All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 604
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Video
Debra Corey: Top tips for HR to get finance on side
Speaking at Employee Benefits Live 2012, Debra Corey, group compensation and benefits director at Merlin Entertainments, provided tips on how HR can get the finance director on side.This presentation followed one made by her colleague Rob Horrocks, finance director at Merlin Entertainments (see related video, top right).Corey discusses how benefits ...
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Analysis
How to manage healthcare costs
The recent National Health Service (NHS) turmoil and serious lapses in quality of care have prompted a call by a number of employers to address these deficiencies and the potential impact on their workforces.But how should employers do this? Should they revisit strategic risks? Should they add private medical insurance ...
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Analysis
Evacuation and repatriation cover for expatriates
IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE READ THIS…Most international PMI schemes include standard evacuation and repatriation cover, but this can be extended.When determining the level of cover, employers should consider location and the availability of medical facilities.Employers would be wise to consult their insurance provider and keep detailed information on the ...
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Analysis
Creating a musculoskeletal disorder strategy
A staggering 131 million working days were lost through employee sickness or injury in 2011, with musculoskeletal disorders the biggest cause of days lost (35 million), according to the Office for National Statistics’ Sickness absence in the labour market report, published in April 2012.That is why a proactive, integrated approach ...
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Video
Jill Cunnison: Top tips to tackle stress and mental wellbeing
Jill Cunnison, head of benefits and HR operations at Capital One, talks to Debi O’Donovan, editor of Employee Benefits, during Employee Benefits Live 2012 about what HR and benefits managers can do to tackle stress and mental wellbeing in the workplace.She shares clever ideas that can be simple to implement ...
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Article
Mark Sharpe: How to manage musculoskeletal disorders
A reduction in healthcare spend, coupled with an improvement in employee health, is always beneficial to a business. But what is the best approach, particularly for musculoskeletal disorders, which are one of the largest contributors to those costs?Employers should first identify the cause of the disorders and the cost of ...
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Opinion
Jane Fenwick: Opinion divided on open-referral PMI
Others are cynical, but accepting.Much of the challenge for us has been in communicating the reasons for its introduction. We invested a lot of time and energy in member communications, even offering personal meetings with a senior clinical director from our insurer for those who felt particularly aggrieved. Member perceptions ...
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Article
Working parents' rights extended
The change was made under the revised Parental Leave (EU Directive) Regulations 2013, which were originally due to come into effect in March 2012.Paul Griffin, head of the employment division at Norton Rose, said: “It is difficult for employers to arrange cover if parental leave is split into different chunks.The ...
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Video
Janine Sparks: Why pensions should be positioned as part of a total reward strategy
Janine Sparks, reward manager – employee benefits at British Airways (BA), speaks to Debbie Lovewell, deputy editor of Employee Benefits, about positioning the pension scheme as part of a total reward strategy.Sparks points out that the pension is a major investment by the employer, but is often only appreciated as ...
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Article
Interview with Lesley Williams, group pensions director at Whitbread
“I looked after and rode 10 dressage horses, in return for a pittance and the chance to learn at the home of modern dressage,” says Williams, who still competes in British dressage competitions at an advanced level.Back in 1987, she decided to return to the UK and took up an ...
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Analysis
Age considerations to factor into a dental strategy
There have been exciting developments in dental technology in recent years, which should inform all employers’ dental healthcare policies. For example, dental implants now integrate into jaws to provide a firm base to replace missing teeth, tooth-coloured materials now replace old amalgam fillings, and veneers enhance the appearance of stained ...
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Analysis
How to bring staff who are suffering with cancer back to work
When it comes to the health issues that affect employees, cancer may be a less common culprit than mental health or musculoskeletal conditions, but its impact on employees, their colleagues and their employers must not be underestimated.Every year, more than 100,000 people of working age in the UK are diagnosed ...
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Article
Stephen Hackett: Bespoke health and wellbeing strategies
Healthcare premiums often account for a large part of employers’ benefits spend. That is why a workplace health and absence prevention strategy is of growing importance to organisations seeking to create affordable, attractive and innovative benefits packages. So where should they start in creating a bespoke strategy?An employer’s first move ...
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Article
Clare Bettelley: Share health management
The first step for employers is to identify and assess their employees’ health risks, including cancer, stress or musculoskeletal disorders. What are the risks, who are they impacting and what is the cost to their business?Employers should then strive to understand the health risks from their employees’ perspective, which is ...
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Analysis
How to integrate health screening into a business
Looking after employees’ health and wellbeing is fundamental to being a responsible employer. But it should not be seen as just doing the right thing by employees; it is also about improving business performance. Health and wellbeing affect staff productivity and safety, and the working environment, in turn, affects staff ...
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Article
Pam Whelan: How to create a dental plan
Dental is one of the fastest-growing employee benefits, so it is important for employers to keep up to date with the latest dental news. This will help them provide the best market knowledge and understanding to their staff.According to a Denplan/YouGov online survey of 4,116 UK adults, conducted in January ...
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Analysis
Integrating health risks into a wellbeing strategy
A health and wellbeing strategy is essential for all employers, integrating any workplace risks that could impact their workforce, particularly for organisations in high-risk sectors such as oil and gas.This sector differs from others in that a large section of staff work offshore for extended periods of time, resulting in ...
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Analysis
How to manage mental health issues
At any one time, about one in six workers is experiencing mental health difficulties, according to Taking care of business, Employers’ guide to mentally healthy workplaces, published by Mind in May 2010. The most common issues are anxiety, depression and unmanageable stress.Mental health problems can originate outside work or from ...
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Analysis
How to manage workplace stress
Last year, we noticed our sickness absence levels were rising, and that staff were increasingly mentioning stress and anxiety as the cause of their absence. This prompted us to undertake an employee survey, which revealed increased levels of stress compared with previous survey results.We wanted to take positive steps to ...
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Article
Sally Gunnell: Should employers encourage staff to take up fitness activities?
The only question is: which are the best schemes for improving engagement and making a positive impact on absenteeism, presenteeism and productivity?Fitness is coming to the fore in the prevention and treatment of many health and wellbeing problems, just as public and medical opinion is converging on more holistic approaches.The ...