All articles by System Administrator – Page 89

  • Article

    Danone's introduces critical illness cover

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Danone UK, the dairy food firm, is introducing critical illness cover and travel insurance to its flexible benefits scheme.The new additions will sit alongside other benefits, which include a pension, private medical insurance, dental insurance and childcare vouchers.Liz Ellis, HR director at Danone UK, is hoping that take-up rates for ...

  • Article

    Feature - In depth: Employers face delays securing critical illness and income protection cover

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Case Study: BestinvestArticle in fullIntermediaries are concerned that some insurers are taking unacceptably long periods of time to issue critical illness cover and income protection quotes for flexible benefits schemes.On average, the process tends to take around one month, compared with around two weeks for standard group risk business, although ...

  • Opinion

    Guest opinion: The value of communicating your flex scheme

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Well, you’ve done a flexible benefits feasibility study, secured the business case with the board, designed a fantastic scheme and developed a website to be proud of. You’ve worked fanatically on the behind the scenes admin and you get to a go live date. You are proud, pleased, nay ecstatic ...

  • Article

    News update - Law firm hives off childcare vouchering

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Law firm Lovells has struck a deal with Busy Bees to provide its 1,500 members of staff with childcare vouchers. Since the scheme went live in December, more than 50 employees have chosen to take part. The law firm already provides a group personal pension, a final salary pension and ...

  • Article

    News update - Caution over sacrificed salary

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    HM Revenue & Customs assistant director Bill Streeter has told employers that they do not have to resort to salary sacrifice to offer staff tax-efficient benefits as he warned that there is "danger" in treating the two as one.Speaking at Employee Benefits one-day event How to Pay Less Tax on ...

  • Article

    Feature - Focus on healthcare: An improved NHS forces changes to healthcare cash plans

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    If you read nothing else, read this ...NHS reforms are prompting new benefits services offered by certain cash plan providers.Rising costs for dental visits are forcing change.Employers are increasingly adding healthcare cash plans to their benefits package in a bid to meet duty of care obligations to employees.Article in fullNational ...

  • Article

    Product news - Information card launched

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    A former City accountant has launched a medical emergency information card for the corporate market. Christopher Pinkerton launched the wallet card Medipal after undergoing life-saving surgery himself. Corporate Medipal carries details of medication and medical history. Targeted at employers, the cards are priced from £19.99.For more information email info@medipal.org.uk

  • Article

    Feature - Cover Story: Increased workplace legislation builds burden for employers

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Case Studies: E.ON UK, Rochdale Boroughwide HousingArticle in fullIf the government adopts the recommendations of Lord Turner's Pensions Commission to tackle the pensions crisis then employers will be forced to dip into their pockets and make contributions into a BritSaver pension for those staff who have not already opted out ...

  • Article

    Brunner Mond launches total reward statements

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Brunner Mond, the chemicals firm, is to introduce online total reward statements and a home-computing package to help retain skilled staff.The Cheshire-based company has also introduced childcare vouchers and discount offers on retail goods.Lesley Lightfoot, HR and payroll manager at Brunner Mond, hoped the reward statements would give staff a ...

  • Article

    Pensions update - Sipp woes for Brown u-turn

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Employers that may have been considering setting up a group self-invested personal pension (Sipp) with a residential property option will need to rethink plans following Gordon Brown's December pre-Budget report.The chancellor has decided to close next April's planned pensions tax break on holding residential property and exotic investments such as ...

  • Article

    The Confederation of British Metalforming introduces PMI

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM) has introduced an affinity private medical insurance package to employer members, having used its buying power to negotiate on behalf of small- and medium-sized organisations.The Confederation of British Metalforming Private Healthcare Scheme is provided by the intermediary Private Health Partnership and FirstAssist Insurance Services. ...

  • Article

    British Red Cross revamps payroll IT

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    British Red Cross has introduced a sophisticated HR and payroll system to track its disparate workforce of paid and volunteer staff.The charity has installed Oracle PeopleSoft technology to deal with the complex deployment of its staff across 181 countries, comprising 35,000 volunteers, 3,000 paid staff and over 600 delegates.Jo Randles, ...

  • Article

    News update - Telco brings in new incentive system

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Cable and Wireless is rolling out a new incentive compensation system across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific. The Practique-provided system, which covers commission schemes for the company's sales staff and was launched in the UK in May last year, enables employees to access detail about their commission payments online.

  • Article

    Research update - Package drops for FTSE bosses

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    FTSE 100 executive directors have, on average, experienced falls in their overall remuneration packages this year due to increasingly demanding performance conditions imposed on their long-term incentive plans, claims Watson Wyatt. Its 2005 Executive reward survey found that the average basic salary and bonus for a FTSE 1000 chief executive ...

  • Article

    Research update - Bonuses diminished this year

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    One-in-five businesses will not be awarding bonuses this financial year and of those that are, 68% expect them to be lower than in the previous year, according to research conducted by employee reward consultancy Innecto. Of the 183 human resources directors polled, 41% said their company would be awarding staff ...

  • Article

    Feature - Focus on international: Benefits in Greece

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    If you read nothing else, read this … The state provides the bulk of retirement benefits, although supplementary pension schemes are springing up as salaries rise. While the state is seen as the main provider of retirement benefits, much of the bill is footed by employers. Private medical insurance (PMI) ...

  • Article

    Feature - In depth: Outdated benefits

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Case Study: BupaArticle in fullImagine if nothing changed in employee benefits. You'd be driving a fuel-guzzling car that cost you more in tax than you earned or buying your sandwiches with a fistful of luncheon vouchers.Thankfully, benefits packages have evolved. Changes in culture and taxation, as well as financial constraints ...

  • Article

    Ajilon offers PCs

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Recruitment company Ajilon is introducing a home computing scheme this month aiming for an ambitious take-up rate of 20%.Julie Bowen, head of HR projects at Ajilon, said the recruitment industry has a high staff turnover so the scheme would need to be well managed.About 1,350 employees with more than a ...

  • Article

    Pensions update - Building A-Day readiness

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Britannia Building Society has set up one-to-one briefing sessions for senior executives to help prepare them for the change in the lifetime allowance limit following A-day.Mercer Wealth, a division of Mercer Group, will conduct the briefings during the rest of this month (January) and February. Around 20 senior executives are ...

  • Article

    Pensions update - Trustees face scheme adaptations

    2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Pensions trustees will have to consider whether they need to amend their scheme rules on pension age to comply with new pensions simplification legislation.Under the terms of the Finance Act 2004, the earliest age from which pension benefits may be taken will increase from 50 to 55 years by 2010. ...