All articles by Robert Crawford – Page 46

  • Article

    Top 10 most read stories this week

    2013-12-20T05:30:00Z

    The top 10 most read articles on employeebenefits.co.uk from 12-19 December:1. Government to raise auto-enrolment threshold2. Court rules on disability and work-related stress3. KPMG increases bonus pool to £73 million4. 39% planning pay rises below retail prices index5. Winter driving tips to keep employees safe6. IBM launches online pension reports7. ...

  • Article

    Ikea to make one-off €100m pension contribution for performance

    2013-12-19T11:55:00Z

    Ikea Group is to pay €100 million (£83.6 million) in pension contributions in the first year of its new reward programme.The programme, Tack!, which is Swedish for thank you, aims to reward employees who have been with the home furnishing retailer for more than five years with an employer contribution ...

  • Article

    Pg.16 – Interactive – Most talked-about features via Twitter

    2013-12-13T15:34:00Z

    In response to deputy editor Debbie Lovewell-Tuck’s December feature, How much do staff need to contribute for a comfortable retirement?, Phil Rixon, senior reward manager at Ladbrokes, tweeted:@PCRixon: “Retirement recipe by @DebbieLovewell in @EmployeeBenefit is a 2013 lightbulb moment for me: [defined contribution] pot = house value. Complex message made ...

  • Article

    BGL Group launches on-site gym

    2013-12-13T12:03:00Z

    BGL Group has launched an on-site gym to keep its 1,500 employees healthy.The facility is part of the Peterborough-based organisation’s MyWellbeing programme, which aims to promote awareness of health and wellbeing among employees.The heavily-subsidised gym has the latest equipment, and two instructors will be available to offer training plans and ...

  • Article

    Who is the most over-paid actor?

    2013-12-13T01:30:00Z

    Something for the weekend…UK employees are ranked the lowest paid across most job levels compared to other European countries, but they could feel even worse by looking at the return on investment on some Hollywood actors’ pay for a single film.According to Forbes’ 2013 List of the Most Overpaid Actors, ...

  • Article

    Top 10 most read stories this week

    2013-12-13T01:00:00Z

    The top 10 most read articles on employeebenefits.co.uk from 5-12 December:1. How the Autumn Statement will impact employee benefits2. Basic state pension to increase by £2.95 a week 3. HMRC wins income tax avoidance case4. Royal Mail reaches pay settlement 5. Travis Perkins staff to share £17m sharesave payout6. Danone ...

  • Article

    Cancer Research UK appoints legal advisors to DB pension

    2013-12-12T12:13:00Z

    Cancer Research UK has appointed Sackers as legal advisers to the trustees of its defined benefit pension scheme.The charity’s pension scheme is closed to new members.Graham Parrott, chair of trustees of the Cancer Research UK pension scheme, said: “Sackers impressed us with its understanding of our needs.”Ian Pittaway, senior partner ...

  • Article

    Reeves and Co uses flex to manage acquisition

    2013-12-11T12:06:00Z

    Reeves and Co is using its flexible benefits scheme to manage the transfer of employees after a merger with accountancy firm CLB Gatwick on 2 December.CLB Gatwick staff are to join the accountancy firm under a Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Tupe) arrangement.The new employees will be able to ...

  • Article

    HMRC launches 31% more probes into tax and NI evasion

    2013-12-11T04:00:00Z

    This number has increased by 31% since last year, up from 1,599 to 2,009 employers.The use of real-time information (RTI) reporting is thought to have helped HMRC launch more investigations into irregularities.Under RTI, which was introduced between April and October this year, HMRC receives monthly updates on employees’ pay and ...

  • Article

    Cost and administration main auto-enrolment concerns

    2013-12-10T12:15:00Z

    The ease and cost of auto-enrolment administration and the cost of minimum contributions are the top business priorities around auto-enrolment, according to research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Standard Life.A view from the top survey, which questioned 226 chief executives and board members in organisations, found that ...

  • Article

    HMRC extends RTI deadline for micro employers

    2013-12-10T11:25:00Z

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has extended the time micro employers are allowed to report pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) in real-time.Organisations with nine or fewer employees will be allowed to report PAYE information on or before the last payday of the month, rather than every payday until April 2016, to help them ...

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    Article

    Disengaged employees and poor health costs UK £6bn

    2013-12-09T11:51:00Z

    Employees with poor health and a lack of motivation cost the UK £6 billion last year, according to research by Bupa and the Centre for Economics and Business Research.Its study of 5,000 workers found that more than a third (37%) of teams are experiencing stress and pressure because of ill ...

  • Article

    'Tis the season to be jolly

    2013-12-06T05:00:00Z

    Something for the weekend…After The Employee Benefits team attended Wednesday night’s Centaur Awards and Christmas party, reporting on the Autumn Statement the morning after was not an easy ride, but neither, it seems, are party preparations for other employees during the festive season.A poll carried out by fashion retailer, Coast, ...

  • Article

    Top 10 most read stories this week

    2013-12-06T05:00:00Z

    The top 10 most read articles on employeebenefits.co.uk from 28 November to 5 December:1. HMRC changes company car advisory fuel rates2. Lloyds Register centralises global mobility services 3. TPR launches consultation on defined benefit pensions 4. Key healthcare benefits for an ageing workforce 5. B&Q staff to share £15m share ...

  • Article

    Employer NICs for under-21s to be abolished

    2013-12-05T13:04:00Z

    Autumn Statement 2013: The government is to abolish employer national insurance contributions (NICs) for under-21s earning under £813 a week.From 6 April 2015, employers will no longer be required to pay the contributions.Chancellor George Osborne announced in the Autumn Statement that the reform will make it cheaper for organisations to ...

  • Article

    United Response sees 3.6% auto-enrolment opt out

    2013-12-04T12:12:00Z

    EXCLUSIVE: Charity care provider United Response has seen opt-out rates of 3.6% following the implementation of auto-enrolment.Only 52 of the 1,451 employees who were auto-enrolled on 1 October 2013 opted out of its stakeholder pension scheme, which is provided by Friends Life.The organisation now has 2,618 of its 3,500 employees ...

  • Article

    Legal & General launches group life master trust

    2013-12-03T11:45:00Z

    Legal and General has introduced a master trust option for its group life assurance product.The option is aimed at helping to save on cost and time for employers and their advisors. The trust enables employers to set up and offer group life assurance as a benefit for staff, without needing ...

  • Article

    Employers challenged to pay living wage

    2013-12-03T05:00:00Z

    The national living wage rose by 20p from £7.45, while London saw a 25p rise from £8.55. The increases coincided with Living Wage Week, 4-8 November, when many employers sought to raise awareness and interest in paying the living wage.Richard Wilcox, managing director at Unity Trust Bank, which pays the ...

  • Article

    HMRC launches draft regulations on real-time information reporting

    2013-12-02T12:18:00Z

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has launched draft regulations relating to real-time information (RTI) reporting.The regulations are a result of ongoing engagement with employers about the design of RTI reporting, which took effect from April 2013.This has led to a number of changes being made to the rules covering pay-as-you-earn ...

  • Article

    Danone uses health cash plan to cut PMI costs

    2013-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Danone has launched a health cash plan to supplement its private medical insurance (PMI) scheme.Its 1,300 employees will have access to the benefit, provided by BHSF, through the food manufacturer’s flexible benefits platform.The health cash plan, which includes cover for low-cost treatments, therapies and eye tests, was introduced due to ...