opinion

    Ruari Grant: CDC schemes are a new protagonist in workplace pensions

    2023-06-30T09:31:57Z

    As of April this year a new protagonist appeared on the UK workplace pensions scene, when the Royal Mail collective pension plan was authorised. Collective defined contribution (CDC) schemes, part of pensions regimes in other countries, offer that middle ground many employers might find attractive, as they transition away from ...

  • Charlotte-Dodge-Clifford-Chance
    Opinion

    Charlotte Dodge: Clifford Chance supports men's health with range of benefits

    2023-06-30T05:00:43Z

    Research shows that men visit the GP 32% less than women during working years, that one in five men die before they retire, and it is estimated that 50% of premature male deaths are preventable. These sort of statistics are the reason why Clifford Chance launched Peppy Men's Health last ...

  • Amazon flexibility
    Opinion

    Martin Williams: Amazon’s term-time contracts come with a new set of problems

    2023-06-28T08:00:33Z

    The idea proposed by Amazon to offer contracts that revolve around term-time working is an interesting one. At first glance it can seem generous, allowing a degree of flexibility for workers who find school holidays a difficult time to balance work and childcare.However, Amazon is not being totally altruistic. It ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Celebrating with the best

    2023-06-23T05:00:02Z

    Today (Friday 23 June) marks one of my favourite events in the Employee Benefits calendar: the Employee Benefits Awards and Summer Party.All year round, we cover some of the fantastic initiatives and strategies employers have put in place for their employees, so relish the chance to celebrate these in person. ...

  • flexible working
    Opinion

    Katie Ash: Can a flexible-working request be reversed?

    2023-06-21T08:00:20Z

    For many, the Covid-19 crisis is starting to feel like a distant memory. However, there are still changes to the way we live and work today that were influenced by the restrictions that were put in place. The biggest example in employment law is the shift to working from home.Employers ...

  • Mel-Duffield-USS-press-office
    Opinion

    Mel Duffield: Could conditional indexation deliver high value pension benefits?

    2023-06-15T05:00:15Z

    There has been much recent discussion in the UK about whether there are new ways of sharing pension risks. These might potentially give greater stability of outcome and cost than the current very distinct alternatives of either defined benefit (DB) or defined contribution (DC) pension schemes.Much of this discussion has ...

  • rolled up holiday pay
    Opinion

    Keely Rushmore: Proposed changes to holiday pay for temporary workers

    2023-06-14T08:00:09Z

    In a bid to reduce the administrative burden on employers, the government has announced plans to allow rolled-up holiday pay. The plans were set out in the Smarter Regulation to Grow the Economy policy paper published in May 2023 and are one of a number of changes proposed to the ...

  • Debbie Lovewell Tuck Editor Employee Benefits
    Opinion

    Lovewell's logic: Who is caring for unpaid carers?

    2023-06-09T10:02:27Z

    How many employees in your organisation have unpaid care responsibilities? Between 2010 and 2020, more than 1.9 million people in paid employment became unpaid carers each year, according to Census data. One in seven carers, meanwhile, juggle work and care, according to Carers UK’s report State of caring, published in ...

  • Naomi-Brown-Sackers-KBPR
    Opinion

    Naomi Brown: Should pension scheme trustees think of their members as customers?

    2023-06-09T05:00:22Z

    How was your pension scheme experience today? We are all used to businesses telling us that we are valued customers, asking us for feedback, how likely we would be to recommend them to a friend, or simply to rate our experience by choosing from 🙂😐☹️.But is it time for pension ...

  • Deliveroo Supreme Court
    Opinion

    Yvonne Gallagher: Deliveroo rider worker status appealed at Supreme Court

    2023-06-07T08:00:03Z

    The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents a number of riders working for the app-based delivery service Deliveroo, has appealed to the Supreme Court seeking support for its claim that it should be entitled to be recognised by Deliveroo for the purposes of collective bargaining rights for ...