Business has talent – and much of it over 65
Imagine you had access to the pick of global talent, to some of the most successful business people in the world. Imagine if, in your organisation, you could harness the abilities of any of the following business leaders: Warren Buffett, David Rockefeller, Amar Gopal Bose of Bose Corporation, Gordon Earle Moore of Intel, Bob Oatley […]
Virgin Media provides customer service-style Employee Services
Virgin Media has taken a leaf out of customer services’ book by centralising its HR, payroll and benefits units into a single Employee Services division in a bid to provide staff with a more consistent experience. The telecoms supplier brought the three previously separate teams together so that they could pool resources and share expertise […]
Blog: Is more home-working the Olympics’ legacy for employers?
‘Olympic legacy’ is a phrase mentioned on a daily basis at present. But what effect will London 2012 have on businesses in the capital? For starters, a meltdown of public transport according to Olympic Games organisers and Transport for London. There’ll be three million more journeys a day including one million more Tube passengers during […]
Update: Health unions plan first ever NHS-wide strike
Health service unions are planning to launch a series of targeted, rolling strikes this autumn rather than a mass walkout if pension negotiations with the coalition government fail as expected. The news came to light after Unison, which represents 460,000 NHS workers, hosted a meeting with other unions in London on Wednesday, in order to […]
Legal Insight: Where does long-term sick leave end and annual leave begin?
The boundaries between annual leave and sick leave and where they lie has been a growing issue in both the courts and employment tribunals over the last couple of years, points out Harriet Broughton, a solicitor at Bevans. The problem arises because the Working Time Regulations 1998 state that annual leave “may only be taken […]
Ask the Expert: How to stop a one-off lease car perk becoming a given?
The Question We have a lease car sitting in the car park as the employee left after only six month’s service and will not be replaced. I suggested using it as a pool car till the lease comes to an end but the MD wants to give it to one particular member of staff. […]
Benefits must be tailored to age to attract top talent
Benefits must be tailored to workers’ age profile if such packages are to help employers attract and retain top talent effectively, a study has shown. According to a survey among 2,000 UK adults undertaken by YouGov and commissioned by workplace consultancy Croner, issues such as flexible working, company reputation and workplace culture were highly valued […]
VAT changes could threaten salary sacrifice schemes
From January 1 2012, companies will have to pay VAT on non-cash goods and services provided to employees in exchange for some of their salary, HMRC has announced. According to Nick Huber, writing for our sister site www.AccountingWeb.co.uk, the change to the VAT treatment of salary sacrifice schemes, which often include such as bikes, […]
Whither employee benefits?
Has the provision of employee benefits passed its peak? The answer to the question depends on the reasons why benefits were offered in the first place. If they were constructed as part of a package to attract and retain employees, the recession and public sector spending cuts have probably stalled the momentum in benefits provision. […]
You need to insulate your car scheme from supply chain risks
Experts are warning that businesses face greater risks from complex service supply arrangements than they may realise. The issue isn’t confined to manufacturing: these days, almost everything from payroll processing to company cars reaches the end-user business at the end of an intricate supply chain. Everyone wants last-minute ordering and delivery because minimising slack means […]
Case in point: The importance of pay in lieu of notice clauses
The recent case of Societe General v Geys [2011] EWCA Civ 307 has highlighted the need for companies to check the existence of ‘pay in lieu of notice clauses’ (‘PILON’) in employment contracts and the effects they have on both the employer and employee on termination of a contract – the effects can be substantial. […]
Work smarter: Welcome to the office of the future
You probably didn’t think the office of the future would be in Wootton Bassett, but one tech company have made themselves a workspace that would leave Marty McFly in a spin… Plantronics have all the gadgets. They make headsets and other work-related electronics which turn workplaces into mobile work-anywhere spaces, and help mobile workers stay […]
Smartworking: the future of work
Do you spend your working day on conference calls? Are you a member of a couple of dozen LinkedIn groups, and several different teams? If it feels as though project working, and dispersed team membership, are becoming more common and more complex, it’s because they are. There has been a three-fold increase in the number […]
Payroll giving encouraged in ‘Big Society’ re-launch
The coalition government has unveiled a year-long awareness campaign to encourage employers to support payroll giving among their staff as part of the latest re-launch of its ‘Big Society’ concept. At an Every Business Commits Forum event in Milton Keynes yesterday, Prime Minister David Cameron said that the aim was to make it easier for […]
A guide to benefits: the basics
Employee benefits are an important part of the employee package for recruiting and retaining employees. When it is difficult to recruit suitable skilled people, having a benefits package can often give an organisation the competitive edge. Andrew Walker, Head of Business Development at Croner looks at the different ways of incentivising staff and the key […]
Fleet life: Tackling the fuel price problem
Despite experiencing “pump shock” from soaring fuel prices, businesses can take practical steps to minimise the pain at the pumps and strengthen the appeal of car benefits, says Paul Hollick of multi-marque car leasing company Alphabet. The sharp increase in pump prices – fuel prices have increased by 40% in real terms over the last […]
The guide to… rewarding staff when salary increases and promotion are frozen
Recent economic data has revealed low levels of wage inflation, indicating that many organisations are implementing low or no pay increases for the coming year. In addition, headcount freezes are reducing opportunities for promotion. Vincent Belliveau, EMEA General Manager for Cornerstone OnDemand, outlines how businesses can motivate their employees in this challenging environment. Pay raises […]
Wellbeing – can it work with flex?
In recent years ‘wellbeing’ has become a bit of a benefits buzz-word with many employers now feeling that they have some level of responsibility for looking after their employees. The reasons are varying, including factors such as commercial benefit, legislative requirements or the desire to be seen as an employer of choice. A typical wellbeing […]
Bonus and salary review season
…is upon us and it’s time to consider retention, as well as the cost – where does HR stand and what should we do? Charlie Waters offers this advice. Old news!In the turmoil of the past three years, financial markets chaos has made employees more cautious and therefore less likely to leave their current employer. […]
Wellbeing at work: Ease employees’ money worries
Financial issues affect all types of employees yet it’s a subject that’s often ignored in the workplace. However when this type of issue gets out of hand it can have serious repercussions for employee performance and productivity, not to mention attendance and engagement. Eugene Farrell, Immediate Past Chair UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association (www.eapa.org.uk), looks […]