All articles by System Administrator – Page 99
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Article
Research update - Pension funds hail governance
Some 94% of pension funds believe corporate governance in the UK has improved in the last two years. 60% of NAPF members with funds in excess of £1bn had incorporated Institutional Shareholder Committee (ISC) principles on better engagement into investment managers contracts. Over 50% said the principles made a difference ...
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Article
News update - Firms formulate flex
Recruitment agents Ellis Fairbank, electricity supplier E.on UK, property advisers DTZ, and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer are currently in various stages of implementing flexible benefits. Employee Benefits/Towers Perrin flexible benefits research 2005 released in April, showed 33% of employers are considering introducing flex.
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Analysis
Feature - Focus on Motivation: How to motivate older staff
When wanting to attract older workers, never underestimate the power of flexible working conditions, nor the value of a simple "thank you", says Jamin RobertsonArticle in fullIf you read nothing else, read this ...A number of large organisations are targeting older workers for their experience and skills, often by offering ...
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Opinion
Guest opinion: Stephen Tiley, pensions and risk manager, Thomson Directories.
Following the latest benefits fad can often come at a premium and if you really believe that bolstering motivation among teams needn’t cost the earth, then look to traditional offeringsArticle in fullBenefit packages have become more and more complicated with ever-sophisticated tweaks and more choice. A good thing, of course, ...
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Analysis
Feature - Focus on Pensions: The debate over Sipp and GPP
The burgeoning culture of financial self-direction is no better illustrated than by the debate raging between the cost-orientated Sipp and the GPP, says Ceri JonesArticle in fullIf you read nothing else, read this…The cost of self-invested personal pensions (Sipps) is falling into line with group personal pensions (GPPs).Publicity around residential ...
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Analysis
Feature - Cover Story: The potential talent of older workers
Amid the scores of workers that either don't want to retire and those that can't afford to is a vast talent pool waiting to be tapped, says Debbie LovewellArticle in fullCase Studies: The London and Quadrant Housing Trust, Wokingham District CouncilCelebrities are notorious for constantly changing their minds. Just think ...
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Analysis
Feature - Focus on Healthcare: The risks of low cost PMI
One way of limiting medical insurance costs is to look at the cover and see what you might do without, but opting-out can have dire consequences, says Sam BarrettIf you read nothing else, read this ...Consider ongoing claims that might not be covered if employers move to a plan with ...
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Analysis
Guest opinion - Mark Childs, director of Total Reward Solutions
Mark Childs, director of Total Reward Solutions, looks at paternalism in the workplace.Article in fullIt has become commonplace to criticise or apologise for benefit plans which are underpinned by a paternalistic philosophy. This is understandable in a culture which increasingly emphasises individual responsibility. Furthermore, it is difficult not to sympathise ...
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Article
Pensions update - Higher contributions cause pressure
Employers could be liable for higher pensions contributions under the terms of September's scheme specific funding requirement (SSFR).The SSFR, which will only apply to defined benefit schemes at their next three-yearly actuarial valuation, will replace the previous minimum funding requirement where schemes will have to set out a recovery period ...
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Article
Pensions - Calling time on old rules
Ofcom has structured its pension schemes to allow staff to take advantage of the new rules governing group life benefits.The communications regulator, which offers staff the choice of a defined benefit or defined contribution pension scheme, funds a basic cover of four-times salary on lump sum death-in-service benefits for staff ...
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Article
News update - Building staff care
Construction supplier A & E Russell has introduced healthcare cash plans for 130 staff to help it meet duty of care obligations. Gill Black, human resources and finance director, said that providing a counselling service helped it to deal with stress and protected the company from legal action. "We elected ...
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Article
EAP use booms at Herts council
Hertfordshire County Council has seen usage of its employee assistance programme more than double after adopting a targeted approach to promote the scheme to 10,300 staff.Hayley Cann, human resources officer at Hertfordshire County Council, said a quarterly report revealed the new Milestones EAP, which was introduced on 1 April, has ...
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Article
News update - Sweeteners are a bonus
Tate & Lyle, the sugar, sweeteners and starches producer, has introduced a new deferred bonus share plan.Under the plan, executives will be able to defer up to 50% of their cash bonus to invest in Tate & Lyle shares.James Stephenson, head of compensation and benefits at Tate & Lyle, said: ...
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Article
Equal pay body report big disparities
Some organisations still pay inconsistent rates to men and women doing the same job - according to a Institute for Employment Studies' (IES) report.Equal pay reviews in practice, published as part of the Equal Opportunities Commission working paper series, used intensive case studies of 15 medium and large employers from ...
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Analysis
Benefits in charity organisations
The third sector has never been more benefits driven, realising it needs professionals over ‘keen’ volunteers, says Rachel GordonArticle in fullCase Studies: The Charities Trust, The British Society for RheumatologyFor those in demanding jobs, retail therapy provides temporary relief, as does going on holiday. But, if work is just an ...
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Analysis
Feature - In depth: Ethical benefit options
Ethical business practices are a little more than fashionable, they can often represent sound financial sense, says Peter WhiteArticle in fullCase Studies - Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Environment AgencyWhen Reverend John Vaughan, financial administrator for the Archdiocese of Miami, was asked why the Catholic church held shares in condom companies, ...
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Analysis
Special report - Work-life balance: Part time workers miss out
It's a simple fact that part-time workers are starved of good promotional opportunities, and the trend's not changing, says Jenny KeefeArticle in fullCase study: Monster WorldwideThe light at the end of the tunnel is a train. Just two years after the right to request was hailed as a victory for ...
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Analysis
Special report - Work-life balance: The return on investment
Getting value for money often eases the passage of installling a flexible working policy, but Stephanie Spicer asks about Board demandsArticle in fullEmployers flexible enough to offer work-life balance policies to staff may need to be equally flexible about what they expect to see in terms of a return on ...
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Article
BAE goes for HR self-service and benefits platform
BAE System’s new online HR self-service and benefits platform is registering 10,000 hits a month, six months after it was rolled out to 28,000 staff.Linzi Blakey, HR communications manager at the defence and aerospace systems manufacturer, said: “In 2000, we went to a an outsourced service model for HR, so ...
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Article
News update - Landmark tax ruling backlash
Employers could be liable for substantial tax charges if they made payments into an employee benefits trust (EBT) before 2002.According the House of Lords' judgement in Macdonald (HMIT) v Dextra Accessories Ltd, which was published in July, employers are not eligible for tax relief unless the EBT made taxable payments ...