All articles by Tynan Barton – Page 33
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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 ...
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AnalysisHow can employers put resilience at the centre of their health and wellbeing strategy?
Need to know:Resilience fits in to the prevention and education stage of a wellbeing strategy, helping employees stem the drivers of ill health.Many health and wellbeing benefits can be included as part of a resilience strategy, such as sports and social clubs, on-site gyms, or yoga and mindfulness sessions.Having genuine ...
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Case StudiesPWC applies a growth mindset approach to employee resilience
In 2011, professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) believed that, although its wellbeing approach offered guidance and resources to help when employees were unwell, not enough was being done around changing behaviours and staying well.It shifted to a focus on resilience, which meant applying a growth mindset and considering how employees ...
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OpinionSally Wilson: Good mental wellbeing is good for business
The current increased attention to mental wellbeing at work, and the growing recognition of its paritywith physical health, is long overdue.High profile campaigns such as Time to Change,Mates in Mind and Heads Together have contributed to this shift in thinking, but there is still a lot of work to do.There ...
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AnalysisTop tips on how CSR initiatives can boost employee wellness
Need to know:Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives not only demonstrate that an employer is responsible and sustainable, but can also boost employees’ wellbeing.Employers can offer initiatives that staff relate to, like giving to a local or personal charity, which will increase engagement with the scheme and satisfaction with the organisation.Offering ...
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Case StudiesUniversity of Lincoln's employees engage with local community as part of CSR agenda
For the University of Lincoln, involvement with the community is the central focus for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda; its 2,000 employees have access to a bank of 150 'give-back days' a year, to use however they see fit in order to promote a positive local impact.Rosie Damarell, reward ...
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OpinionNick Kemsley: Employee wellbeing is an evolutionary journey
Organisations need to think of employee wellbeing as a continuum, rather than a series of ad-hoc initiatives. To do this, we need to begin to influence thinking and engage employees and their managers in wellbeing.This involves education and breaking through into other elements of physical wellbeing, such as nutrition, work ...
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ArticleSamantha Mann: How have employers prepared for the second gender pay report?
As we approach the end of the second gender pay gap reporting year, the publication of guidance from the Government Equalities Office, which seeks to help employers identify the reasons why gender pay gaps exist, and how to address their pay gaps, serves to remind us this is not simply ...