All articles by Robert Crawford – Page 21
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ArticleGovernment votes in favour of firefighter pension changes
The government has voted in favour of changes to firefighters’ pensions, which will see them have to work until age 60 and receive increased pension contributions after the government voted in favour of the changes.The measure, which has led to a series of strikes by union members, was passed by ...
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ArticleNewcastle upon Tyne Hospitals increases car plan take up
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has seen increased take up of its salary sacrifice car scheme.Some 8% of more than 9,600 employees who are eligible for the scheme, which is provided by CPC Drive in partnership with Tusker, have taken up the option to purchase a car.This equates to 645 ...
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ArticleAviva and Friends Life finalise merger
Insurance organisations Aviva and Friends Life have finalised the terms of a £5.6 billion merger.The merger will create the UK’s largest insurance and savings business with more than 16 million customers.Aviva first announced the firms were in talks in November 2014.It is expected the merger will generate £225 million of ...
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ArticleAgeing workers and economy threaten pensions
Pension schemes are facing a number of challenges due to the combined threats of the economy, the ageing population and a lack of confidence in private pensions, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).Its Pensions outlook report 2014, which summarises the challenges that policymakers face around pension ...
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ArticleActive membership of DC schemes outstrips DB for first time
Active membership of defined contribution (DC) pension schemes outnumbers that of defined benefit (DB) schemes for the first time, according to research by the National Association of Pensions Funds (NAPF).The trade body’s 40th Annual survey, which questioned 250 NAPF fund members, representing 840 pension schemes throughout the UK, found that ...
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Article83% would use flexible-working options
More than three-quarters (83%) of respondents would use flexible-working options if they were made available to them, according to research by the Centre for Economics and Business research (CEBR).The study, commissioned by mobile workplace solutions organisation Citrix, found that 96% of ‘knowledge workers’, which the CEBR defines ad ‘thinking jobs’ ...
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Article53% of over 40s unsure of guidance guarantee eligibility
More than half (53%) of respondents over the age of 40 do not know if they are eligible for the guidance guarantee, according to research by retirement provider Partnership. Its research, which surveyed more than 2,000 people aged over 40, also found that 18% of respondents said they were not ...
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ArticleBoost expertise at the Employee Benefits Academy
Reward and benefits managers looking to develop their career or grow their benefits knowledge could benefit fromthe Employee Benefits Academy’s courses for 2015.A joint venture between Employee Benefits magazine and Total Reward Academy, the Employee Benefits Academy provides expert, practical training in benefits and compensation management.The benefits courses for 2015 ...
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Article35% say benefits increase loyalty
More than a third (35%) of respondents say the benefits they are offered at work in addition to salary and holiday entitlement have increased their loyalty to their employer, according to research by MetLife Employee Benefits.Its research, which surveyed nearly 1,000 employees, also found that a third (33%) of respondents ...
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ArticleSodexo acquires Motivcom
Sodexo has acquired incentive and recognition provider Motivcom, which owns P&MM, AYMTM, Allsave, Filmology and The Voucher Shop.The acquisition will enable Sodexo to offer a more comprehensive and global proposition to employers of all sizes, aiming to provide a strategic relationship and stronger partnerships with its employer clients.Sodexo will now ...
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ArticleCaring Homes Group launches voluntary benefits plan
Caring Homes Group’s Deer Park View care home, Teddington.Caring Homes Group has launched a voluntary benefits scheme for more than 5,000 employees.Since the care home operator introduced the scheme, provided by Personal Group, earlier this month, more than 25% of employees have taken it up.The benefits available via the scheme ...
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Article31% have not heard of pension charge cap
Nearly a third (31%) of respondents have not heard of the pensions charge cap that will come into force in April 2015 or have not been informed of this by their provider or adviser, according to research by Close Brothers Asset Management.Its Business barometer survey, which questioned more than 900 ...
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ArticleLloyds Banking Group staff to receive back pay
More than 10,000 former and current Lloyds Banking Group employees are to receive hundreds of pounds in back pay after the bank denied employees a pay rise.Employees are being awarded the payments after a long-running dispute over contracts that staff were asked to sign following the merger of Lloyds TSB ...
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ArticleECJ rejects UK challenge to bankers' bonus cap
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has rejected the UK’s challenge to EU legislation that caps the level of bankers’ bonuses.The cap restricts bonuses to 100% of banker’s pay or 200% with shareholder approval.The UK government had challenged the legislation, asking the ECJ to consider six arguments against both the ...
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ArticleHollywood actress feels gender pay gap
Something for the weekend…Many of us dream of earning the kinds of pay cheques reserved for high-earning Hollywood stars.However, it seems that even these big hitters are not immune to the impact of the gender pay gap. According to two-times Oscar winner actress Hilary Swank (pictured), her earnings would be ...
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AnalysisTop 10 most read stories this week
The top 10 most read stories on employeebenefits.co.uk from 13-20 November:1. PricewaterhouseCoopers loses flexible working discrimination case 2. Electric-shock headset could boost productivity 3. Cost considerations around workplace childcare 4. Staff face big decisions around pension savings 5. Gerald Eve boosts financial education 6. Jaguar Land Rover employees reject ...
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ArticleGender pay gap decreases to 9.4%
The gender pay gap has narrowed to 9.4% compared with 10% in 2013, the lowest gap since 1997, with women in their twenties and thirties earning a higher hourly wage than men for the first time, according to research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Its Annual survey of hours ...
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ArticleElectric-shock headset could boost productivity
Something for the weekend… If an employee is feeling low, unproductive and tired, finding ways to boost energy levels can be hard to come by.Caffeine intake could well be the easy solution for some employees, while an employer’s motivation strategy could also go someway to help.But imagine the power of ...
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ArticleTop 10 most read stories this week
The top 10 most read stories on employeebenefits.co.uk from 7-13 November:1. Pensions salary sacrifice: what employers need to know 2. Axa UK launches online employee benefits microsite 3. Government updates bring-your-own-device guidance 4. Aggregate launches mental health campaign 5. Pension reforms drive staff need for guidance 6. George Bull: Scrapping ...
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ArticleAxa UK launches online employee benefits microsite
EXCLUSIVE: Axa UK has created a dedicated microsite through which staff past and present can access all of the organisation’s employee benefits information. The website allows staff to access information on the insurer’s flexible benefits, voluntary benefits and pension and share schemes. More than 6,500 employees have visited each of ...