All articles by Tynan Barton – Page 45
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Analysis
23, 24: How can employers treat musculoskeletal disorders cost-effectively?
If you read nothing else, read this…Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and back pain are among the main causes of short- and long-term absences in the UK.Ergonomic assessments and physiotherapy services can help identify and treat MSDs.Physical activities, such as walking clubs and yoga classes, can help prevent the onset of MSDs.While ...
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AnalysisTaking a slice: the impact of tax changes on international employee share plans
If you read nothing else, read this…The changes will generally affect employers with internationally mobile staff that participate in certain share plans.Employers need to be aware that getting changes wrong could result in possible financial penalties.The impact depends on the specific plan rules in each case.While many employers will (understandably) ...
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AnalysisHow to build engagement with voluntary benefits
If you read nothing else, read this…A voluntary benefits scheme needs to be well communicated and promoted to ensure employees engage with it.Using benefits champions and savings examples can help engage staff with the scheme.Communications must be ongoing and kept relevant to maintain employee engagement.But for a scheme to be ...
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Case StudiesMerseyrail drives business engagement through voluntary benefits
The train operating company introduced its staff discount scheme, ‘Benefits for you’, five years ago with Personal Group. While employees have access to offers including cinema vouchers, holiday discounts and reloadable cards, the organisation uses the scheme as a way of driving employee engagement and increasing discretionary effort.Andy Parry, head ...
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Case StudiesWelcome Break plans for smooth pensions re-enrolment
The motorway service operator began planning for its initial auto-enrolment six months prior to its staging date in June 2013, and found that by working with advisory service Aspira it was able to ensure a relatively smooth operation once the first contributions were made.Welcome Break operates two pension schemes for ...
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AnalysisWhat opportunities does pensions auto-re-enrolment bring employers?
If you read nothing else, read this…At the auto-re-enrolment stage, employers will need to re-enrol eligible staff into a pension scheme.It is an ideal opportunity for employers to review the systems and processes they have in place for auto-enrolment, as well as looking at the support they receive from their ...
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ArticleGovernment to consult on pensions tax relief
Summer Budget 2015: Chancellor George Osborne has announced that the government is to consult on a reformation of pensions tax relief.It will publish a green paper shortly setting out the various options, which range from fundamental reforms, for example moving to a system which is tax exempt like individual savings ...
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ArticleLifetime and annual allowances reduced
Summer Budget 2015: As announced in March 2015’s Budget, The lifetime allowance for pension contributions will be reduced from £1.25 million to £1 million from 6 April, the government confirmed today (8 July).In the Summer Budget 2015, chancellor George Osborne also confirmed that transitional protection for pension rights already over ...
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OpinionEffective financial education for those considering retirement
The most radical pensions overhaul in nearly a century has arrived. These changes offer employees in a defined contribution (DC) scheme who are aged 55 or over greater flexibility in how to access their pension. But without the right financial education, employees could be left incredibly vulnerable to making poor ...
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Article82% have a staff travel policy
Staff expenses is the most common component of a staff travel policy, according to 88% of respondents to the Employee Benefits/Alphabet Fleet research 2015.The other top elements included in a policy include air travel (87%), train fares (85%) and hotel costs (85%).Operating a staff travel policy is a common arrangement ...
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Article72% offer optional car cash allowance
Almost three-quarters (72%) of employers offer an optional cash allowance as an alternative to employees taking a company car, according to the Employee Benefits/Alphabet Fleet research 2015.Just 13% do not offer a cash allowance, while 15% offer this on a compulsory basis.The reasoning behind this is to give staff more ...
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Article54% are reducing fleet emissions
More than half of employers (54%) are taking steps to make their fleets more environmentally friendly and to reduce carbon emissions, according to the Employee Benefits/Alphabet Fleet research 2015.While a third of respondents (33%) believe that company cars will always be part of the benefits package, and others cite that ...
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Article35% outsource fleet management
There are three main ways in which employers manage company car schemes, according to the Employee Benefits/Alphabet Fleet research 2015.The most popular way is to outsource fleet management completely to a specialist provider, as cited by 35% of respondents. The second most common option is to manage the fleet in-house ...
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Article21% provide a car cash allowance
Half of respondents (54%) to the Employee Benefits/Alphabet Fleet research 2015 choose to source their company cars through a contract hire arrangement, while 22% use finance leasing and 21% provide a cash allowance for employees to buy their cars independently.Ease of management is respondents’ key factor in choosing how company ...
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ArticleEmployee Benefits/Alphabet Fleet research 2015
The Employee Benefits/Alphabet Fleet research explores how company car schemes are operated among UK organisations and the attitudes of the employers that offer them. The research was carried out in May 2015.The majority of respondents (61%) work in organisations with more than 1,000 employees, across all industry sectors.21% provide a ...
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Case Studies?BuroHappold Engineering taps into technology for global communications
The international engineering consultancy operates in around 24 offices around the world and so keeping employees up to date and aware of their benefits package is challenging. With engineers on site, for example, working on ancient sand palaces in Riyadh, the organisation has developed a global intranet with a mobile ...
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AnalysisTop tips for communicating benefits strategies to overseas employees
If you read nothing else, read this…Creating a global communications plan for a benefits strategy requires groundwork to be done to ensure local tax, legal and cultural requirements are considered.Employers should work with local HR and benefits teams to create an effective communication plan.How communications are sent is just as ...
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AnalysisFinancial education plays important role in employee engagement
A financial education programme can be key to engaging employees; according to the Secondsight Whitepaper, published in October 2014, 73% of employees felt more positive about their employer when they received the benefit.A growing number of organisations are engaging with their staff by providing a workplace financial education programme. But ...
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ArticleBuyer's guide to health screening 2015
Health screening comprises a range of assessments and tests that can help identify health risks at an early stage. They can help to keep a workforce fit and healthy by allowing employers and employees to take steps to reduce any health problems that are identified.Identifying health risks or issues can ...
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ArticleBuyer's guide to childcare vouchers 2015
Childcare vouchers were first introduced in the 1980s and originally only carried an NI exemption. The current tax exemption was introduced in 2005, then in 2011 the scheme went through a further change when the amount of vouchers that higher-rate tax payers could claim was capped to offer the same ...