Opinion – Page 88
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Opinion
Olga Tregaskis: Work practices could boost productivity
High-performance work practices (HPWP) is the term used to refer to HR management practices associated with employee engagement, performance management, work organisation, skills development and learning. Increases in performance do not necessarily come from a single HR practice, but from the synergies of an architecture on performance management that values, ...
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Opinion
Kate Whateley: Total reward statements are a total success
After a staff survey at UKTV, we found a number of employees were simply not aware of the range of benefits available. Beyond the new-starter pack, induction and intranet-based information, we were not proactively highlighting our offer. So we introduced total reward statements with our annual salary review letters, which ...
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Opinion
Julian Foster: Emergency childcare is a necessity
Or perhaps your child’s nursery has had to close because the drains need work, or your parents have decided to go on a last-minute cruise for a break from their grandparenting duties?There can be various reasons why childcare arrangements can break down. Parents do not want to let their employer ...
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Opinion
Spencer Roach: Flexible working key to reducing staff stress
I read the average UK worker spends 200 hours commuting each year, so at 52% that would potentially be an extra 100 hours of productivity.Clearly, the practicalities of formalising flexible working vaires by industry sector, but in my organisation, I see a growing number of roles with an international remit. ...
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Opinion
Paul Waters: Rolling over share proceeds will pay off
Taking a more integrated approach to employee share plans, corporate-sponsored pensions and individual savings accounts can result in much better savings outcomes.Sharesave plans typically have a high degree of trust with staff. Encouraging employees to use these plans is likely to be more successful than encouraging additional pension saving.If employees ...
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Opinion
Professor Sayeed Khan: Should older workers get healthcare perks?
Given that we have a workforce in many sectors that is ageing, organisations are going to have more people with potentially chronic problems that need intervention, some of which will be surgical intervention, some of which medical. Given the state of the NHS, the likelihood of that intervention being done ...
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Opinion
Catherine Wilson: Legal issues around auto-enrolment
Under the new rules, employers will need to keep additional records for compliance purposes. These can be either electronic or paper-based, but they must be legible and easily reproduced.Additional information may be needed, such as dates of birth for casual workers, and some data-cleansing may also be required.Employers should review ...
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Opinion
Sarah Ozanne: Legal issues around auto-enrolment
New employee protections have come into place that apply to all employers, regardless of their staging date. It is notclear that employers are generally engaged on this issue.The auto-enrolment regulations are complex and do not fit well with other pension regulations. Some amendments have now been made to align existing ...
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Opinion
Robert O’Hare: Tax issues around auto-enrolment
It does not appear that auto-enrolment will have any direct tax impact, but there could be an indirect tax impact on employees.For example, the threshold for the maximum amount of annual pension contributions that qualify for tax relief was recently cut to £50,000. If an employee’s annual pension savings already ...
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Opinion
Martin Freeman: Payroll issues around auto-enrolment
Employers should be proactive and get on the front foot rather than waiting around for press releases from their payroll provider on what it will be offering.Go to the provider and say: ‘This is what I am going to need, this is how I want to operate: can you help?’Get ...
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Opinion
David Woodward: Payroll issues around auto-enrolment
Many employers have needed to make changes to their payroll systems and to consider whether their payroll provider can offer what is needed to comply with auto-enrolment regulations.One of our customers has been diligent in its evaluation of the options, thorough in its planning activity and engaged theright professionals at ...
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Opinion
Gagandeep Prasad: Update on employment reform
On the legislative front, the coalition government is continuing its programme of employment reform. This includes new provisions on executive remuneration aimed at curbing boardroom excess by giving greater powers to shareholders contained in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, now going through parliament.The government has also confirmed it will ...
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Opinion
Alex Fricke: Legal issues around staff health and wellbeing
Ensure employment contracts and/or applicable policies clearly set out the organisation’s approach to sickness absence. For example, how many days will be paid under a contractual sick pay scheme and is the employer entitled to seek a medical report?Review provisions regarding any private health insurance cover. Ensure that there is ...
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Opinion
Chris Jessop: Health moves up agenda
As 2012 winds down, it is time to pause and reflect on an employee health and wellbeing agenda that is facing considerable change.We have a real opportunity to establish employee health management as a credible business strategy that can genuinely contribute to business performance and shareholder value. Equally, greater investment ...
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Opinion
Peter O'Hara: Workplace giving via flexible benefits
We work with many employers and flexible benefits suppliers to provide workplace-giving schemes via flex portals, and many employers also enhance their employees’ donations made via the scheme.We completely agree that it is vital to communicate all benefits and also to perhaps consider being far more flexible with window opening ...
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Opinion
Val Stevenson: What are employers doing around stress in the workplace?
Many organisations are turning to prevention rather than reacting to the symptoms of stress and are seeking to support staff who are already affected. This is through the exploration of resilience.This means creating a greater awareness as an individual something we can all benefit from as well as having programmes ...
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Opinion
Ann McCracken: What are employers doing around stress in the workplace?
In our experience at the International Stress Management Association, the response to work-related stress is more reactive than proactive.Some employers are introducing intranet-programmes, running optional stress awareness sessions, open days focusing on wellbeing, and providing massage, physiotherapy and even peer supporters. This may encourage staff to change stress-inducing habits and ...
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Opinion
Andrew Kinder: What are employers doing around stress in the workplace?
Employers could be forgiven for reacting to National Stress Awareness Day on 2 November by saying it is not a business priority and they are too busy responding to difficult trading conditions. However, given findings from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s October 2011 Absence management survey that stress ...
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Opinion
Caroline Jowett-Ive: I wanted that true global remit
Viewpoint: Caroline Jowett-Ive, group vice-president reward at TravelportFor Caroline Jowett-Ive, group-vice president reward at Travelport, a global role was always her preferred destination.After starting her reward career in a UK reward and benefits post at Virgin Mobile, she was offered the chance to move to Virgin Management, the holding company ...
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Opinion
Charles Cotton: Take care with Christmas perks
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s Employee outlook: summer 2012 survey, published in May, found that more than half of employees are facing financial struggles, so it is important that employers recognise this when introducing or changing an incentive scheme, especially one that is themed around, or linked to, ...