All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 688
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Article
Edwards Group and IGas Energy awarded for share schemes
Edwards Group, IGas Energy and Pearson are among the winners of the Employee Share Ownership (Esop) Centre Awards 2013.The awards, which were presented earlier in November, recognise examples of excellence in the provision of all-employee share schemes.Edwards Group, a manufacturer of vacuum pumps and abatement technology, was awarded ‘Best employee ...
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Article
H&M pledges to pay factory workers a living wage
Fashion retailer H&M has pledged to pay a living wage to its 850,000 textile employees by 2018.The Swedish organisation, which has more than 200 UK stores, said it would support two of its factories in Bangladesh and one in Cambodia in 2014 to adopt a fair living wage.H&M intends to ...
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Article
Employers align auto-enrolment with flexible benefits enrolment
For example, law firm Mills and Reeve was able to align its auto-enrolment staging date, which was 1 November, with its annual flex enrolment window, which opened on 1 October.The employer already had an 85% take-up in its group personal pension (GPP) plan, and the remaining 15% of staff who ...
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Case StudiesMolson Coors Brewing Company seeks pensions understanding
It relaunched its group personal pension (GPP) scheme in July 2013 with a new provider, Friends Life, to comply with auto-enrolment legislation ahead of its August 2013 staging date. Its employees are auto-enrolled on a minimum 3% contribution, although they are encouraged to increase this voluntarily to at least 5%. ...
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Article
Ensign launches pensions communications product
Ensign Pensions Administration has launched a product to help pension scheme members communicate with their scheme administrators. The product, Intouch, provides video communications services, which enable employees to receive live face-to-face support from the administration team that looks after their pension.The calls are designed to help employees share and review ...
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Article
Employers unaware of shares for rights scheme
More than three-quarters (80%) of respondents have never heard of the government’s employee shareholder scheme, according to research by law firm, Irwin Mitchell.The research, which surveyed 500 UK employers, found that, out of the 20% of respondents that said they were aware of the scheme, only 1% said they were ...
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Article
Global retirement age will be 67 by 2050
Most countries will have a retirement age for both men and women of at least 67 years by 2050, according to research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).The report, Pensions at a glance 2013, found that this represents an increase from current levels of around 3.5 years ...
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Article
Network Rail launches eyecare scheme
Network Rail has introduced an eyecare scheme for its 35,000 employees.The employer is providing Premium Club vouchers, provided by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, which offer discounts on glasses for staff and two members of their family.This is alongside eye examinations and glasses for employees to meet the legal obligations of health ...
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Article
Employee Benefits Awards fuel ideas
Simon Andrew, head of communications at Benefex, explains what it means to be recognised with an Employee Benefits award.The consultancy won ‘Best benefits communications – smaller employer’ at the Employee Benefits Awards 2013. What has winning an Employee Benefits’ award meant to you?What has winning an Employee Benefits award meant ...
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Article
Midcounties Co-operative staff share £1.5m
The Midcounties Co-operative has paid out £1.5 million to its employees and member following a surge in trading. The profit share, which is for transactions made between 27 January and 26 July 2013, comes after the retail organisation announced that trading was up by £1.6 million to £11.8 million for ...
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Article
Employee Benefits Awards 2014 to focus on DC pensions
Two categories at the Employee Benefits Awards 2014 highlight the great work UK employers are doing in this regard.‘Best DC pension default investments’, a category introduced in 2013, recognises an employer that makes a concerted effort to offer an appropriate, effective default investment strategy for its DC pension scheme. The ...
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Article
Minority of employers tackle workplace stress
Research published by charity Mind in October found that 36% of the employees surveyed believe looking after workers’ mental wellbeing should be an organisational priority, but only 20% feel their employer takes active steps to help them manage stress.Emma Mamo, policy and campaigns manager at Mind, said: “We have been ...
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Article
UK staff and managers have happiest relationship in Europe
Three-quarters (75%) of UK respondents are happy with the relationship they have with their managers, according to research by Edenred.Its annual Edenred-Ipsos barometer survey, which questioned 7,200 European employees including 800 UK workers, found that the UK had the highest level of satisfaction across all respondents. However, the UK has ...
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Article
Havas People launches reward brand
EXCLUSIVE: Havas People has launched a brand called Many Thanks, which offers a range of options for employers to reward and recognise their employees.The options include gift cards, vouchers and e-codes from a range of well-known retailers, including Love2Shop, Marks and Spencer, iTunes and Debenhams.Employers can also choose from a ...
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Article
GFK Group to launch global HR tool
Market research organisation, GFK Group, is to launch a global online HR, compensation and performance management tool.The product, TalentReward, which is provided by Towers Watson, includes a range of HR services designed to help employers with their performance management process, pay and career planning.GFK Group will launch the product in ...
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Article
Burberry and BT win share plan awards
BT Group, Burberry and Rio Tinto are among the winners of the IFS Proshare Awards.The awards recognise employers’ contributions to the employee share ownership industry. BT Group won the ‘Most effective use of technology’ award, as well as the award for ‘Best overall performance in fostering employee share ownership, for ...
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Article
Top 10 most read stories this week
The top 10 most read articles on employeebenefits.co.uk from 21-28 November:1. Abercrombie staff entitled to guarantee payments2. Review of the 2013 benefits landscape3. London Luton Airport halves healthcare costs4. H&M pledges to pay factory workers a living wage 5. Helena Davies: Employer duties surrounding disability and sickness absence 6. How ...
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Article
A wigged out healthcare benefit
Something for the weekend…Could this be the next healthcare benefit to hit the market?Technology giant, Sony, has filed a patent for a so-called SmartWig, which would include ultrasound sensors, a camera and a laser pointer.It would not necessarily be worn to replace hair, but as a sort of mobile computer ...
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DOD's blog: painting a picture of pension charges
The government consultation on pensions charges closed yesterday. The big pensions beasts were out in force to put their views across, and sometimes cross swords – through both new and old media, as well as at industry events and meetings.Most weighed in to say the cap is either a bad ...
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Article
CIPP launches auto-enrolment self-assessment exercise
The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) has launched an online self-assessment exercise that employers can use to check their readiness for auto-enrolment.The answers received through the exercise will form the basis of advice, guidance and support the employers will subsequently receive, in line with their specific levels of readiness. ...