All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 763
-
Article
American Express and Barclays are top employers for working families
American Express, Barclays and Centrica are among the top employers that have been awarded for their benefits and policies to support working parents.The Top Employers for Working Families Benchmark, founded by charity Working Families, recognises employers that support parents, carers, flexible working, work-life balance and career development.The highest-scoring entrants are ...
-
OpinionAndy Major: What would the ultimate care voucher look like?
Clearly, childcare is a key consideration, and such a voucher should include every working parent as standard. But it should also list every employee who has an elderly dependant to worry about. As flexible working becomes more commonplace, what about people who need to work flexibly in order to perform ...
-
ArticlePartners given rights to attend antenatal appointments
Employees who are expectant fathers, or the partner of a pregnant woman, will have the right to take unpaid time off work to attend antenatal appointments from 1 October 2014.Employees accompanying the expectant mother to antenatal appointments will be entitled to unpaid leave for one or two appointments.The time off ...
-
AnalysisWhat employers should consider around flexible-working requests
A 2011 Journal of Child and Family Studies report by Sanders MR, Haslam DM, Calam R, Southwell C and Stallman H, ’Designing effective interventions for working parents: a web-based survey of parents in the UK workforce’ (Journal of Children’s Services, 6, 3, 186-200), found that 85% of parents in employment ...
-
OpinionMichelle Cracknell: Making pensions attractive
Better education, less volatile investments and planning tools with personalised forecasts can all help employees make pensions a building block in their savings strategy.I am passionate about pensions because they can change people’s lives. The idea of saving to have the money to do the things you want to do ...
-
Article
Personalised financial education becoming more important
At the end of July, when the government announced that its guaranteed guidance would be provided by independent organisations rather than pension providers, it settled most of the questions that had been circling the industry since the initiative was introduced by Chancellor George Osborne in the March Budget.Before the announcement, ...
-
ArticlePattonair recognised for health and wellbeing benefits
Pattonair has been recognised for its commitment to the healthcare and wellbeing of its 900 employees. The aerospace and defence supply chain service provider has received a Simplyhealth Healthy Workplace award, which recognises the organisation’s health and wellbeing initiatives and benefits.Pattonair offers an employer-funded health cash plan, provided by SimplyHealth, ...
-
AnalysisHow to make pensions a building block in an employee's savings strategy
If you read nothing else, read this…A number of employees say they will increase pension contributions after the 2014 Budget reforms (Towers Watson).Employers could use pay rises and employees’ birthdays to drop hints about pension savings.Other savings tools, such as an Isa or a Sipp, can help boost pension contributions.Financial ...
-
ArticleSocial media key tool for building engaging EVP
Social media platforms are a key tool with which to create and communicate an employee value proposition, according to Fredrik Tukk, head of communication, marketing and branding at Danish-headquartered employer, Maersk Drilling.Speaking at the opening keynote session at Employee Benefits Live 2014, Tukk explained how social media was at the ...
-
ArticleEsri UK launches car salary sacrifice scheme
Esri UK has launched a car salary sacrifice scheme for its 300 employees. The geographical mapping and analytics company’s ‘simplydriveit’ scheme, which is provided by Pendragon Contracts, enables staff to select from a list of cars with emissions capped at 130g/km to meet the organisation’s environmental targetsPendragon Contracts has also ...
-
ArticleCouncils introduce salary sacrifice car schemes
Sandwell Council, Calderdale Council and Oxford City Council have introduced salary sacrifice car schemes, covering nearly 10,000 employees. Sandwell Council launched its scheme to its 5,000 employees in June. Calderdale Council launched a low carbon scheme to more than 3,600 eligible staff.Meanwhile, Oxford City Council, which has 1,200 eligible employees, ...
-
Case StudiesUniversity of Reading launches salary sacrifice car scheme
The University of Reading launched a salary sacrifice car leasing scheme in June to help improve its employee benefits package.The university decided on a leasing arrangement, underpinned by contract hire, because of its low cost and the ability to offer employees a fully maintained car.Claire Eckett, HR manager, rewards and ...
-
OpinionKatherine Wilson: What would the ultimate care voucher look like?
It would be accessible, affordable and appropriate for working parents and carers.It would apply to childcare and care for a dependent adult, such as a partner, elderly parent, relative or close friend.It would be simple and flexible to use for emergency or back-up care, care search, information and advice services, ...
-
OpinionSuzanne Tyrrell: What would the ultimate care voucher look like?
However, the new scheme only deals with childcare. What about carers of disabled adult or elderly family members?At present, there is no similar scheme to provide employees with other caring responsibilities with financial support. These are employees who may have had to reduce working hours or even leave employment in ...
-
Article
Last chance to share your views on the new pension reforms
Tell us in the Employee Benefits/Close Brothers Pensions research 2014, which is designed to help you benchmark your organisation’s response to and progress with the incoming pensions reforms.This is your chance to have your say and gain an insight into how your approach compares with that of your market peers ...
-
ArticleTax-free childcare could make wealthy parents wealthier
The government’s new tax-free childcare scheme could boost wealthy parents’ finances because of the way in which it tops up families’ spend, according to Anand Shulka, chief executive of the Family and Childcare Trust.Speaking at EB Live 2014, Shulka explained that the scheme, which will introduce a “20% top-up on ...
-
ArticleHyder Consulting launches online total reward statements
Hyder Consulting has launched online total reward statements for its 1,000 employees.The statements will be made available via the multinational design and engineering consultancy’s benefits portal HyFlex, which will give employees a summary of what the organisation provides staff.The launch of total reward statements aims to raise awareness and engagement ...
-
AnalysisWhat are the current trends in fleet funding?
If you read nothing else, read this…There are six types of funding options available to employers to fund company cars.Contract hire is the most popular of these and is often used for salary sacrifice arrangements.Employers are opting for a combination of funding methods to offer more choice to employees.Organisations are ...
-
Case StudiesDiscovery Networks uses data to design health and wellbeing strategy
Discovery Networks is rolling out a global stress awareness campaign after data from its private medical insurance (PMI) provider, PruHealth, identified stress as an issue among its workforce.Roland Baskeyfield, international compensation and benefits manager at Discovery Networks, says: “We work closely with our PMI provider so we are furnished regularly ...
-
AnalysisHow employers can use data to design a healthcare strategy
If you read nothing else, read this…Data can enable employers to structure a health and wellbeing strategy tailored to the specific needs of their workforce.Claims data from healthcare benefits providers and an organisation’s absence data are key information.Comprehensive, robust data covering the entire workforce can be hard to obtain.A good ...