At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 25-31 August 2017
The headlines you might have missed between 25-31 August 2017
Over 90% say pensions dashboard could help them save for retirement
Employee Benefits: Nine out of 10 parents believe that an online service showing all of their pensions savings would help them to save more for their retirement, according to research by Mumsnet, the parents network, on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Pensions Dashboard Project. Read story
Creditspring gains living wage accreditation
Employee Benefits: Personal finance organisation Creditspring has been accredited as a living wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation. Read story
Thirty hours free childcare not a ‘silver bullet’ for working parents
People Management: Experts are urging employers not to think of the government's free childcare offering as a ‘complete solution’ for parents’ needs, as the scheme is plagued with problems. Read story
Tories may make firms reveal pay gap between CEO & workers
HR Grapevine: Despite the election result, the Conservatives are continuing with their pledge to crack down on fat cat pay. Read story
Pension funds concerned over executive pay gap
Money Marketing: More than four in five pension funds are concerned about the gap in pay between executives and staff at listed companies, according to a new survey. Read story
Pensions more resilient than Isas to debt
Corporate Adviser: Debt-bound Britons are more than twice as likely to cancel regular payments into Isas than pensions, new research has found. Read story
Government introduces new corporate reforms
HR Magazine: All of the UK's listed companies will be required to annually publish and justify their CEO to worker pay ratios. Read story
Report calls for legal right to partial DB transfer
Pensions Expert: Members of defined benefit pension schemes should have the legal right to partially transfer their pension rights, a new report has said. It also recommended enhanced disclosure and broader consideration of client profiles. Read story
UK employers say staff are distracted by personal finance problems
Reward Guide: Research shows that over 70% of employers believe their staff are distracted by financial issues at work. Read story
Trustees must act now on common and conditional data as deadline looms
Professional Pensions: Experts have urged trustees to take common and conditional data more seriously ahead of the 2018 deadline for their inclusion in scheme returns. Read story
FTSE 100 accounting deficit rose by £70bn in 2016
Professional Pensions: The total cost of pension liabilities at the UK's 100 largest public companies increased from £586bn to £681bn last year, according to research. Read story
Government consults on return-to-work support
Employee Benefits: The government has launched a call for evidence on support for individuals returning to the workplace after taking time out to care for children and family members. Read story
BBC awarded 10% pay rise to more than 1,700 staff in 2016
Employee Benefits: The BBC awarded a pay increase worth more than 10% of salary to 1,763 employees in 2016. Read story
Govt urged to clarify link between SPA rise and minimum age to access freedoms
Professional Pensions: Experts have called on the government to clarify the relationship between state pension age increases and the age from when individuals can flexibly access their pension pots. Read story
Trustees should review contracts with investment advisers
Professional Pensions: As the trustee meeting schedule starts again, Raj Mody says now is a good time to review and update contract terms in light of the FCA's study. Read story
41% describe gender pay gap reporting regulations as complex
Employee Benefits: Two-fifths (41%) of employer respondents describe the gender pay gap reporting regulations as complex when selecting their top three descriptions of the regulations, according to research by Mercer. Read story
Average advertised salaries fall by 1%
Employee Benefits: The average advertised salary in the UK fell by 1% from £32,519 in June 2017 to £32,199 in July 2017, according to research by Adzuna. Read story
Hilton and Salesforce among 2017’s Best Places to Work in Australia
Employee Benefits: Adobe, Hilton, Intuit, and Salesforce are among the organisations that have been recognised on 2017’s Best Places to Work in Australia list, compiled by Great Place to Work. Read story
Half of workers ‘think employers should top up NHS services’
Corporate Adviser: Nearly half of UK workers think their employers should offer them health services as a top-up to the NHS, a new study has found. Read story
Effective leadership and recognition can boost engagement
HR Magazine: Managers should be encouraged and empowered to “celebrate the heck out of success”. Read story
Postman who resigned over shift pattern wins £22,000
People Management: Worker requested flexible working to cover childcare; lawyers warn case shows the risks of altering hours. Read story
South Yorks fines employers for late contribution returns
Pensions Expert: The South Yorkshire Pensions Authority has witnessed an improvement in its service delivery, following the launch of a new pensions administration strategy which allows it to fine tardy participating employers. Read story
Pension funds need to look beyond ESG fund ratings
Professional Pensions: Pension schemes should not rely solely on the performance of investment funds in third-party ratings which aim to quantify their sustainability, Kames Capital has said. Read story
Poll: 38% would like a sports area in their workplace
Employee Benefits: More than a third (38%) of respondents would like a sports area in their workplace. Read story
West Lothian College gains living wage accreditation
Employee Benefits: West Lothian College has been accredited as a living wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation, in partnership with Scottish campaigning body Poverty Alliance. Read story
US government halts gender, race, and ethnicity pay data reporting requirements
Employee Benefits: The US government has issued an immediate stay and review of an administration rule that would have required US organisations to report their employee pay data by gender, race, and ethnicity. Read story
Asda loses appeal in equal pay comparability case
Employee Benefits: The Employment Appeal Tribunal has dismissed an appeal by Asda in an ongoing equal pay case. Read story
Asking for a pay rise tops employees’ most-feared questions
People Management: Almost one in four employees (22 per cent) are too afraid to approach their boss with difficult questions, with asking for a pay rise topping the list, survey findings have revealed. Read story
Wellbeing and the corporate impact
Reward Guide: What does wellbeing really mean in a corporate setting? Tusker, the Car Benefit People, explain what it means to promote employee wellbeing. Read story
Scottish Widows calls for workplace pensions exemption for data protection rules
Money Marketing: The workplace pensions sector should be given exemptions from tough new data protection rules to enable providers and trustees to continue to run engagement programmes designed to improve retirement outcomes says Scottish Widows. Read story