All articles by Zoe Wickens – Page 103
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ArticleHow will the Autumn Statement 2023 affect pay, pensions and employee benefits?
Autumn Statement 2023: Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, delivered his Autumn Statement speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday 22 November. A number of key announcements were made that will affect pay, pensions and benefits.Autumn Statement: Government announces plans to offer pension pot for lifeAutumn Statement: State pension ...
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ArticleBarratt Developments hires new group HR director
Barratt Developments has appointed Sally Austin its new group HR director, becoming a member of the Barratt executive committee and reporting to chief executive David Thomas.Austin will continue the people strategy for Barratt, prioritising diversity and inclusion, engagement, talent management, and employee health and wellbeing in particular.She joins from Wincanton, ...
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ArticleAutumn Statement: Government welcomes Value for Money framework update
The government has welcomed next steps towards implementing the Value for Money framework in the defined contribution (DC) pensions market.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will launch a consultation next spring on the next steps of the new Value for Money framework and rules for contract-based DC schemes.As part of this, ...
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ArticleAutumn Statement: Government to reform fit note process
The government is to take steps to reform the fit note process to support more people to resume work after a period of illness.Announced in today’s Autumn Statement by Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, trials in a small number of Integrated Care Systems in England will test changes to ...
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ArticleAutumn Statement: Government to meet requests for occupational health guidance
The government has published its response to its Occupational health: working better consultation, in which it stated it will meet employers’ requests for clearer guidance and support.Launched in July, the consultation was exploring a possible extension of occupational health (OH) services to more employers.The government published its response at the ...
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ArticleAutumn Statement: Government to reform work capability assessments
The government is to reform work capability assessments so more individuals receive the right support to find work where they can.Announced in today’s Autumn Statement by Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the activities and descriptors in work capability assessments for new claimants will be updated to support long-term sick ...
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ArticleAutumn Statement: National insurance contribution rate cut to 10%
Class 1 national insurance contributions (NICs) will be cut to 10% from 6 January 2024.Currently, employees pay 12% NICs on earnings above £12,570, and 2% on earnings above £50,270. From next year, employees will pay 10% and 2% respectively. According to the government, which announced the move in the Autumn ...
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Article
Autumn Statement: Government to reform work capability assessments
The government has announced that it will reform work capability assessments (WCA) so that more individuals receive the right support to find work where they can.Announced in today’s Autumn Statement by Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the activities and descriptors in WCA for new claimants will be updated to ...
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ArticleAutumn Statement: State pension to increase by 8.5% from April 2024
The state pension will increase by 8.5% from April 2024.Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced the rise in the Autumn Statement, with the increase based on average earnings data published in September and in line with the government’s triple lock policy on pension changes. Hunt confirmed that the state ...
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ArticleAutumn Statement: Government announces plans to offer pension pot for life
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has announced plans to offer a pension pot for life in the Autumn Statement 2023.This will give employees a legal right to require a new employer to pay pension contributions into their existing pot, avoiding the accumulation of multiple pension pots throughout their working ...
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ArticleNational living wage to increase from April 2024
The national living wage is to increase from April 2024.Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced it will rise by 9.8% to £11.44 per hour and will apply to those aged 21 and over for the first time. A full-time worker aged 23 will receive an increase worth £1,800 ...
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ArticleHalf of UK deskless workers live pay cheque to pay cheque
Half (50%) of UK deskless workers live pay cheque to pay cheque and are without spare cash once monthly bills are paid, according to research by OC Tanner.The employee recognition firm’s 2024 Global culture report gathered insights from more than 42,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners and executives from 27 countries, ...
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OpinionAnna Dabek: Creating a menopause friendly workplace for womens’ wellbeing
More women are citing menopause as a reason for claims of discrimination or unfair dismissal at tribunal. The number of cases which did so increased by 44% in 2021.Menopause is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. That said, over the last couple of years, women have brought ...
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ArticleExclusive: Central Co-op launches financial support benefit for staff
Retailer Central Co-op has launched a financial support benefit across its support centre, food and funeral operations teams.The Co-op Credit Union benefit will form part of Central Co-op’s overall wellbeing offer. It will enable employees to access a range of tools, services and resources to support their mental health, money ...
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Article42% of employers plan to reduce flexibility for staff in 2024
Approximately two-fifths (42%) of employers plan to reduce flexibility or offer less of this to their employees in 2024, according to research by Barnett Waddingham.The independent consultancy, which surveyed 302 HR directors and C-suite professionals, found that this could see as many as 588,000 employers planning to offer reduced flexibility ...
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ArticleUK Supreme Court rules Deliveroo riders are not workers
The UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that Deliveroo riders do not have the right to be classed as workers and cannot unionise following a seven-year legal battle.In the case of The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain v Central Arbitration Committee and another, Deliveroo riders have been seeking to ...
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ArticleExclusive: Avison Young launches financial wellbeing platform
Global commercial real estate firm Avison Young has introduced a financial wellbeing platform for its 1,500 employees in the UK and Ireland.The platform, which is provided by Bippit, gives Avison Young's employees access to professional coaches with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)-recognised qualifications for one-to-one financial coaching, targeted learning resources, and ...
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AnalysisDo total reward statements still engage employees with their benefits packages?
Credit: Julia Sudnitskaya / Shuuterstock.comA total reward statement provides an overview of an employment package and its value.Offering choice regarding how a total reward statement is delivered to an employee is key to ensuring effective engagement.A personalised benefits package can help to engage employees with their benefits because it is ...
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Case StudiesUK Power Networks uses total reward statements to boost engagement with benefits
UK Power Networks uses total reward statements (TRS) to inform and engage its 6,000 employees with its benefits package.The electricity distributor produces a TRS every year which it publishes both on its online reward platform and in the form of a booklet. Employees are given the choice of which format ...
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ArticleBank of Ireland receives Gold Investors in Diversity EDI Mark
Bank of Ireland has been awarded the Gold Investors in Diversity EDI Mark accreditation by the Irish Centre for Diversity due to its equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) commitments.To achieve the Gold Investors in Diversity EDI Mark, employers must conduct an in-depth assessment of EDI practices, including diverse and inclusive ...