All Research news articles – Page 22
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: International
More than half of respondents have a business presence outside the UK, and healthcare benefits are a key attraction for employees working abroad, says Debbie LovewellIn the light of new, rapidly growing markets across the globe, it is perhaps unsurprising that the percentage of respondents with operations or divisions outside ...
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: Benefits offered
Employee assistance programmes' rise in popularity continues as employers seek to support staff who may be under pressure for a variety of reasons, says Debbie LovewellThe top core healthcare benefits have changed little in recent years, although the order in which they are ranked has altered slightly. For the second ...
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: Changes
The economy has put employers under increasing pressure to reduce the cost of benefits, with many seeking better deals from providers and insurers, says Debbie LovewellAs the economic climate has deteriorated once again over the past year, more than half (57%) of respondents say they have come under increased pressure ...
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: Attitudes
Cost remains the dominant influence on employers’ decisions to provide healthcare benefits, but most still do not measure the return on their investment, says Debbie LovewellSince 2006, cost has remained the most important factor influencing employers’ decisions to buy, or to continue to offer, healthcare benefits. Cost and obtaining the ...
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: Sponsor's comment: Benefits of health are clear
A co-ordinated approach is needed to get the best out of healthcare benefits, says Kirsty Jagielko, head of product management at Cigna HealthCare Benefits (UK HB)There is no doubt that, as employers, we accept the business benefits of having a healthier workforce. It is great to hear that more employers ...
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: Sickness absence
Reactive perks such as employee assistance programmes and private medical insurance have risen in importance as ways to help reduce sickness absence, says Debbie LovewellBenefits designed to help employers manage employees’ mental and physical wellbeing top the list of methods to reduce sickness absence levels. This year, respondents cite employee ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Legislation
This year will finally see the introduction of legislation under the Pensions Act 2008. From October, the first tranche of employers (those with more than 120,000 staff) will be required to comply with the reforms, which will see the introduction of automatic enrolment to a qualifying pension scheme, compulsory minimum ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: International benefits
The number of employers that operate a global benefits framework has grown in the last few years.Offering benefits on this basis can offer several advantages for employers. As well as achieving cost and efficiency savings, it can also help an organisation build a single, overarching benefits brand that is recognisable ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Changes to benefits provision
Keeping a benefits package fresh and relevant is the best way to ensure it continues to keep staff interested and engaged with what is on offer. In the past year, just under half (44%) of respondents said they had introduced a new benefit to the mix.Failing to hold employees' interest ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Flexible benefits
Despite all the attention and discussion that flexible benefits schemes have generated over the years, they have never really taken off in the same way as other mechanisms for offering benefits. Although the number of employers offering flex to at least some of their workforce has grown over the years, ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Salary sacrifice
Given the tax and national insurance (NI) savings that are available when offering tax-efficient benefits via a salary sacrifice arrangement, it is perhaps not surprising that the proportion of respondents offering perks in such a way has remained consistently high in recent years.Back in 2004, 69% of respondents offered benefits ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Voluntary benefits
Voluntary benefits schemes have a number of advantages for both employers and employees, so it is perhaps unsurprising that the percentage of respondents offering perks on this basis has risen year on year. During the ongoing economic downturn, when benefits budgets may tight or non-existent, voluntary schemes can be a ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Core benefits
Over the past eight years, there has been little change in the top core benefits that employers offer to all staff. As in 2004, 2010 and 2011, this year, life assurance (also known as death in service) is the most commonly offered core benefit.In third place comes counselling or employee ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Benefits package
TYPES OF BENEFIT ON OFFERThe evolution and complexity of employee benefits have led to myriad definitions. For the purpose of this research, we have used the following:Core packageThe traditional package of employer paid benefits in which employees can now opt out of, or switchbetween, perks.Flexible benefitsA package of employer-paid benefits ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Responsibility and branding
The person responsible for benefits decisions within organisations has changed little over the years. A continuing trend has been the rise in status for compensation, benefits and reward professionals, with these areas increasingly being recognised as an HR specialism. This can be seen in the responsibility given to compensation and ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Strategy
Over the past eight years, the benefits market has undergone much development, with many employers now offering vastly different packages from nearly a decade ago. Yet many of the issues and challenges shaping employers' benefits packages remain similar to those experienced back in 2004, when we first carried out research ...
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Article
Employee Benefits/Alexander Forbes benefits research 2012
Download a PDF of the Employee Benefits/Alexander Forbes benefits research 2012Benefits research 2012: Key findingsBenefits research 2012: StrategyBenefits research 2012: Responsibility and brandingBenefits research 2012: Benefits packageBenefits research 2012: Core benefitsBenefits research 2012: Voluntary benefitsBenefits research 2012: Salary sacrificeBenefits research 2012: Flexible benefitsBenefits research 2012: ChangeBenefits research 2012: International benefitsBenefits ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Key findings
The aim of this study was to identify which benefits UK employers offer to their staff and how these are delivered.We also wanted to find out the impact of these benefits strategies, along with the key issues and challenges that are shaping them, such as the continuing difficult economic climate ...
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Article
Benefits research 2012: Sponsor's comment: Employees matter most
Staff must be engaged in the design of benefits programmes, says Stephen Watson, head of delivery, defined contribution pensions and benefits at Alexander Forbes Consultants & ActuariesAs I was reading through the results of this year's research, a definite theme started to become clear: value, value and value. Across the ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Volunteering is a revelation for Cancer Research staff
Cancer Research UK avoids traditional team-building days, instead encouraging all of its 3,500 employees to take part in volunteering days away from the office.These include working in Cancer Research shops during the busy Christmas period. Jane Vivier, the charity’s reward and recognition manager, says: “We offer opportunities which benefit individuals, ...