All articles by Sam Barrett – Page 15
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Article
Sony Pictures puts pensions in spotlight to boost take-up
Sony Pictures Entertainment is promoting its pension schemes to help employees understand the benefits and increase take-up of its stakeholder scheme.The firm runs a final salary scheme, which closed to new employees in April 2007, as well as the stakeholder plan. It matches employee contributions to its stakeholder plan on ...
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Article
Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education launches voluntary benefits
The Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education has introduced a new voluntary benefits package for its 1,500 members of staff.The package, branded Dragon Benefits, provides retail discounts and cash-back offers. As well as deals from more than 800 national retailers, it also offers discounts with local companies.Claire Ward, personnel ...
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Article
Expatriate workers need support from employer
If you read nothing else, read this...A pre-assignment briefing on what the employee can expect in their new country will help them settle more quickly.Health screenings can highlight problems, but employers could be accused of discrimination if they use this information to cancel an assignment.A support framework will help identify ...
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Article
Friends Provident redesigns pensions literature
Friends Provident has redesigned its pensions literature to make it easier for employees to understand the benefits of joining their employer’s scheme.The redesign, which sees the number of pages in the booklet drop from 40 to 16, was based on feedback from members and focus groups. David Millar, manager of ...
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Article
Lloyds TSB Autolease launches tool to check on mileage
Lloyds TSB Autolease has launched a mileage capture tool to help employers offering an employee car ownership scheme control fuel, maintenance and taxation costs. Mileage Logger gives drivers remote access to an online portal where they can record their business mileage, fuel costs and details such as whether they shared ...
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Article
Pensions funding deficits set to balloon
Pension funding levels are far worse than the already poor accounting figures suggest and many companies will need to increase future pension contributions to meet their liabilities, according to Barclays Capital.Its research found that deficits had increased significantly over the last year as a result of depressed asset values and ...
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Article
Aon research: Pension schemes seek greater risk management
Pension schemes are beginning to adopt broader risk management practices to help achieve strategic goals during the volatile times, according to Aon Consulting.The risk management and employee benefits consultant is employing enterprise risk management (ERM) within a growing number of pension schemes. Rather than focusing solely on the financial risks ...
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Article
JLT Benefit Solutions launches pension administration service
JLT Benefit Solutions has launched a new administration service to help employers who are running an employee transfer value (ETV) and other pensions exchange exercises.The service covers every stage of the exchange process, from contacting members and providing them with the information and advice they need to make a decision ...
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Article
NHS faces pressure to invest in employees' health and wellbeing
An independent review has called for the NHS to invest in employee health and wellbeing in order to improve patient care and increase effectiveness and efficiency.The review, which was commissioned by the Department of Health and led by occupational health expert Steve Boorman, highlighted some of the health problems facing ...
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Article
Interview with Craig Truter, reward manager at Centrica
A psychometric test while still at school pointed Centrica reward manager Craig Truter towards a career in HR. Now he enjoys the variety of a global roleThe idea of a career in HR first came to Centrica’s reward manager, Craig Truter, while he was still at school in South Africa. ...
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Analysis
Group risk providers are offering improved products
Competitive group risk providers are offering an increasing range of free add-on services and products to their core cover plans, says Sam BarrettGroup risk benefits are designed to pay out an agreed amount of money in the event of a claim made if an employee is unable to work. But, ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to dental benefits (August 2009)
The recession has taken its toll on sales of dental plans and a proposed overhaul of NHS dentistry may slow the market further, but flexible benefits schemes are offering an economical way ahead, says Sam BarrettDIY extractions, hundred-deep queues for a place with a National Health Service (NHS) dentist, and ...
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Article
Online flex and total reward harmonise Azzurri's perks
Azzurri Communications has introduced an online flexible benefits scheme and total reward statements to create a more harmonised perks package for its 700 employees. The communications company, which appointed Thomsons Online Benefits to review its benefits package, has grown rapidly since its launch in 2000, partly through its acquisition of ...
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Article
Detica launches voluntary benefits scheme
Business and technology consultancy Detica has introduced a voluntary benefits scheme for its 1,400 UK employees.The scheme, which is called Pick and Mix Extras, will run alongside the organisation's flexible benefits programme and will include discounts from retailers such as Asda, Comet and Vodafone.Jo Eagle, reward and HR analyst at ...
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Article
Getting the best value out of group risk strategy
The pressure is on for employers to get the best value out of their group risk strategy, and there are several methods to keep costs under control, says Sam BarrettWhatever the economic climate, employers want to get the most out of their group risk strategy.But in the current environment, the ...
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Article
Helphire staff vote to increase hours
More than 80% of employees at accident management company Helphire have elected to increase their contractual hours.Employees were offered the opportunity to increase their hours from 35 to 37.5 hours a week, with their salary also being increased proportionately to reflect the change. Sean Morris, group HR compensation and benefits ...
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Article
Centrica adds power to voluntary benefits schemes
Energy giant Centrica has enhanced its childcare voucher scheme and taken steps to promote its voluntary benefits plan.The company has added a range of discounts to its childcare voucher scheme, which is provided by Accor Services. These include discounts on clothes, groceries and toys, as well as discounted theme-park tickets ...
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Article
Goodwin returns GBP200,000 a year from pension
Former Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin has bowed to public pressure and agreed to hand back some of his pension.The move will see him taking a cut of more than £200,000 a year, bringing his annual pension down from £555,000 to £342,500. Originally his pension ...
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Article
Sky teams up with the Samaritans in CSR programme
Engineers from British Sky Broadcasting have helped renovate a hall owned by the Samaritans as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, The Bigger Picture.The North London building, Shaftesbury Hall, was bought by the Samaritans in 1977 but has remained unused as there were no funds or resources available ...
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Analysis
Creating fair absence management systems
Staff absence can be costly for organisations, and a formal policy is needed to manage the issue, says Sam Barrett. But systems and procedures must be fair to both employer and employeeIf you read nothing else, read this...Absence policies must be fair and reasonable, and take into account both the ...