All articles by Sam Barrett – Page 8
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Case StudiesJeremy Benn Associates offers group risk benefits to support staff health
Looking after the health and wellbeing of its 600 employees is a key focus for Jeremy Benn Associates, a firm of consulting civil engineers and scientists, focusing on flood risk management.Charlotte Parker, HR manager, explains: “One of the benefits we provide our staff is group income protection [provided by] Canada ...
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Case StudiesSener supports expatriates with wide range of benefits
Engineering and technology organisation, Sener, has more than 2,500 employees around the world. As well as its head offices in Spain, it also has a presence in regions including the UK, Poland, US, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, South America and the Middle and Far East.To ensure the right expertise is ...
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AnalysisHow can employers deliver a valued benefits package for expatriates?
An overseas assignment can be rewarding for employee and employer alike. But, whether based in Brussels or Bogota, having the right employee benefits and support for expatriates is a must.For starters, an expatriate remuneration package needs to be attractive. Penny Pemberton, principal at Aon Employee Benefits, says: “[Organisations] compete for ...
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AnalysisHow to measure the effectiveness of mental health strategies
Need to knowData such as absence, turnover, productivity and benefits usage can give an indication of employee mental health and wellbeing, which can be used to measure the effectiveness of any interventions.Employers should offer as much choice as possible around mental health interventions but also consider different approaches for groups ...
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Case StudiesKPMG employs range of success measures for mental health strategy
With just under 14,000 employees across 22 regional offices in the UK, monitoring the effectiveness of KPMG’s mental health strategy is a must. Jessica Carmody, head of KPMG’s internal Be Mindful Network, says: “We work alongside our inclusion and diversity and leadership teams to devise an overall mental health strategy. ...
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AnalysisWhat impact will GDPR have on healthcare benefits data?
Need to know:The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force on 25 May 2018, will apply to the processing of employees' personal data within healthcare benefits.Employers will need to get data subject consent from employees and inform them of the type of data the employer wishes to collect, ...
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AnalysisHow to ensure group risk policies comply with state pension age increases
Need to knowEmployers that fail to use the exemption available for group risk benefits allowing cover to cease at the greater of age 65 or the state pension age could find themselves having to fund cover beyond this, or face legal action.Amending a group risk policy is easy, with the ...
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OpinionChris Curry: Employers can take a mixed approach to helping employees save for retirement
Automatic-enrolment has changed the landscape for workplace pensions in the UK, so now it is the norm for employees to be saving in a pension, with a contribution from their employer. But getting people saving is only the start; there is still plenty more that employers can do to make ...
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Case StudiesAgeas Insurance uses a range of communication methods to engage employees with pensions
Ageas Insurance's journey to boost employee engagement with its pension scheme started back in 2013. Nick Cansfield, head of reward and policy at Ageas Insurance, explains: "We'd grown through acquisitions so there were lots of different schemes in place. With auto-enrolment approaching, we decided it would be simpler to have ...
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AnalysisHow can employers create greater employee engagement with pensions?
Need to knowRather than focus on pensions, employers can teach concepts such as regular savings and stock market investment as part of broader financial education.An audience can be segmented by factors such as age, life stage, bonus and size of pension fund to make communications personal.Employers should ditch the jargon ...
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OpinionDr Zofia Bajorek: Integrating health and wellbeing with good work can lead to employee engagement
Over the last decade, there is no denying that ‘employee engagement’ has become a buzzword in both the academic and business world. Not a week goes by where engagement is not mentioned in articles concerning employee wellbeing, productivity and what employers can do to improve methods through which they value ...
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Case StudiesCentrica develops healthcare and wellbeing strategy around workforce issues
Energy and services firm Centrica employs around 30,000 people in the UK. Of these, roughly one-third are engineers, one-third work in its call centres, and the remaining third are in management and support roles.Its health strategy has evolved considerably since 1812, when it launched as the Gas Light and Coke ...
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AnalysisThe evolution of health and wellbeing strategies
Need to know:Legislation and government policy has helped to shape workplace health and wellbeing strategies.Employers' approaches have shifted from reactive to proactive, with early intervention, prevention and education all key elements of today's strategies.Once seen as an executive perk, health and wellbeing strategies are now designed to support all employees.Health ...
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AnalysisHow to use health and wellbeing benefits to engage employees
Need to know:Employers should offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits that suit all ages and life stages.They should ensure their culture supports the benefits it offers.Proactive communication with branding and positive messaging helps to drive up engagement.Providing a range of health and wellbeing benefits can drive up employee ...
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Case StudiesRoyal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service offers a range of health benefits to support and engage staff
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) offers a range of health and wellbeing benefits to keep its 600 operational and support staff fit and healthy. Helen Morbin, fitness and health adviser at RBFRS, says: “Our employees are our number one asset: without them we couldn't deliver our mission to ...
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AnalysisWhat does the rise in state pension age mean for employers' healthcare strategies?
Need to knowHealth risk increases with age, with 44% of people aged 50-64 having at least one long-term health condition such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer.As well as preventing health problems, a health and wellbeing programme can slow and stop the onset of many conditions.Policies such as flexible working, ...
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Case StudiesHome Instead Senior Care supports the mental and physical wellbeing of its caregivers
Home Instead Senior Care provides care to elderly people in their own homes. Run as a franchise, it has 190 offices throughout the UK with around 9,000 people working for it.Across the organisation, more than 45% of its employees are aged 50 plus, with its oldest, an 83 year old ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to health cash plans
The factsWhat are health cash plans?Health cash plans are a low cost way to provide employees with financial assistance towards the cost of everyday healthcare. Plans offer a set amount of benefit each year for items such as optical and dental care, physiotherapy and specialist consultations, with employees paying for ...
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AnalysisWhy should employers be concerned with holistic employee wellbeing?
Need to know:Employee wellbeing can have a significant impact on the workplace, affecting everything from performance and productivity through to engagement, sickness absence, and staff turnover.Minor illnesses, such as headaches, can often mask more serious health and wellbeing issues, such as stress.Creating an open culture where employees feel their health ...
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Case StudiesAccenture UK puts wellbeing at the forefront of its culture
Supporting the health and wellbeing of its more than 13,000 employees in the UK and Ireland is a key strategy for global professional services firm Accenture, with the employer aiming to be the most inclusive and diverse organisation in the world by 2020. Tony Horan, head of human capital and ...