All articles by Tynan Barton – Page 33
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OpinionIan McKenna: Gamified apps help employees engage with benefits
Smartphones are embedded in the vast majority of consumers’ lives. This should make providing access to employee benefits and health interventions via an app a hygiene factor for any organisation, but is simply enabling an app enough to drive engagement?Phones are littered with applications that have been downloaded with enthusiasm ...
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ArticleSpeed signs Time to Change pledge and introduces enhanced wellbeing programme
On Monday 13 May 2019, Bristol-based PR firm Speed signed the Time to Change pledge, marking Mental Health Awareness Week with a commitment to challenge stigma and provide a supportive and open working environment.The pledge, run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, asks employers to implement action plans to support ...
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ArticleMore than half of calls to EAP counselling services are from male employees
Male employees account for 55% of all calls to employee assistance programme (EAP) counselling services, according to data from Personal Group and Health Assured.The data, released on 14 May 2019, revealed that the number of calls from men seeking support through an EAP increased by 84% between May 2018 and ...
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ArticleFour in 10 mothers would work longer hours if childcare costs were lower
Almost four in 10 (38%) women with children would choose to work longer hours if childcare was cheaper, according to research by The People's Pension.Gender pensions gap: Tackling the motherhood penalty, published in May 2019, found that after having children, more than two-fifths of women (44%) reduced their hours, more ...
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ArticleTSB to sign Time to Change pledge to open communications around mental health
Retail and commercial banking organisation TSB has announced that it will sign the the Time to Change pledge, showing its commitment to support the mental health of its employees.The pledge, run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, supports TSB's commitment to tackling the stigma associated with mental health, and ...
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ArticleOne-third of employees are uncomfortable discussing mental health at work
Almost a third (31%) of employees would not feel comfortable disclosing a mental health issue at work, according to research by payroll and HR solutions provider ADP.The Workforce view in Europe 2019, published in March, surveyed 10,585 working adults across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the ...
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ArticleChris Curry: What does the CDC decision mean for workplace pension schemes?
One of the most eagerly anticipated parts of the new Pensions Bill promised in the 2019 Queen’s Speech is legislation that will enable Royal Mail to open a new collective defined contribution (CDC) scheme for its employees, replacing their current defined contribution (DC) pension.The expected legislation, as trailed in the ...
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ArticleGraham Wrightson: What does the CDC decision mean for workplace pension schemes?
The government recently set out plans for introducing legislation to facilitate collective defined contribution (CDC); it is clearly committed to legislating for these schemes. However, if and when it happens, there is still a question mark around just how popular CDC will be with employers.In CDC, members receive a pension ...
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ArticleDavid Pitt-Watson: What does the CDC decision mean for workplace pension schemes?
The Work and Pensions Select Committee described the adoption of collective defined contribution (CDC) pensions as a 'new Beveridge', a new chapter in delivering pensions. Unlike its defined contribution (DC) counterpart, CDC achieves the proper purpose of a pension: to deliver an income in retirement.Employers offer pensions because they are ...
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ArticleOregon-based construction organisation to pay $98,461 in back wages
US-based custom metal fabrication and installation organisation TT and L Sheet Metal Inc has been ordered to pay $98,461 (£75,697.31) in back wages to 51 employees, following an investigation by the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) into overtime violations.The WHD investigation found that the organisation, based ...
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ArticleManchester University NHS Foundation Trust launches incentivised wellbeing programme
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has launched an incentivised sustainability and wellbeing behaviour change programme for its 20,000 employees.The Green Rewards programme, delivered by Jump, aims to encourage positive actions among employees. The programme was launched on 7 May 2019 and is available to staff in nine hospitals, as well ...
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ArticleVolvo Cars introduces gender-equal parental leave policy for EMEA employees
Car manufacturer Volvo Cars has introduced a new parental leave policy for sales employees in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).The gender-neutral policy was announced on 6 May 2019, and offers both mothers and fathers six months of leave with 80% pay. The new paid parental leave policy is ...
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ArticleDan Lucy: Should employers follow Hermes’ lead with ‘self-employed plus’ status?
The recent move by Hermes and the GMB Union to collaboratively find a way to resolve the employment status of Hermes’ couriers is a positive step, offering those couriers the option of enhanced rights and taking the discussion out of the law courts.It is a smart compromise on both parts. ...
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ArticleCharlie Barnes: Should employers follow Hermes’ lead with ‘self-employed plus’ status?
Organisations like Hermes, with business models based on self-employed individuals delivering parcels, have come under fire for seemingly avoiding the provision of basic worker rights, such as national minimum wage (NMW), holiday pay, statutory sick pay and pension auto-enrolment.To tackle this, Hermes has agreed new rights with the GMB union ...
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ArticleDavid Greenhalgh: Should employers follow Hermes’ lead with ‘self-employed plus’ status?
The ‘self-employed plus’ model appears to work well for Hermes, but is not necessarily a solution for other employers.The issue for Hermes, as it may be for other businesses, could be that if an individual does not take the ‘self-employed plus’ option, there would be nothing to prevent them from ...
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OpinionDr Rea Prouska: Non-financial strategies are viable alternatives to financial rewards
Total reward strategies include all types of financial and non-financial, direct and indirect, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and play a crucial role in attracting new employees, eliciting strong performance and maintaining engagement. The application of such strategies contributes to employee wellbeing, satisfaction and productivity.However, economic turbulence, such as the global ...
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OpinionJo Moffatt: Benefits packages need engaging communications to be a success
Spending time and money setting up a great benefits package, designed with the needs of an employee audience in mind, is just the beginning. Fail to communicate it properly, and employers might as well not have bothered.Poor communications mean wasted money, wasted time, and not to mention a singularly wasted ...
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Case StudiesWelcome Break uses multiple channels to inform employees of core benefits
With a workforce of 5,500 employees spread across 29 locations and 350 different business units, Welcome Break has to use various communication methods to keep staff up-to-date with benefits information.The motorway services operator has an offline workforce of around 85% to 90%, and cannot rely on emails alone. Nicola Marshall, ...
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AnalysisHow can employers put their core benefits in the spotlight?
Need to know:Core benefits can be costly to provide, but are an important aspect of promoting employee wellbeing and financial protection.Employers must demonstrate the relevance that these benefits hold for employees, and show how they can be used to their advantage.Targeted communication campaigns, delivered in ways that employees will appreciate, ...
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OpinionSuzanne Peck: Understanding benefits can build engagement and productivity
Employees who are aware of the benefits on offer to them are more likely to be advocates for their employer, as well as being more engaged and more productive, staying with the business for longer, as well as taking less time off.Whether a pension scheme, paid leave for bereavement or ...