All articles by Zoe Wickens – Page 137
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ArticleA third of employers did not celebrate Employee Appreciation Day
Employee Benefits poll: A third (32.6%) of organisations did nothing to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, according to an online survey among Employee Benefits readers.One in 10 (11.3%) said they allowed their staff a day off, while 16.3% gave them a gift or token of appreciation, and 9.9% provided a bonus ...
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AnalysisHow to support the wellbeing of mental health first aiders
In order to be able to effectively support someone with their mental health, mental health first aiders (MHFA) need to ensure they are protecting their own wellbeing and not pouring from an empty cup.An essential part of the MHFA training should be a clear understanding of the role and its ...
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Case StudiesWavemaker UK offers mental health first aiders support and guidance
Global media agency Wavemaker, which employs 430 staff at its London and Manchester offices, introduced mental health first aiders to the business in 2019.The selected employees were publicised to the rest of the organisation with physical posters in common areas to ensure everyone knew their names and contact information, as ...
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Poll: Should the government have aimed for a shorter implementation timeline for free childcare?
Take part in our latest readers’ poll on a current topical issue. Last week, Employee Benefits reported that parents with children under the age of three will be eligible for 30 hours of free childcare.In his Spring Budget statement to the House of Commons, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt ...
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ArticleKingspan Water and Energy staff strike over pay
Credit: T. Schneider / Shutterstock.comStaff at fuel and water tank manufacturing firm Kingspan Water and Energy commenced strike action today (Monday 20 March) at its Northern Ireland factory, in a dispute over pay.Pickets went up at 6am, with the strike set to impact production for the business, which employs 200 ...
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ArticleEXCLUSIVE: 70% struggle to keep wellbeing communication relevant
EXCLUSIVE: Seven in 10 (70%) large employers find it difficult to ensure health and wellbeing support communication is always relevant to employees, according to Towergate Health and Protection research.The research, which comprised responses from 500 HR decision-makers, found that the figure dropped to 50% among small to medium enterprises (SMEs).Overall, ...
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ArticleCentrica reports 15% mean gender pay gap
Energy business Centrica has reported a mean gender pay gap of 15% for 2022, down from 20% the prior year.The employer’s median gender pay gap was 23%, down from 30% in 2021, with women making up 49% of its lowest pay quartile, and 24% of its upper quartile.Its mean gender ...
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ArticleSainsbury’s hires first chief people officer
Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has announced that it has hired Prerana Issar (pictured) as its first ever chief people officer.Issar was the NHS’ first chief people officer during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to that, she worked at the United Nations World Food Programme as director of public-private partnerships and chief HR ...
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ArticleThe top 10 most-read articles between 10 - 16 March 2023
The top 10 most-read articles on www.employeebenefits.co.uk between 10 - 16 March 2023 were: Spring Budget 2023: Scheme launches to help disabled people to access work and supportSpring Budget 2023: Pensions lifetime allowance scrappedSpring Budget 2023: Government to focus on mental health and musculoskeletal issues Spring Budget 2023: Tax-free pensions ...
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ArticleDoor handles found to be the most unhygienic place in an office
Something for the weekend: Employees have even more reason to be reluctant to return to office-based working, as new research reveals that office door handles harbour 30-times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.Office furniture supply firm Furniture At Work has revealed that door handles are the dirtiest areas of ...
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ArticleHow will the Spring Budget 2023 impact pay, pensions and benefits?
Spring Budget 2023: Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday 15 March. It included a number of key announcements that could impact employees' pay, pensions and benefits.Spring Budget 2023: Freeze on fuel duty for 12 monthsSpring Budget 2023: Pensions ...
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ArticleJohn Lewis will not pay employee bonus after £234m loss
Retailer John Lewis has announced that it will not be giving its employees a bonus for this year, after reporting a £234 million loss.The bonus is its annual share-out of profits, and all staff receive it as a percentage of their salary. The 2021/22 bonus was worth 3% of employees' ...
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ArticleSuperdrug raises pay for newly qualified pharmacists
Credit: William Barton / Shutterstock.comBeauty and health retailer Superdrug has increased pay for newly qualified pharmacists, which will result in their wages rising to at least £50,000.According to Superdrug, this raise was implemented to ensure all of its pharmacists continue to receive a strong renumeration package. There are currently 155 ...
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ArticleSearcys enhances maternity and paternity pay
Restaurant and events catering business Searcys has enhanced its maternity and paternity pay as part of an overall approach to improving its family and parental benefits.The firm, which employs more than 1,100 members of staff across its venues and head office team, introduced a policy providing up to 24 weeks ...
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ArticleHCML appoints head of HR
Rehabilitation treatment and care management provider HCML has hired Pauline Cunningham (pictured) as head of HR.Cunningham has more than 25 years of HR experience, and will be responsible for delivering a people plan that enables the firm to meet its strategic goals and drive profitable growth. She will also be ...
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ArticleSpring Budget 2023: Tax agents given access to payroll benefits in kind
Spring Budget 2023: The government has announced that it will give tax agents access to payroll benefits in kind for employers.Through government provided IT systems, tax agents will be able to payroll benefits in kind on behalf of employers. This was introduced as part of a long-term strategy to simplify ...
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ArticleSpring Budget 2023: Freeze on fuel duty for 12 months
Spring Budget 2023: The government has frozen fuel duty for another 12 months, according to Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt's speech to the House of Commons today (15 March 2023).Hunt told the Commons that he would extend the 5p per litre cut in duty on petrol and diesel and ...
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ArticleSpring Budget 2023: 30 hours free childcare for under-threes
Spring Budget 2023: The government has introduced 30 hours of free childcare for parents with children under the age of three, according to Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt's statement to the House of Commons today (15 March 2023).Only applicable to households where parents are working more than 16 hours ...
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ArticleNestle UK reports 4% mean gender pay gap
Credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.comFood and drink business Nestle UK has reported that its 2022 mean hourly gender pay gap was 4% in favour of women.Meanwhile, its 2022 median hourly gender pay gap was 2% in favour of men. Its top and bottom quartiles are made up of 38% of ...
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ArticleAmazon Middle East and North Africa enhances paid parental leave policy
Amazon Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has introduced an enhanced paid parental leave policy for employees across United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan who have become new parents, regardless of gender.The policy offers both parents with one year of service up to six weeks' paid leave within ...