All Employee Benefits articles in Web Issue – Page 773
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ArticleThree-quarters of parents rate flexible working as very important
Nearly three-quarters of parents rate flexible working as very important when they are looking for a new job, according to research by Workingmums.co.uk, sponsored by BBC Future Media.The survey of more than 2,000 parents also found that homeworking is the most popular form of flexible working among employers, but few ...
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AnalysisWhat are the new flexible retirement options?
If you read nothing else, read this…A number of changes announced in the 2014 Budget give pensions more flexibility.Employees can choose to take their pension wealth as a lump sum, drawdown or as an annuity.New tax rules will help provide greater flexibility.A guidance guarantee will ensure pension members get advice ...
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ArticlePremier Foods to launch share incentive plan
Premier Foods is to launch a share incentive plan (Sip) for its employees.Under the proposed terms of the scheme, which is aimed at increasing employee share ownership, the food manufacturer wlll award 500 free shares to all UK-based employees. Gavin Darby, chief executive officer at Premier Foods, said: “I believe ...
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AnalysisWhy pension investment lifestyling strategies need a re-style
Now that members have the freedom to access their pension funds whenever they wish (once they have reached the age of 55), it is harder to manage the default fund so that it is likely to give a good outcome for members. The default fund has been part of the ...
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OpinionHilary Aldred - Employers disagree obesity should be protected by disability law
A vast majority of 98% of respondents made it clear that almost no one wants obesity to be classed as a disability and 89% do not make any adjustments for obese or overweight staff.As the results were so clear, we are now reflecting on why employers think like this.I do ...
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ArticleEmployee share plans boost motivation and loyalty
Employees who participate in employee share plans are less likely to be absent and to leave their employer, but more likely to work longer hours and be more satisfied with their roles, according to research undertaken by National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and London School of Economics ...
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Article
Total reward is dead
Total reward is dead, according to Duncan Brown, head of the UK performance, reward and talent consulting practice at Aon, and Martha How, partner, reward and benefits at Aon.Speaking in a session on ‘The demise of total reward’ at Employee Benefits Live on 24 September, Brown explained that the impact ...
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ArticleBazaarvoice extends global bonus plan
Bazaarvoice has extended its incentive programme to pay its entire workforce incentive compensation plans in multiple currencies.The consumer ratings and reviews network organisation launched the programme, provided by Xactly, when its manual compensation practices were not deemed to be at an acceptable level in terms of auditability and accuracy. Incentive ...
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ArticlePensions research 2014: Key findings
The survey, which was carried out in September 2014 among readers of Employee Benefits and users of www.employeebenefits.co.uk, received 216 responses.Key findings78% of respondents now offer a group personal pensins plan as their primary pension scheme 24% offer a master trust 32% of respondents contribute 6-10% of salary for the ...
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AnalysisMotivation can drive productivity
If you read nothing else, read this…Badly thought-out recognition and incentive schemes may improve one performance measure, but damage another.A recognition or incentive scheme cannot be used in isolation.Schemes are most effective when aligned with corporate values.In his article One more time. How do you motivate employees? , first published ...
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OpinionWill flexible benefits technology be free in the future?
Lawrence Sutton, senior manager, EMX solutions at KPMG, says yes:Flexible benefits technology has evolved significantly in just 20 years. When it first arrived on the scene, it was a luxury for even large, wealthy organisations. Today, flex technology is ubiquitous, even in small and medium-sized businesses. In the future, I ...
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AnalysisPros and cons of moving away from annual flex enrolment windows
If you read nothing else, read this…More than one flexible benefits window could drive engagement and take-up.It can help to keep a flex scheme and its communications fresh.Employers must be aware that some benefits cannot be open more than once a year.Moving away from an annual window could complicate administration.Employers ...
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Case StudiesThe University of Reading aligns recognition to values
An online recognition portal, introduced in 2012, enables managers to nominate employees for awards with values ranging from £25 to £100. These can be redeemed for vouchers from various retailers.When nominating an employee, a manager has to specify what behaviours the individual has displayed and how these relate to the ...
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ArticleNeil Morrison: Should employers use social media to communicate benefits?
If an employer wants to communicate effectively, it is best to use the channels that people are on, not try to create new ones.There is an interesting additional dynamic that comes up when we start to look at organisations’ internal use of external social media channels, such as Twitter and ...
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Article31% of UK employers give bonuses to lowest-performing staff
Approximately a third (31%) of UK employers give bonuses to employees with the lowest performance rating, according to research by Towers Watson. The 2014 Towers Watson Global workforce study, which surveyed 32,000 employees including 1,863 in the UK, found that employers are spreading the pay pot more thinly and evenly ...
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ArticleNorton Rose Fulbright to hold events on mental health awareness
Norton Rose Fulbright will hold a series of events for staff to highlight the importance of mental health awareness in the workplace in the week leading up to World Mental Health Awareness Day.The law firm will launch its mental health awareness strategy on the week commencing 6 October.World Mental Health ...
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Supplier article
Preparing for the changes to the pensions market
Each provider has taken a slightly different approach and they are implementing the changes at slightly different times, so the summary table below covers some of the key announcements so far:ProviderChargesCommissionAvivaWill look to move all schemes priced on AMD to the discount rate. Where this represents a very low annual ...
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ArticleMost talked-about news in September
The government has confirmed its intention to remove the annual contribution limit and transfer restrictions on the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest). The restrictions on annual contributions, which currently stand at a maximum of £4,600, and bulk transfers will be lifted on 1 April 2017.?We fully welcome proposals to remove ...
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ArticleBelgian police performance dips in pensions protest
Something for the weekend…Police officers in Belgium may appear to be a little laid back at present as they protest over pensions.Staff performance has dipped with police officers waiving traffic fines for people driving over the speed limit, forgetting to buckle seat belts or parking illegally.It seems they are turning ...
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ArticleDOD's blog: Long live group risk insurance
There is nothing more exciting than insurance, surely?This week has been group risk-tastic, with two events dedicated to the topic. Lucky you, I hear you all chant!Seriously though, group risk is a market ripe for innovation. It hasn’t exactly kept pace with changing workforce demographics and needs for some time ...