All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 608
-
Article
Telegraph Media Group increases pension AVCs
The Telegraph Media Group has seen a 34% rise in the proportion of employees making additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) to its pension scheme since it launched personalised communications for its employees.It issued a personalised newsletter to the 1,000 members of its trust-based defined contribution (DC) pension scheme at the beginning ...
-
Video
Employee Benefits Awards judges praise entry standard
The high standard of entries to this year’s Employee Benefits Awards impressed our panel of judges, particularly in regards to entrants’ creativity, innovation and careful tailoring of strategies and schemes to suit their workforce demographics.We would like to thank our highly esteemed panel of judges, many of whom are former ...
-
Video
What did the Employee Benefits Awards' judges learn from judging?
The high standard of entrants’ benefits programmes, creative approaches and a willingness to push boundaries impressed this year’s Employee Benefits Awards’ judges.Masha Boldyreva, reward manager for Europe at Mondelez International, highlights the holistic approach employers are taking to benefits and the link between benefits and employee engagement, while Debra Corey, ...
-
Article
JLT launches defined benefit pension investment platform
JLT Employee Benefits has launched an investment platform to provide investment management options to trustees of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes. The JLT Investment Platform provides manager research and selection, transition management, investment reporting, asset allocation and solvency management on a bundled or standalone basis.Other aspects of the platform include:Bulk ...
-
Article
Defined benefit pension schemes reduce exposure to equities
Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes are relying less on equities for generating growth, according to research by Aon Hewitt.The UK findings of the consultancy’s Global pension risk survey 2013, which questioned more than 240 DB pension schemes representing around £300 billion in assets, showed that 41% of respondents expect to ...
-
Article
DOD’s blog: What did Thatcherism do for employee benefits?
In a week when everyone is reflecting on Margaret Thatcher’s legacy, I have decided to take a quick look at which employee benefits were launched into the workplace during her time as prime minister.Those in the world of pensions and benefits may have already been reminded that group personal pensions ...
-
Article
Bromford Group closes career-average pension
EXCLUSIVE: Bromford Group has closed its career-average revalued earnings (Care) pension scheme to new members as it streamlines its pension offering and focuses on communicating auto-enrolment to staff.The social housing organisation previously had five pension schemes available to its 1,300 staff, comprising two local government pensions, two defined benefit (DB) ...
-
Article
Close Brothers launches default pension investment funds with Scottish Widows
Financial services provider Close Brothers Asset Management (CBAM) has launched a range of default investment funds in partnership with Scottish Widows. The SW Close Governed Portfolio Funds range builds on CBAM’s existing corporate pension products, with the aim of making workplace pension investing as simple and as affordable as possible.All ...
-
Article
Federation of Small Businesses offers members health services
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has signed a three-year contract with Jelf Employee Benefits to offer its 200,000 member organisations access to discounted health and wellbeing services.The FSB’s small business owners, managers and their employees will have access to lower premiums for private medical insurance (PMI), hospital treatment insurance ...
-
Article
Canada Life moves to electronic claims forms
Canada Life started to accept electronic employer claims forms for its group income protection and group critical illness contracts from 1 April.Previously, employers had to complete the claims forms manually and send it via post. The new electronic system will save employers time and administrative effort, as well as getting ...
-
Article
Employers unprepared for car tax changes
Nearly half (48%) of employer respondents said their organisations are unprepared for the changes to company car taxes that came into effect on 1 April, according to research by LeasePlan.The research, which surveyed 350 senior managers with decision-making responsibility around company cars, found that 51% of respondents said the tax ...
-
Article
Tusker staff lower fuel consumption of company cars
Tusker staff have seen fuel consumption fall by 12% since they began taking part in an eco-driver training initiative.The Smarter Driving initiative, which is provided by Energy Saving Trust (EST), was run to ensure that the fleet provider’s employees were up to speed with the latest thinking on efficiency and ...
-
Opinion
Sharon Gilkes: Tax implications of eco-friendly company cars
Whatever your thoughts about green driving a few years ago, chances are they’ll be more positive now.Manufacturers have responded to demands from the public and from businesses to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of cars. In the Budget 2013 on 20 March, the Chancellor announced plans for a new ultra ...
-
Article
Kärcher encourages cash plan take up
EXCLUSIVE: Kärcher UK has issued new communications to its 230 employees to remind them about their health cash plan.Between 1 July 2012 and 1 February 2013, 97 employees at the cleaning equipment manufacturer made a claim through the plan.As a result, Kärcher UK wanted to ensure its employees were taking ...
-
Analysis
John Chilman: How to create a good default fund for staff
John Chilman, group reward and pensions director at FirstGroup, speaks to Debbie Lovewell, deputy editor of Employee Benefits, about how employers should go about selecting a default investment fund in order to create a great outcome for pension scheme members, which provides diversification and has good governance.He highlights the key ...
-
Article
Sainsbury’s looks to close DB pension scheme
Sainsbury’s has launched a two-month consultation with staff on proposals to close its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme to future accrual.The scheme was closed to new entrants in 2002. The proposed changes will affect less than 10% of the supermarket chain’s 150,000 UK employees.Sainsbury’s also offers all its employees access ...
-
Article
DWP confirms small pots transfers
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed its plans to make it easier for employees to take their workplace pension scheme with them when moving jobs.Its pot-follows-member model, which was first published in July 2012, will mean that over an employee’s working life any pension pots of less ...
-
Article
HMRC confirms VAT payable on contract-based pensions
Consultants that advise and assist employers with the setting up and administration of contract-based defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, including group personal pension (GPP) plans, stakeholder schemes and group self-invested personal pensions, must charge standard-rate value-added tax (VAT) to employers on services provided to them in return for consultancy charges ...
-
Article
More DC pension savers than DB pension savers
More people save into defined contribution (DC) pension schemes than defined benefit (DB) pension plans in the UK, according to figures by the Office for National Statistics.Its Pension trends, chapter 10: saving for retirement, 2013 edition showed that in 2008/2010, for UK households with pension savings, 46% saved into a ...
-
Article
Pimlico Plumbers decorates fleet with Thatcher
Something for the weekend…Cards and flowers are usually used to show affection for a recently deceased loved one, but Pimlico Plumbers’ 200-strong fleet carried an image of Baroness Margaret Thatcher as a mark of respect on the day of the former prime minister’s funeral.The plumbing organisation was founded by patriotic ...