All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 518
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: Attitudes
Cost remains the dominant influence on employers’ decisions to provide healthcare benefits, but most still do not measure the return on their investment, says Debbie LovewellSince 2006, cost has remained the most important factor influencing employers’ decisions to buy, or to continue to offer, healthcare benefits. Cost and obtaining the ...
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Article
Pensions fear for over-50s
Almost 30% of Britons aged over 50 have no pension in place and look set to rely on the state pension in retirement, according to the LV= State of retirement report.Government plans for a universal state pension of £140 a week will still mean an annual income well below the ...
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Analysis
Auto-enrolment roundable: Administration
If you read nothing else, read this …Employers may spend a lot of time on the administration created by a small number of staff, such as contract workers.Even employers that already auto-enrol staff may need different processes to comply with the legislation.When auto-enrolling staff, employers could inadvertently breach protections around ...
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Analysis
How to get the most out of providers and advisers in the run up to auto-enrolment
If you read nothing else, read this…Employers need an auto-enrolment roadmap outlining their objectives before reviewing providers’ services.Employers should compare their pensions, HR and payroll providers’ services with the market to ensure they are most suitable for their organisation.Test providers on how they will: identify staff to be auto-enrolled, communicate ...
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Article
Debi O'Donovan editor of Employee Benefits: A historic time to take stock and look ahead
When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952, employee benefits were pretty thin on the ground for the vast majority of her subjects. But the intervening 60 years have brought in a raft of perks and major changes in the workplace. Our cover story shows how government policy has, ...
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Case Studies
B&Q aims to build loyalty
B&Q, part of Kingfisher Group, offers both a sharesave and a Sip to help build long-term staff loyalty. The sharesave scheme was first introduced in 1993, and the Sip in April 2011.Last December, Kingfisher’s three and five-year SAYE schemes matured. Staff in the three-year scheme, which started in 2008, gained ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Isa is extra bonus at Allstate
Allstate is the largest IT employer in Northern Ireland, with more than 1,500 staff, to whom it pays a bonus each year.The company, which provides software development services and business process outsourcing to support its US parent’s global operations, offers a corporate Isa through Legal & General.“We are continually looking ...
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Article
Retirement bridge helps to solve annuity dilemma
A new approach to retirement income could boost an employee’s annual income by up to a quarter, according to research from fund manager AllianceBernstein.The study revealed confusion among consumers approaching retirement and those who have just retired about how best to secure their income.“Most retirees face an impossible choice between ...
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Article
Rolly Srivastava Khera appointed to global role at Tullow Oil
Tullow Oil has appointed Rolly Srivastava Khera global reward adviser.Previous roles include HR business partner at Talisman Energy, compensation and benefits specialist at Talisman Energy UK, assistance manager, HR, at AOL India, consultant at Mercer and HR intern at Max New York Life Insurance.Read more about careers in reward and ...
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Article
Morrison Supermarkets appoints Karen Caddick
Morrison Supermarkets has appointed Karen Caddick HR director.With almost 20 years in HR, she has held various roles, such as HR director at Punch Taverns and The Spirit Group, global HR director at the Financial Times, head of HR at Channel Five Broadcasting, head of employee relations and HR policy ...
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Article
Dixons Retail appoints Carolyn Ryan
Dixons Retail has appointed Carolyn Ryan interim head of reward.Ryan is the founder of a consultancy called Performance, Leadership and Success Cultures, and her previous roles include interim reward manager at Northern Rock, interim group HR executive at Skipton Building Society, interim European HR director at Premier Farnell, interim group ...
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Case Studies
Informa gets the auto-enrolment message straight
Media company Informa spent the start of this year creating a strategy outlining its auto-enrolment objectives to ensure it is fully prepared for the reforms.Informa’s official staging date is June 2013, but it will comply with the legislation in January 2013, when the first salary sacrifice deductions are made for ...
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Analysis
Auto-enrolment roundtable: Communication
If you read nothing else, read this …When trying to push the auto-enrolment message home to a younger audience, the trick is to avoid jargon.Employers must structure their communications according to the characteristics and needs of their workforce.The pension reforms are being publicised nationally, but employers must ensure their own ...
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Analysis
Auto-enrolment roundtable: Costs
If you read nothing else, read this …The direct costs of implementing auto-enrolment will depend on factors such as how many employees opt out.Payroll system upgrades and widespread communication exercises could increase the administration costs of auto-enrolment.Some employers may seek economies elsewhere in their benefits budget to cover the costs ...
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Analysis
Auto-enrolment roundtable: Ensuring compliance
If your read nothing else, read this …Some employers are taking steps, such as trying to boost numbers in existing schemes ahead of staging dates, to ensure they are not overrun once auto-enrolment starts.Compensation and benefits professionals will need to get buy-in from all parts of their organisation – HR, ...
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Analysis
Auto-enrolment roundtable: Will reforms succeed?
If you read nothing else, read this …The pension provision offered for auto-enrolment should also serve an employer’s workforce planning strategy and wider business interests.Employers that want to continue using their pension to boost recruitment and retention may have to raise the stakes and make sure their offering stands out ...
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Analysis
How does pensions auto-enrolment fit with flexible benefits?
If you read nothing else, read this…Under auto-enrolment, the main purpose for offering flex must not be to induce staff to opt out of a scheme.The communication and design of a flex scheme and the contribution structure of a pension scheme will be key to determining what is acceptable.An employee ...
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Opinion
Charles Gillespie: Auto-enrolment is not the end
This Workplace Savings Industry Forum is supplied by Close Brothers:With auto-enrolment just about upon us, discussions around saving in the workplace have generally been focused on the sponsoring employer’s pension scheme.While we cannot underestimate the importance of saving for our retirement, it is also important that employees are in a ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to voluntary benefits platforms
Focus on factsWhat are voluntary benefits platforms?These are IT systems through which staff can access voluntary benefits, ranging from high-street discounts to healthcare and bikes-for-work schemes. Systems are often run by third-party providers and paid for by the employer.Where can employers learn more?Read more on voluntary benefits platforms hereWho are ...
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Article
Confessions of a benefits manager: Spot the manager
Candid is tasked with identifying criteria to create a ‘senior manager’ title in the company, but soon enters a minefieldFollowing the success of our project looking at executives, Big Bad Boss wants me to do it all over again for the next level down. Apparently, the US wants to create ...