All articles by Robert Crawford – Page 22
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ArticleOne in eight remain in low pay for a decade
One in eight (12%) employees have remained in low pay for more than a decade, according to research by the Resolution Foundation.The think tank’s Escape Plan report, commissioned by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, used official data sets to track low paid workers over the course of the ...
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AnalysisOctober case law round-up
Here is a round up of case law impacting employee benefits, where rulings have been made in the last month.A former Nestle’s employee has been ruled to be liable for the tax on a lump sum payment received in exchange for giving up membership of the organisation’s healthcare scheme. An ...
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ArticleGovernment updates bring-your-own-device guidance
The guidance applies to any type of BYOD software product running on a personally-owned device including: container applications on personally-owned smartphones, bootable USB media on home PCs and remote desktop or remote application products.The security aspects in the guidance include: creating an effective BYOD policy to ensure devices are only ...
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ArticleCTL Engineering completes DB pension buyout
CTL Engineering has completed an insurance buyout of its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme.The consulting engineering, testing, inspection and analytical services organisation’s scheme has 115 members and assets of £12 million. Aviva was appointed to wind up the scheme within three months of transacting.Aon Hewitt advised on the buyout and ...
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ArticlePay rises expected globally in 2015
Most employees around the world received a pay increase in 2014 and can expect to receive comparable increases in 2015, according to research by Aon Hewitt. Its Global salary increases survey, which researched 12,690 employers in 110 countries, found that employees in Africa are expected to see the highest rate ...
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ArticleThe octopus on a €60,000 salary
Something for the weekend…A low-ranking civil servant in Spain has caused outrage in the country after dressing up as an octopus helped him to pocket a €60,000 annual (£45,000) salary. Carlos Javier Carpio Arenas, who is best known for dressing up as an octopus at a political rally for the ...
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ArticleStress and mental ill health main causes of absence
Stress and mental ill health remain the main causes of absence, according to research by group risk industry body Group Risk Development (Grid).Its Group risk employer research, which surveyed more than 500 employers and 1,000 employees, found that nearly half (48%) of respondents cite stress and mental ill health as ...
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Case StudiesSamsung evolves benefits strategy
Engagement is one of Samsung’s primary organisational objectives aimed at helping to recruit and retain employees in a competitive industry, and over the last few years the organisation has been utilising its own technology to help harness and build employee engagement, Tess Smillie, vice president of human resources at Samsung, ...
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ArticleTop 15 most visited stories online in October
1. Employee Benefits Live 2014 speaker slides 2. Court rules employers are liable for lost pension rights 3. Members to be able to take multiple tax-free lump sums from pensions 4. Nestle employee liable for tax on payment in lieu of benefit 5. Rolls-Royce switches healthcare trust provider 6. Total ...
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Case StudiesRed Setter uses family friendly approach to motivate staff
The company is comprised of ex brand directors, account directors and marketing managers who have all been used to working at a high level. Also, the majority of its employees have children.Claire Blyth, founder of Red Setter, says: “If they were still working in London they would all be experts ...
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AnalysisHow to reward those at the top of their game
If you read nothing else, read this… Motivation could be influenced by intellectual, social and emotional factors.Experts’ reward packages could be enhanced to maintain productivity.It is not all about reward, a simple thank you and recognising good work still impacts motivation.Business opportunities such as allowing experts to work into other ...
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ArticleEmployers need a crisis management plan to tackle Ebola outbreak
The latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), at the time of writing, put the current death toll at 4,900. The outbreak also continues to hit health workers. So far, 443 healthcare workers have been infected with Ebola, of which 244 have died.Only Nigeria and Senegal have been declared ...
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ArticleSiemens launches social media website
EXCLUSIVE: Siemens has launched an internal social media website to help communicate its employee benefits to more than 13,000 employees in the UK.The Siemens Social Network, which has on average 40% of its employees visiting the site every month, allows the organisation to create groups, post new topics and let ...
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ArticleLiving wage increases to £7.85
The UK living wage has increased to £7.85 an hour and the London living wage has increased to £9.15 an hour.The voluntary wage, which increased by 20p and is set by the Living Wage Foundation, is now 21% higher than the compulsory national minimum wage, which is currently £6.50 an ...
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ArticleGlobal mobility challenges in Brazil, South Africa and Turkey
EXCLUSIVE: There are a number of challenges employers need to consider when relocating employees to Brazil, South Africa and Turkey, which will be discussed at Employee Benefits’ sister brand the Forum for Expatriate Management’s (FEM) EMEA Global Mobility Summit 2014 on 7 November.Kelly Adam, client services director and Lisa Reid, ...
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Analysis
Pensions default investments in numbers
66% - of trustee respondents are looking to change their pension scheme’s default strategy within the next 18 months. Source: SEI’s Defined contribution pensions survey, published in August.15% - of UK respondents said they would take ‘somewhat high-risk’ or ‘high-risk’ investments in order to receive better returns. Source: State Street ...
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AnalysisDo employee car ownership schemes still have a place?
If you read nothing else, read this…Ecos take the form of an agreement made between the employee and the leasing company.Demand for Ecos has reduced because of the popularity of salary sacrifice schemes.Eco schemes often still appear when organisations offer blended funding arrangements.Ecos could rise in popularity when new international ...
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AnalysisBuyer’s guide to salary sacrifice car schemes
The facts:What is a salary sacrifice car scheme? This is a car scheme in which an employee forgoes a portion of their gross salary in exchange for the use of a car for a period of time, and receives tax and national insurance breaks as a result.Where can employers get ...
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AnalysisHow has group life assurance evolved?
If you read nothing else, read this…Group life assurance is the most commonly offered benefit to employees.The benefit often now includes value-added services such as bereavement counselling.Group life assurance products continue to be driven by price rather than innovation. Historically, employers tended to offer life assurance as a bolt-on to ...
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OpinionGeorge Bull: Scrapping of 55% tax rate on pensions goes further than expected
Before this announcement, members of defined contribution (DC) pension plans faced a difficult choice. If they opted for an annuity but died early, then the annuity provider would profit, but if they did not take one and instead left their funds in the pension pot, then the taxman would take ...