Share schemes – the basics
Jonathan Oxley explains the basics HR needs to know to differentiate between share schemes in the second of our videos on using shares as a benefit. See the first video from Jonathan here.
Motivating employees – are shares an option for you?
Trying to be creative with benefits and renumeration? Jonathan Oxley has noticed a trend in requests for guidance on what share options work for employers and different companies. In this short video he explains that HR professionals don't need to know a huge amount about share schemes to be able to use them as a […]
Exec pay on ice
The time of executive salaries increasing far in excess of inflation are now over, with more than half of FTSE 350 companies choosing not to boost the salaries of executive directors this year. This situation equates to a two-year salary freeze for many as over two thirds received no increment last year either. Where wage […]
The pension journey: auto-enrolment is just the beginning
Auto-enrolment is a powerful remedy for employers struggling to sign up employees to their pension schemes, but it should only be the start of the relationship, according to speakers at AXA’s first Future of Workplace Savings roadshow. Pension decision-makers from leading employers were given tips from the experts on how to deal with the enrolment […]
Voluntary benefits– knight in shining armour or plaster over a sore?
Offering a voluntary benefits (VB) programme to employees can be an inexpensive, quick and effective addition to an organisation’s benefits scheme. VBs provide a practical way for employees to stretch their often frozen net pay at little or no cost to the employer, since they are paid for by the employee, often through the payroll. […]
HR is going into the war for talent unarmed
Employers across both the public and private sector fear that they are no longer able to offer the pay and benefits packages required to attract and retain key skills, an HR body has warned. Number two on the list of concerns relates to the ability of line managers to administer such rewards, while the number […]
Financial education in the workplace – the real employer/employee benefit
Money talks and people walk – how employers can tackle the financial education deficit by teaching basic principles of money management and receive the benefits of a less stressed, better focused workforce in return. Coping with the rising cost of living coupled with cross-the-board pay freezes is proving difficult for almost all employees in these […]
Ask the expert: Resign or seek severance?
Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on whether this employee should resign or seek a severance payment. The question: Resign or seek severance? A year ago I negotiated flexible working with my employer (I work four longer days Mon-Thurs and take Friday off) so I could help care for my parents. My mother is now […]
Feathering the NEST – time to start now
There is some confusion over the state of pensions in the UK and with the change of government, where does the NEST scheme stand? Navigate the way forward with this guide. It has long been suggested that there is a sizable retirement savings gap in the UK. What does this mean – well basically, too […]
Public sector HR braces for storms ahead
Public sector HR managers could face difficult times ahead if current debates being played out in the media over potentially radical changes to pay and pensions come to fruition. Only a day after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg branded public sector pensions “unaffordable”, signalling possible future cuts, and 10 days after Prime Minister David Cameron […]
Ask the expert: Can a company offer improved benefits to new starters but not to TUPE staff?
Is it legal that new starters are offered better benefits than those already employed? Esther Smith and Martin Brewer consider their verdicts. The question: Can a company offer improved benefits to new starters but not to existing staff? The company I work for has offered an improved benefits package to new starters […]
Now is not the time for employers to short-change staff over outplacement support
With its recent decision to take its outplacement support in-house, RBS is missing an opportunity, says Richard Alberg. Replacing the cost of external expertise in this way may appear more cost-effective but I fear they are in fact short changing ex-employees. It is difficult to criticise any employer that is making an effort to assist […]
94% will hack or axe final salary pension schemes
Although 87% of employers believe that staff are not saving enough for retirement, a huge 94% plan to reduce or axe their final salary pension schemes because they can no longer afford them. According to a survey of 179 large companies, which include 38 FTSE 100 players, by consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers, the number of organisations that […]
Creating and communicating a total reward culture
The statistics say it all – 65% of employees admit to not fully understanding the value of their employee benefits. This is commercial madness when you consider organisations across the UK spend millions in developing and offering employee benefits. However there is a simple solution to this problem. Here Andy Philpott outlines the reasons for […]
It’s the way I tell ’em: keep up the benefit conversation
Pay and benefits… Frank Carson… bear with me, I can explain. (For those of you who are now asking yourself or a colleague "who on earth is Frank Carson?" you’ll have to doodle it on your i-berry). It is pretty much universally accepted by employers of today that you need to offer your employees a […]
Changes to paternity leave – will they work?
The new government will face significant challenges in implementing its flexible parental leave proposals given employers’ lukewarm response to existing paternity leave measures today, a leading HR body has warned. The coalition government is keen for fathers to be able to take six months of paternity leave while their partners return to work. But the […]
The real cost of employee benefits
The outlook is still bleak for employees with regards to their pay. With employers continuing to err on the side of prudence rather than open their purse strings, wages are unlikely to rise in the foreseeable future. How can benefit packages give ROI and prove valuable? Employee benefits packages have always played an important role […]
We need a fresh approach – better benefits on a budget
In this feature with a difference, eavesdrop on these team conversations and learn about benefits on a budget. Meet the team (an entirely fictional team, but each with a foot firmly in reality…well it’s my reality so I’m setting the rules here). John: 62 – Finance DirectorJohn is a Newcastle fan because everything is black […]
Is there reward after recession?
Catherine Chubb considers the impact of changes to rewards as we emerge from recession. During the recession, surveys showed that around half of UK workers experienced a cut in pay, working hours or a loss of benefits. The most common cost-cutting approach taken by employers during the downturn was a salary freeze. But what is […]
Total reward: the holistic approach
Recent research highlighted that 80% of public sector workers have never heard of total reward packages, despite recognition that a holistic approach to health and wellbeing significantly improves staff retention and increases productivity. Public Sector organisations are increasingly expanding their rewards package to their employees, over and above their basic salaries. Do those benefiting from […]
