All articles by Peter White
-
Article
BT calls out to managers using performance perks
BT has introduced flexible benefits for its 27,000 managers to complement a recently revamped performance and appraisal system.The telecommunications firm also expects to extend the plan to its entire workforce following the initial roll out.The organisation has made a number of changes to the job families of its managers and ...
-
Article
Congestion charge hike hits John Lewis
John Lewis has estimated that the increase in London's congestion charge will cost its company car fleet up to an additional £100,000.From July, the cost of driving into central London rose from £5 to £8 a car, with company cars registered with Transport for London's fleet service seeing an increase ...
-
Article
Flex helps freelance IT workers go full-time
IT motoring consultancy Gedas has introduced a flexible benefits scheme to help encourage its contract staff to become permanent.The company, which is part of the Volkswagen group, launched the plan in July, moving away from its previous motoring-based benefits package.Barry Hoffman, head of corporate resourcing at Gedas, said that a ...
-
Article
Glaxo to assemble single voluntary plan
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is finalising a deal that will bring all of its voluntary benefits in the UK under one plan.The pharmaceutical firm hopes to launch Youatwork's online voluntary benefits software in November to replace a number of local deals.Harsha Modha, benefits programmes manager at GSK, said: "At the moment we ...
-
Analysis
Pensions simplification 2005: Interview with NAPF's director of policy, Joanne Segars
There is a banging coming from downstairs. It is loud and repetitive. While there are no signs that a group of angry workers are starting to attack the National Association of Pensions Funds' (NAPF) Westminster offices, the noise draws parallels to the struggle faced by the NAPF's director of policy ...
-
Article
Car parks fuel green drive
A group of large employers are pioneering environmentally friendly benefits as a way to negate parking problems in major cities. Some are specifically ear-marking staff car park cash to help fund a raft of green perks.The University of Bristol, BskyB and British American Tobacco have all implemented green transport plans ...
-
Article
Insurer acts to cut final salary deficit
Allianz Cornhill has introduced a salary sacrifice pension arrangement to cut its final salary deficit.The insurance company hopes to save £250,000 in National Insurance contributions from employees operating in its closed final salary plan, which it will then plough back into the fund's deficit.As a result of the savings the ...
-
Article
Enviros uses pensions savings to offer flex
Enviros is using the success of its revamped stakeholder pension scheme to fund the development of a flexible benefits plan, specifically targeted at its young workforce.The environmental consultancy firm has seen membership of its pension scheme substantially increase after it harmonised seven different arrangements into one ethical stakeholder plan.And it ...
-
Article
Home PC savings fuel perks
Hertfordshire County Council plans to expand its range of health benefits and family friendly policies using savings from its recently launched home computing scheme. The local authority, which introduced the discounted computer plan in March, hopes to see significant savings in employer National Insurance contributions that will allow it to ...
-
Article
HR speeds up voucher plans
Benefits bosses are hurriedly introducing childcare voucher schemes to take advantage of tax relief legislation. Employers such as Compass, Barclays, Eli Lilly and Herefordshire Council are all launching or re-launching schemes before April 5 to ensure staff get maximum discounts.June Woodhouse, HR director at Compass, which has just launched a ...
-
Analysis
Tax changes impact on diesel cars
If you read nothing else, read this …From January 2006, diesel cars that meet Euro IV emission standards will no longer receive the 3% tax incentive.Some fleet experts argue that fleet policies will have to be reviewed because diesel is no longer more advantageous than petrol.The residual values of petrol ...
-
Analysis
DB v DC: It's contributions that really count
If you read nothing else, read this...The amount of money an employer puts into the pension scheme is more important than whether it is a defined benefit or defined contribution arrangement.Age and career prospects are important indicators of which type of pension scheme most suitable.Employee Benefits' research shows that only ...
-
Article
News International blushes over share scheme blunder
News International was forced to cancel its sharesave scheme and compensate staff after its shares became invalid. The media firm, which is the UK arm of News Corporation and publishes The Sun and The Times newspapers, discovered the problem after the parent company moved its shares from the Australian Stock ...
-
Article
Are home computing schemes the best deal?
Home computing schemes continue to be very popular, but the market is not saturated yet. NHS trusts are now getting involved after public sector organisations initially had mixed results with legislative issues, says Peter WhiteCase Studies - Chrysalis, SiemensArticle in fullIf Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde were an employee benefit ...
-
Article
Royal Mail sick leave down 11 per cent
Royal Mail has seen a reduction in its sickness absence levels despite receiving significant criticism for its stick and carrot approach to the problem. The organisation, which introduced a prize draw in August 2004 to help its 190,000 staff reduce the number of sick days taken, has since seen sickness ...
-
Article
GNER's home PC success fuels charity plan
GNER has donated a number of computers to charities across the UK following the success of its own home computing scheme. The train operator saw a quarter of its workforce take part in the salary sacrifice offer despite uncertainty over whether the company will still have its rail franchise. The ...
-
Article
Scots council rolls out smoking ban
Aberdeen City Council has imposed a ban on employees smoking during working hours, including in company cars. It plans to abolish all smoking rooms in council buildings and staff who are found to be smoking outside or anywhere else while they are working will be punished. Employees will not be ...
-
Article
Tsunami focuses pay giving
Organisations across the UK have been helping staff raise millions of pounds to assist victims of the tsunami tragedy. And benefits bosses are being urged to use their positions to provide further support. Payroll giving and one-off salary sacrifice donations have been popular options as they allow more money to ...
-
Article
Mitie offers staff help with their addictions
Support services firm Mitie Group is introducing a drug and alcohol training programme to help staff kick addictions. It is providing staff with counselling services, both internally and externally, and quick access to treatment. Andy May, head of health and safety at Mitie, said that the company took action following ...
-
Article
Charity sets up EAP for its support staff
The Royal British Legion introduced a counselling service (EAP) in the run up to Christmas to ensure that its support staff had support services themselves. It also hoped the service would help bring down staff turnover throughout the organisation.Sharron Lewis James, head of human resources, said: "As a charity we ...