All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 304
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: Channel-hopping gets the message across at IBM
Key PointsHigh take-up for benefits schemes is down to good communication using the latest technologyEmployee engagement can be achieved more effectively through multi-media channels than traditional mediaUsing media such as SMS (texting) and Twitter forces benefits managers to create short, clear messagesUsing all the latest communication channels boosts engagement, says ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: SBC Systems insight: Brave new world still beckons for benefits
Benefits management has been lagging behind in adopting the latest technology, but there are moves to bring it up to speed, says James Markham, managing director of SBC SystemsGlobal climate change is the headline topic of today, and technology will no doubt help to find a solution. In the area ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: Make sure DB members have the facts
Key PointsAn economic upturn may make employers reconsider their future commitments to defined benefit (DB) schemesEmployers may look again at derisking strategies that were popular two years agoOther employers might consider offering enhanced transfer values to deferred pensionersEmployee communication is vital for employers that still offer DB plans†Employers with a ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: What is the new vision for employee benefits?
This promises to be a big year for change in the benefits world, not least because of the general election, says Sam BarrettAfter a year of sitting tight and waiting for the recession to end, change is set to be the main theme of 2010. Some changes are already known, ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: Are employers ready for welfare reform?
Key PointsThe Welfare Reform Act places greater responsibility on employers to provide vocational rehabilitation and support to help employees enter and remain in the workplaceAs the Equality Bill goes through parliament, it should give clarity on the legality of ceasing group risk benefits at a specific ageEmployers that maintained the ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: Scottish Widows insight: Employees need education on saving graces
More workers are saving for their retirement, but many still need quality education and guidance, says Ann Flynn, head of marketing communications, corporate pensions at Scottish WidowsThe recession has had an impact on all of us. Many feel worse off than they did five years ago, while others are making ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: the year ahead: DC members’ inertia must be addressed
Key PointsDefined contribution (DC) schemes will become the predominant form of pension savings for most workers, boosted by the arrival of the national employee savings trust (Nest) in 2012Contract-based schemes can provide all the ‘good bits’ of a DC scheme without the obligations and costs associated with managing a trust-based ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders: The year ahead: Zurich insight: Worldwide view points the way for pensions
Global pensions provision is becoming increasingly important, says Paul Colley, HR insight and key account manager, Corporate Life and Pensions, Zurich International LifeNearly all European nations are experiencing long-term falls in birth rates. This, coupled with improved healthcare and increased life expectancy, is leading to ageing populations. Fertility rates are ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: Focus on good governance and cost saving
Key PointsInternational benefits managers are likely to adopt the same cautious approach that they did in 2009Sensible benefits managers will work with the finance function to manage benefits riskManagement of global benefits will continue to be centralised†It will be another cautious year for benefits, says Tim Reay, secretary of the ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: Fairness the new watchword in reward
†Key PointsThe recession made employers question why they had multiple performance management plansThere is a move towards greater fairness in reward as the gap between rich and poor has been seen to widenCommunication and greater openness will be the most important process in 2010 to ensure fair pay and that ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders 2010: The year ahead: Inspiration encourages perspiration
Key PointsInspiring your team to work harder, perform better and drive the business forward is even more critical when you do not have the benefit of inherently positive messages such as bonuses and pay awardsGood reward programmes can generate tangible business resultsTools such as recognition are important in supporting employee ...
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Analysis
Thought leaders: The year ahead 2010
Thought leaders: The year ahead: What is the new vision for employee benefits?Thought leaders: The year ahead: Scottish Widows insight: Employees need education on saving gracesThought leaders: The year ahead: DC members' inertia must be addressedThought leaders: The year ahead: Make sure DB members have the factsThought leaders: The year ...
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Article
Sponsor's comment: Using flexible benefits can pay off in a period of change
Jacqueline Otten, head of flex consulting at Towers Watson, explains how flexibility will be a key factor as the country emerges from recessionWell, what a year it has been, with a recession in full swing, massive modifications to the pension taxation rules, benefit changes in abundance – and now, with ...
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Article
Research 2010: how flexible benefits schemes are administered
A minority of employers administer flex fully in-house, but many still claim not to know how much their scheme costs to run per employee, says Debbie LovewellThe proportion of respondents that manage their flexible benefits scheme fully in-house has been on a downward trend over the past five years. Five ...
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Article
Research 2010: tax-efficient flexible benefits
The recession has seen more employers use the tax and NI savings from flex to fund business initiatives and additional pension contributions, says Debbie LovewellIn September 2009, the government made a shock announcement that it planned to phase out the tax breaks on childcare vouchers from 2011. This caused such ...
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Article
Research 2010: who are the respondents; key findings
Our survey was carried out in January 2010, with analysis based on 354 responses from Employee Benefits’ readers and users of www.employeebenefits.co.ukKey Findings55% of respondents believe their flex scheme has been effective at reducing/containing the cost of reward.31% do not give staff a flex pot to spend, but enable them ...
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Article
Research 2010: attitudes to flexible benefits
The recession and looming pension reforms have affected attitudes to flex, but meeting staff needs is still the top reason for offering a plan, says Debbie LovewellThe top reason to offer flex has remained largely unchanged over the 12 years Employee Benefits has conducted research in this area: that it ...
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Article
Research 2010: flexible benefits on offer
Employers are moving towards offering a wider selection of benefits within flex, and childcare vouchers remain the most popular option, says Debbie LovewellIt can be a challenge to get the balance right when it comes to deciding on the number of options to include within a flexible benefits plan. Employers ...
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Article
Research 2010: structure of flexible benefits schemes
There is a growing trend for employers to enable staff to trade their existing benefits up or down rather than provide a flex pot to spend, says Debbie LovewellSince flexible benefits schemes arrived in the UK from the US in the 1980s, the industry's view of what exactly constitutes such ...
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Article
Research 2010: alternatives to flexible benefits
There has been a significant rise in the proportion of employers that do not think their organisation offers enough benefits to flex, says Debbie LovewellImplementing a flexible benefits scheme requires time and commitment from employers if they are to fully engage employees with the concept and optimise the plan's value.So ...