All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 565
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Article
Greencore employees win pay deduction case
More than 400 employees have been successful in an unlawful pay deductions complaint against employer Greencore.The claim, brought before an employment tribunal, involved 408 employees at the convenience food manufacturer’s Hull facility who agreed in 2010 to a one-year suspension of premium pay rates and enhanced holiday pay in order ...
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Article
Majority of employers aware of auto-enrolment
The majority (88%) of respondents to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) are aware of their requirements to auto-enrol staff into a pension scheme.Its Labour market outlook: Focus on pension auto-enrolment, which surveyed more than 1,000 employers, found that more than half (59%) of respondents have ...
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Article
Tube Lines staff plan strike over pensions
Tube Lines’ staff are to strike for 24 hours on Friday 23 November over equal access to pensions and benefits.The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has called on Transport for London (TFL) to allow Tube Lines’ employees to re-enter its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme since 2010 when Tube ...
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Article
Caerphilly Council launches eyecare scheme
EXCLUSIVE: Caerphilly County Borough Council has launched an eyecare scheme for its 4,500 employees using a series of roadshows to communicate with staff.During the roadshows, which were held at the end of October across various locations, employees were able to view a range of glasses and have their vision screened ...
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Article
Above-inflation UK pay rises predicted in 2013
Employees in the UK will experience a year of above-inflation pay rises in 2013, according to research by Mercer.Its Salary movement snapshot, which tracked the pay plans of 570 multi-national organisations operating in 76 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, found that UK employers are anticipating base pay ...
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Article
Busy Bees Benefits launches online discounts product
EXCLUSIVE: Busy Bees Benefits has launched an employee discounts scheme, which employers can offer to staff to help them make savings on lifestyle costs.The scheme, BusyBuyer, is an online portal that provides exclusive offers, discounts, cash back, and national and local deals at specific stores and online shops.The offers include: ...
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Article
ITM to partner PensionsFirst for data audits
ITM, a pension data specialist, is to partner PensionsFirst to offer its Pfaroe risk management platform to enhance its data risk audit service for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes.The organisation will use the platform to assess the potential liability impact of data and benefit errors discovered during employers’ data risk ...
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Article
Adactus sends out Christmas cards to staff
EXCLUSIVE: Adactus Housing Group has sent out a Christmas card to all staff with their payslip to remind them of the offers available via its voluntary benefits scheme.The scheme, Adactus Perks in Employment, was introduced in November 2011. At launch, it was communicated to suit an online and offline workforce, ...
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Article
Former Rangers football club wins tax case
The former Rangers Football Club plc, which is now in liquidation, has won its appeal against a tax bill from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for its use of an employee benefit trust (EBT).In a majority decision, the first tier tribunal concluded that the club’s payments to players and staff ...
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Article
Sweetening the benefits package
Something for the weekend…Reducing stress at work is an important issue for most employers because it can help improve productivity.One employer has decided to sweeten its benefits package by offering employees an opportunity to take a break during the day to enjoy a treat.The Big Word, a language services provider, ...
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Article
Lorica adds Aviva’s auto-enrolment product to portal
Lorica Employee Benefits is to integrate Aviva’s online auto-enrolment modelling and compliance product into its auto-enrolment portal Simplicity.The product, Auto-enrolment Manager for Employers (AME), provides employers with a way to prepare for and manage their responsibilities around auto-enrolment. This includes keeping up to date with compliance duties such as employee ...
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Article
EAP guidelines published
EXCLUSIVE: The UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association (UK EAPA) has published a set of guidelines that provide an up-to-date review of issues relating to the commissioning, delivery and evaluation of employee assistance programmes (EAPs).The guidelines, which include a foreword from Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster ...
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Article
Decrease in gender pay gap over past year
The gender pay gap for full-time employees has decreased over the last year, from 10.5% to 9.6% in 2011, according to research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).The Annual survey of hours and earnings 2012 found that women in full-time employment earned a median hourly wage of £12, a ...
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Analysis
Pros and cons of absolute return funds
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Absolute return funds (AFRs) have grown in popularity on the back of volatile equity market performance.ARFs are relatively expensive and, despite their name, can still lose money.Employers tend to use ARFs in conjunction with a more passive fund for their default investment option.Absolute return ...
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AnalysisHealth cash plans are booming
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…The number of company-funded health cash plans increased by 13.5% in 2011.Employers using cash plans to cover PMI excesses is a new trend.Dental and optical remain the most popular treatment areas for health cash plan claims.The number of employers funding health cash plans rocketed ...
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Case Studies
Daisy Group health cash plan covers PMI excesses
This means employees can use the plan to offset the cost of any excesses incurred when claiming on the employer’s PMI policy, which is provided by Bupa.Rebekah Tapping, group HR director at Daisy Group, says: “One of my frustrations with PMI plans is the hoops you have to jump through ...
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Article
Flexible leave plans could pose pay challenges
Audrey Williams, partner and head of discrimination at Eversheds, said the changes could cause complications for enhanced maternity pay schemes. These schemes can include above statutory-rate pay and a returner’s bonus, raising the question of whether these benefits should be extended to men who take flexible parental leave.“The current paternity ...
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Analysis
Employers' legal and moral obligations to their drivers
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…More than a quarter of all traf?c accidents involve people driving in a work capacity.Employers have a moral and legal obligation to protect employees on the road.Telematics technology helps employers monitor their drivers on the road.More than a quarter of fatal road accidents involve ...
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VideoMondelez International's tasty rewards
Kraft Foods spent last year overhauling its reward package following its acquisition of Cadbury in 2010. The US food and beverage giant is now set to decide what, if any, changes it will make to the package after renaming the merged entity Mondelez International, with the new company unveiled in ...
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Case Studies
Asda staff wear service badges with pride
Employees receive a one-off cash payment of £15 or £20 at 15 and 20 years’ service, respectively, on which Asda pays the tax and national insurance.Alan Robertson, recognition team leader at Asda, says: “We are reviewing that because £15 and £20 payments are not particularly relevant in today’s economy. It ...