All articles by Robert Crawford – Page 30

  • Lindsay Melvin
    Article

    53% offer a savings scheme through payroll

    2014-08-14T10:15:00Z

    More than half (53%) of respondents offer a savings scheme to staff where deductions are made via payroll, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP).Its Policy research paper – saving through payroll, which surveyed employers as well as representatives from the payroll industry, found that 41% ...

  • Investec-LondonOffice-2014
    Article

    Investec Bank wins £6m bonus claim

    2014-08-12T10:55:00Z

    Investec Bank has won a £6-million bonus claim against two former employees.The High Court rejected the claim by Andrew Brogden, former head, and Robert Reid, deputy head, of its structured equity desk.The pair had claimed that their 2010/11 bonus had been pre-agreed in an oral contract with the organisation and ...

  • HMRC
    Article

    PAYE tax code changes could adversely impact employers

    2014-08-12T10:48:00Z

    HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax code regulations could have an adverse impact on employers and employees, according to the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT).The professional body has expressed its concerns in writing to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).It stated that HMRC’s proposal to relax the timeframe in ...

  • Beatson-Mark-CIPD-2014
    Article

    42% expect to raise basic pay

    2014-08-11T10:38:00Z

    Some 42% of respondents expect their organisation to raise basic pay, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).Its latest Labour market outlook survey, which questioned more than 1,000 employers, found that this expectation has fallen from 48% in the CIPD’s spring 2014 report.The research also ...

  • Speedy-Services-2014
    Article

    Speedy Services launches wellness strategy

    2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: Speedy Services has launched an wellness programme aimed at improving the wellbeing of its 2,500 employees.Through the programme, which was launched in June and is provided by Optum, the tools, equipment and plant hire firm communicates a different health-related theme each month.Employees can also access a number of fact ...

  • Dainty-Tony-QCare-2014
    Article

    Q Care launches car pool scheme

    2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: Q Care has launched a car pool scheme for its 600 employees. The domiciliary care organisation is offering staff a contract hire agreement with provider Lex Autolease, leasing 28 cars with plans to extend this to 100.Its previous travel arrangement meant employees had to use personal cars for business ...

  • BAE
    Article

    BAE Systems redesigns pension website

    2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

    BAE Systems has relaunched its pension website after redesigning it to improve the information available for employees.The organisation’s pension scheme members regularly use the online portal, which receives more than 5,000 visitors each month.However, its pensions helpline still received a large number of calls because employees could not find the ...

  • Retirement
    Article

    72% not prepared for pension reforms

    2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

    Just under three-quarters (72%) of respondents say they are not fully prepared to deal with the consequences of the pension reforms announced in the March 2014 Budget, according to research by Aon Hewitt.Its research, which questioned more than 300 pension professionals, found that one in five (20%) respondents would need ...

  • Kapur-Ashish-SEI-2014
    Article

    66% of trustees to change DC pension default strategy

    2014-08-01T00:00:00Z

    Two-thirds (66%) of trustee respondents are looking to change their pension scheme’s default strategy within the next 18 months as a result of the Budget changes to at-retirement options, according to research by asset management firm SEI.Its Defined contribution pensions survey, which surveyed trustees and employers about their current approach ...

  • Drewell-Robert-Hermes-2014
    Article

    Interview with Robert Drewell, head of reward and benefits at Hermes Europe

    2014-07-29T12:41:00Z

    The move came as Drewell was nearing the end of an interim role as senior reward consultant at Brakes Group. He was approached by a friend of his, Caroline Foster, HR director at Hermes, to help her establish a new team.“I knew of Hermes’ business and was aware Caroline had ...

  • Quintessa-employees-EOT-2014
    Article

    Quintessa launches employee ownership trust

    2014-07-25T11:03:00Z

    Quintessa has launched an employee ownership trust.The scientific and mathematical consultancy is now 100% owned by its employees after it launched the trust on 17 July.Employee ownership is when employees own a significant stake in the organisation they work for.Employees in an employee ownership trust organisation can receive income-tax-free bonuses ...

  • Manchester-United-2014
    Article

    Will sleeping pods boost Manchester United's productivity?

    2014-07-25T05:00:00Z

    Something for the weekend…Everyone has felt the full force of a workplace shake up, be it office moves or restructured benefits packages.At Manchester United Football Club, it looks like new manager Louis Van Gaal is doing everything he can to motivate players to adapt to his regime with a new ...

  • July/August-Online-2014
    Article

    Top 10 most read stories this week

    2014-07-25T04:55:00Z

    The top 10 most read articles on employeebenefits.co.uk from 17-24 July:1. Government sets out plans for guidance guarantee 2. Obesity could be covered by anti-discimination law 3. Adidas and Nomura among healthiest employers 4. Sports Direct boss exits bonus share scheme 5. Southern Water triples bikes for work take up ...

  • JPMorgan-CanaryWharf-2014
    Article

    JP Morgan launches global wellbeing challenge

    2014-07-23T10:43:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: More than 130,000 JP Morgan employees have signed up to take part in its global wellbeing initiative for 2014.The 12-week activity challenge, which was launched on 23 June, focuses on two areas: early detection and physical activity.It includes a step-up competition, where employees log their healthy activity to raise ...

  • Steve Webb
    Article

    Government proposes halving deferred state pension increase

    2014-07-23T10:37:00Z

    The government has proposed halving the deferred state pension increase rates from 6 April 2016.Currently, UK workers who reach the state pension age before 6 April 2016 will be able to defer their state pension and benefit from an annual increase of 10.4% on the deferred income.Under the proposals, anyone ...

  • Yacht-Thinkstock-2014
    Article

    Yachts, jewellery and clocks give rise to benefit in kind

    2014-07-22T10:20:00Z

    The First-Tier Tax Tribunal has ruled that the use of yachts, jewellery and clocks ‘placed at the disposal’ of an employee gives rise to a benefit in kind.In the case, Gillian Rockall v HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Rockall and her husband were the directors and controlling shareholders of two ...

  • BibbyFinancialServices-Office-2014-620
    Case Studies

    Bibby Financial Services tailors flex communications

    2014-07-22T05:00:00Z

    The organisation over-communicated the launch by sending out messages to staff and repeated emails reminding them that the deadline to sign up to the flexible benefits scheme was looming, despite a number having already done so.Following employee feedback, Bibby sent out targeted communications in 2013 and 2014 using a variety ...

  • BibbyFinancialServices-Office-2014-305
    Analysis

    How to segment flexible benefits communications

    2014-07-22T05:00:00Z

    If you read nothing else, read this…Segmentation of communications is an approach largely used by retailer employers.41% of respondents to the Employee Benefits/Towers Watson Flexible benefits research 2014 send targeted messages to staff.Segmentation can be done by age, job role, salary or demographic.A main driver of workforce segmentation for ...

  • Network Rail
    Article

    Network Rail faces equal pay claim

    2014-07-21T10:28:00Z

    Network Rail is facing an equal pay claim after bonuses for senior male staff topped £1 million.More than 30 female managers have launched the claim, which is being backed by the union Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA).Female managers at the transport organisation are paid between £3,000 and £4,000 a year ...

  • BT-Tower-2013
    Article

    BT Group pension guarantee upheld

    2014-07-18T10:30:00Z

    The Court of Appeal has upheld a 2010 High Court judgement that the government would fund BT Group’s defined benefit pension obligations for all 313,000 members, regardless of whether an employee joined the organisation pre or post-privatisation.In 2010, the High Court ruled that the government would take responsibility for the ...