All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 577

  • Case Studies

    Meridian uses electronic communications

    2013-01-07T04:50:00Z

    Sarah Iglesias, talent operations adviser for Meridian, says: “We learned a lot from AWR, listening to feedback from clients, candidates and employees, and developing a new strategy. For auto-enrolment, we decided on a similar electronic approach, integrated with our current electronic administrative systems.Legal requirements are often clouded in our sector, ...

  • Article

    Buyer's guide to employee assistance programmes

    2013-01-07T05:10:00Z

    Employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are a great way for employers to support staff, particularly during an economic downturn. They provide independent and anonymous telephone, online and face-to-face counselling for employees with psychological issues or debt and financial problems, as well as those requiring child, eldercare and legal information and guidance.Debt ...

  • Call centre
    Analysis

    Auto-enrolment needs strong communications strategy

    2013-01-07T05:50:00Z

    IFYOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…Creative auto-enrolment communication strategies can educate first-time pension scheme members.A good communication strategy will relate to employees’ personal retirement goals.Key messages should be presented in a way that helps employees understand the consequences of their actionsPension scheme communications strategies have traditionally focused on the tax-efficient ...

  • Catherine Ward
    Analysis

    HR needs a mind for business

    2013-01-07T06:00:00Z

    IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS…There are many definitions of the term ‘commercial HR’.Commercially-minded HR professionals derive their HR strategies from their organisation’s business agenda.Non-HR experience can help HR professionals to develop a commercial edge to their abilities.The phrase ‘commercial HR’ is bandied about the industry as freely as ...

  • Article

    Friendly networking at Employee Benefits Connect 2013

    2013-01-07T06:05:00Z

    Unlike larger, potentially overwhelming exhibitions, this one exudes a friendly atmosphere of knowledge-sharing and ideas exchange.Find out more and see which companies will be exhibiting at Employee Benefits Connect 2013.

  • Article

    Auto-enrolment tops agenda at Employee Benefits Pensions Summit

    2013-01-07T06:10:00Z

    This vital issue will be examined by Wendy Taylor, head of central HR services at Morrisons; James Lloyd, director of the Strategic Society Centre; Doug Taylor, financial services chief advocate at Which?; and Yvonne Braun (pictured), assistant director, head of savings and retirement at the Association of British Insurers.On the ...

  • Article

    Conference on auto-enrolment at Employee Benefits Connect

    2013-01-07T06:30:00Z

    A wide range of leading industry experts will take delegates from the preparation stage to final implementation and beyond, over the course of one day.These sessions will offer a good guide for organisations at an early stage in the process, as well as a belt-and-braces checklist for those that are ...

  • Article

    Employers' new year push on staff fitness

    2013-01-07T06:30:00Z

    American Express has begun its annual ‘New Year, New You’ campaign under its Healthy Living programme. Breckon Jones, director of health and benefits, EMEA, said: “Exercise is a central pillar in our wellbeing programme, although we like to use the phrase ‘move more’ so that it is inclusive of incidental ...

  • Article

    Technology in focus at Employee Benefits Connect 2013

    2013-01-07T06:34:00Z

    Three years ago there were no iPads and many people could not see their purpose, while five years ago apps were virtually unheard of. So what other innovations are on the horizon that could change the world of work for millions of people?In an exciting closing keynote session at Employee ...

  • Article

    Kevin Gaskell keynote speaker at Employee Benefits Connect

    2013-01-07T06:35:00Z

    Gaskell has led three iconic car brands: Porsche, Lamborghini and BMW. After the turnaround at Porsche and five years of record growth at BMW, he was one of Business Age magazine’s ‘Top 40 leaders under 40’.He is now chairman of a number of growing companies, one of which, Achilles, won ...

  • Article

    Office of Tax Simplification to review benefits

    2013-01-07T06:35:00Z

    Chancellor George Osborne said in his Autumn Statement that the review would include “an initial scoping exercise to identify which areas are most complex for taxpayers”.Also, OTS recommendations on approved employee share schemes were confirmed in draft legislation published on 11 December.These include changes to the enterprise management incentive (EMI) ...

  • Article

    Tax incentives for shareholder scheme announced

    2013-01-07T06:38:00Z

    Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement that the exemption will come into effect from April 2013.He also said the government would consider options to reduce income tax and national insurance liabilities when employee shareholders receive the shares.Chris Blundell, tax partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, said: “I think the ...

  • Article

    Pension allowance changes revive interest in DB plans

    2013-01-07T06:40:00Z

    George Osborne announced on 5 December that the annual pension allowance on which people receive tax relief will be cut from £50,000 to £40,000 and the lifetime allowance will fall from £1.5 million to £1.25 million from 6 April 2014.Jackie Holmes, senior consultant at Towers Watson, said: “Previously, the allowance’s ...

  • Article

    Confusion over charges for pension advice

    2013-01-07T06:50:00Z

    It came just weeks before the retail distribution review (RDR), which scraps commission on many financial products, came into effect on 31 December.On 26 November, pensions minister Steve Webb wrote to Otto Thoresen, chair of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), saying his department was to carry out a policy ...

  • Article

    Employee Benefits Awards final deadline is this week

    2013-01-07T06:50:00Z

    All the information you need to enter, plus the category details and entry forms, can be found on the Employee Benefits Awards’ website.This year’s awards feature several new categories, designed to recognise employers that are leading the way on key benefits issues.Have you taken steps to offer a default investment ...

  • Article

    Employers shift launch dates for auto-enrolment

    2013-01-07T06:55:00Z

    The Co-operative Group’s auto-enrolment staging date was 1 November 2012, but it built in the legal three-month postponement period so the first pension contributions come out of employees’ pay in February 2013.Paul Macro, head of defined contribution (DC) at Mercer, said this was a common approach for many retailers because ...

  • Article

    Consultant’s nous helps to bridge HR commercial gap

    2013-01-07T07:00:00Z

    Ward was an executive consultant at KPMG and subsequently ran her own consultancy business, as well as taking on a range of HR-based roles, before joining BMI Healthcare in 2006.This stood her in good stead for dealing with the complexities of recent pay freezes. She says: “Three years ago, and ...

  • Article

    Essex County Council appoints John Farrell

    2013-01-07T07:10:00Z

    In nearly 30 years in reward and benefits, his roles have included: reward manager, benefits and incentives at Whitbread, reward and performance management manager at Lebara Mobile, compensation and benefits manager at SThree and senior compensation specialist at Network Rail.

  • Article

    Network Rail recruits Paula Hayes

    2013-01-07T07:15:00Z

    Since 2002, she has held various roles at Home Retail Group, including director of employment policy and reward, head of group policy and reward, and group compensation and benefits manager.Hayes has also held roles at Reality Group and Bradford and Bingley.

  • Article

    David Whitfield lands at BAA

    2013-01-07T07:20:00Z

    He was previously head of compensation and benefits, UK, Ireland and Nordics at DHL Supply Chain.Whitfield joined the logistics firm five years ago as reward analyst, and has also held the role of recognition manager at Royal Mail.