All articles by Robert Crawford – Page 50
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Three raises pensions take up to 80%
EXCLUSIVE: Three has increased its pension scheme take up from 68% of staff to 80% following auto-enrolment.The mobile phone organisation auto-enrolled 702 eligible employees on 1 October after it had postponed from 1 July to align the process with its flexible benefits enrolment window.Seth Russell, director of reward at Three, ...
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A third of 30-somethings not saving for retirement
Almost a third (31%) of respondents in their 30s are not saving anything at all for retirement, according to research by Friends Life.Its GenXpectations research, which surveyed 2,000 individuals, found that more than half (51%) of respondents over the age of 40 said they wish they had saved more for ...
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FTSE 100 directors' total earnings up by 14%
Directors of FTSE 100 companies have seen their total earnings rise by 14% over the past 12 months, according to research by Income Data Services (IDS).The IDS Executive compensation review, which analysed the pay of FTSE 100 company directors, found that the increase was driven by a 58% rise in ...
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Royal Mail calls off strike over pay and pensions
Royal Mail employees have called off their planned strike for 4 November as a result of an agreement being made on changes to pay, pensions and job security between the Royal Mail Group and the Communication Workers Union (CWU).A statement from the two parties said they had made progress in ...
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Court blocks offshore bonus tax avoidance scheme
A £31 million offshore bonus tax avoidance scheme operated by Aberdeen Asset Management has been shut down by a Scottish court.The FTSE 100-listed fund manager paid senior employees and directors bonuses free of income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs), between 2000 and 2003, using an employee benefits trust (EBT).The ...
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Goldman Sachs looks to work-life balance
Goldman Sachs has eased working conditions for its junior investment banking staff by discouraging them from working long hours and at weekends.The investment bank’s move is aimed at changing its culture to retain younger employees. David Solomon, co-head of the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs, said: “The goal is ...
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Enhanced redundancy payments for older workers not discriminatory
The judgement, on 11 October, relates to the case earlier this year of Romily Lockwood v Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and Cabinet Office in which the former administrative officer for the DWP claimed that the voluntary redundancy scheme offered by the organisation discriminated against her because of her ...
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Dental perks desired
Something for the weekend…Dutch football manager Michel Jansen may be seeing the value of dental benefits after losing a tooth in enthusiastic goal celebrations. He was caught in the face by a fist pump from the Twente Enschede managers assistant Youri Mulder as the pair wildly celebrated their side’s goal ...
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The top 10 most read stories this week
The top 10 most read articles on employeebenefits.co.uk during 17-24 October.1. The pros and cons of salary sacrifice training benefits2. Auto-enrolment contributions will not be enough3. Royal Mail to strike over pay and pensions4. Hertfordshire Council switches staff workshop provider5. HMRC tackles pensions tax abuse6. Only 49% motivated by pay ...
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Ipswich Town FC to launch master trust
Ipswich Town Football Club is to launch a master trust to comply with pensions auto-enrolment.From 1 November, Now: Pensions will provide the pension, which will be available to the football club’s 600 eligible employees, including office staff and match-day stewards.Denise Booth, management accountant at Ipswich Town Football Club, said: “We ...
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Age-related pension contributions not discriminatory
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that age-related employer contributions to pension schemes are lawful and not discriminatory to employees.The case of HK Danmark v Experion A/S 2013 concerned an organisation that set up a pension scheme for employees in Denmark with employer contributions at the following rates: ...
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Cycling to work motivates employees
Employees who cycle to work are more likely to arrive motivated and happy compared to other commuters, according to research by cycling insurer Cycleguard.The research, which surveyed 500 cyclists and 500 non-cyclists, found that a quarter (25%) of employees who cycle to work arrive feeling motivated and 18% arrive feeling ...
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Cancer sufferers want more from employers
Nearly one in five (19%) respondents with cancer said their employer could do more to understand their healthcare needs and circumstances, according to research by Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres and insurer Unum.The research, which surveyed 1,016 adults who currently have or have had cancer, found that 19% were also dissatisfied ...
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Royal Mail staff to strike over pay and pensions
Royal Mail postal workers have voted to strike for 24 hours on 4 November in a dispute over pay, pensions and job security.The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents all non-managerial employees, is allowing for a two-week period to reach an agreement over the issues.More than three-quarters (78%) of Royal ...
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NAPF launches Stewardship Disclosure Framework
The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has launched a Stewardship Disclosure Framework.It aims to provide pension funds with greater transparency around the stewardship policies and activities of the 206 asset managers who are signatories of the Stewardship Code.The framework, which is based around the seven principles of the Stewardship ...
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Holiday like your colleague
Something for the weekend…As it becomes wet, windy and cold here in the UK, employees’ thoughts may well turn to sunnier climes and where they would like to go in their next holiday. But according to research by online travel agency Sunshine.co.uk, which asked 1,892 employees for their top choice ...
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The top 10 most read stories this week
1. Government announces auto-enrolment changes2. Absence could be cut by over a third3. Shell staff most active in Europe4. Ceridian launches auto-enrolment product for SMEs5. New financial education provider to launch6. Sickness absence levels up slightly7. Oscar Mayer launches online benefits portal8. Kodak Pension Plan to set up new DB ...
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Teachers strike over pay and pension changes
Thousands of teachers are striking across the UK on 17 October in a row over pay, pensions and working conditions.The industrial action, organised by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), is being staged in the north-east, south-west, south-east and ...
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Oscar Mayer launches online benefits portal
EXCLUSIVE: Oscar Mayer has launched an online benefits portal for employees to access all of their core and voluntary benefits in one place.The food production organisation consulted with its 1,600 employees and learned they wanted a package that contained all their core benefits, such as healthcare and legal advice, alongside ...
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Confidence in pensions rises to 59%
Confidence in pensions among employees has risen in the past 12 months, according to research by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).Its Workplace pensions survey, which measures employees’ perspectives on workplace pension savings and their preparations for retirement, found that confidence, particularly among staff already saving into a pension ...