At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 20-26 July 2018
The headlines you might have missed between 20-26 July.
50% believe employers are responsible for providing pre-retirement guidance
Employee Benefits: Half (50%) of respondents believe that employers should shoulder the main responsibility for providing pre-retirement financial guidance to employees. Read story
University of Bristol pilots wellbeing and sustainability programme
Employee Benefits: The University of Bristol is to pilot a wellbeing and sustainability programme for its 6,000 employees. Read story
Perpetual Guardian improves work-life balance by 24% after implementing four-day week
Employee Benefits: New Zealand-based statutory trust organisation Perpetual Guardian has improved work-life balance among its 240 employees by 24% as a result of introducing a four-day working week. Read story
Govt launches second consultation on pensions cold-calling ban
Professional Pensions: The Treasury has launched a second consultation on banning pensions cold-calling, which aims to seek final views on already-drafted regulation. Read story
Musculoskeletal conditions caused by work
HR Magazine: 39% of UK employees think their musculoskeletal condition is a result of working conditions, according to research from Vitality. Read story
Parents of disabled children struggle to stay in work
HR Magazine: Parents of disabled children are struggling to hold down jobs because of a lack of suitable and affordable childcare, flexible jobs and appropriate leave. Read story
Rise of the ‘total rewards’ era with flex benefits most wanted for employees
Incentive and Motivation: Employees and employers prefer variable pay and flexi benefits with salary, according to a new report by human resources firm TeamLease Services. Read story
Study reveals breakdown in workplace recognition
Incentive and Motivation: A new study from global employee engagement company, Reward Gateway, which surveyed 500 workers and 250 senior decision makers across the UK, has revealed that only 19% of employees feel completely informed about their employer’s corporate mission. Read story
The latest employee benefit trends
Incentive and Motivation: Rebekah Tapping gives her thoughts on the top three employee benefit trends you need to know about. Read story
Over 800 employers with ‘significant’ sleep-in underpayments identified by HMRC
People Management: But this month’s Court of Appeal ruling casts doubt on whether these need to be paid. Read story
Pensions watchdog to probe 100 employers a month over misleading data
People Management: Experts welcome the spot checks, saying regulator is following through on its ‘tough talk’. Read story
Pressure on govt to save pension dashboard gains momentum
Money Marketing: A public petition against plans to shelve the pensions dashboard has climbed from 17,000 to more than 82,000 signatures since Thursday. Read story
8% receive pet insurance as an employer-paid employee benefit
Employee Benefits: Fewer than one in 10 (8%) receive pet insurance as an employer-paid and discounted employee benefit, according to research by online legal services organisation Epoq Legal. Read story
City and Guilds Group launches online financial education
Employee Benefits: Skills development organisation the City and Guilds Group has launched an online financial education programme for its 900 UK-based employees. Read story
Govt reveals 20 master trusts will exit the market before authorisation
Professional Pensions: Some 20 master trusts will not apply for authorisation with The Pensions Regulator (TPR) by the 1 October deadline to operate in the market, Baroness Peta Buscombe has said. Read story
PLSA slashes gender pay gap by 40%
Professional Pensions: Women at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) earn 16% less on average than their male counterparts, according to its annual report and accounts. Read story
Just Group's bulk annuity sales up 143% in H1
Professional Pensions: Bulk annuity deals transacted by Just Group totalled £718m in the first half of this year compared to £296m in H1 2017, according to its latest results. Read story
Administrators’ average salary increases by 24.5% from June 2017
Employee Benefits: Those working in administration can now expect to earn £27,714 a year as average salaries improved by 24.5% between June 2017 and June 2018, according to research by job search website Adzuna. Read story
Everton Football Club gains Workplace Wellbeing Charter accreditation
Employee Benefits: Everton Football Club (FC) has received accreditation from the Workplace Wellbeing Charter in recognition of its commitment to improve the health and wellbeing of its 480 permanent employees. Read story
Member of Parliament recommends Deliveroo drivers receive guaranteed minimum pay
Employee Benefits: Labour politician and member of Parliament for Birkenhead Frank Field (pictured) has recommended that Deliveroo establishes a guaranteed minimum payment for its riders when they make their services available to the organisation, rather than continue with the existing pay per delivery model. Read story
Employee allegedly forged boss's signature for pay rise
HR Grapevine: A woman is facing trial for allegedly forging her boss’s signature to give herself a pay rise and a reduction of hours. Read story
True Potential to pay after pension transfer complaint
Money Marketing: True Potential has been ordered to compensate a former client who was advised to transfer several pension pots he held into a self-invested personal pension. Read story
PAYE proposals could create further worker status confusion
HR Magazine: Gig economy workers may have to pay income tax if the government accepts recommendations made by the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS). Read story
Communications essential as cold-calling ban takes step forward
Pensions Expert: The Department for Work and Pensions has taken a further step towards implementing a ban on cold calls related to pensions, but experts have cautioned that the delayed measure will not be sufficient on its own to stamp out scams. Read story
Employees who open up about depression are more productive, research finds
People Management: Experts say encouraging discussions on ‘invisible illness’ is in businesses’ best interests. Read story
How to tailor benefits to a multi-generational workforce
Personnel Today: Organisations increasingly employ workers from across three or four generations, which means they should be offering tailored benefits packages. James Whelan from Avantus Systems looks at how employers can use data and technology to individualise their benefits. Read story
Pay increases for more than one million public sector workers announced
Personnel Today: The government has announced wage increases for more than one million public sector workers, including teachers, the armed forces and doctors. Read story
Employees ‘more likely to insure pets than salary’
Health Insurance Daily: Employees are more likely to insure their pets than their salary, according to a poll from Epoq Legal. Read story
Committee recommends new duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment
Employee Benefits: The Women and Equalities Committee has recommended that the government introduce a new duty on employers to help prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Read story
9% of employers provide more than the two-week statutory paternity leave entitlement
Employee Benefits: Less than one in 10 (9%) of employer respondents improve on the two-week statutory paternity leave entitlement for their employees, according to research by benchmarking service and independent information platform Incomes Data Research (IDR). Read story
Equifax launches online financial education programme
Employee Benefits: Credit reporting agency Equifax has launched online financial education for its 800 UK-based employees. Read story
UK workers taking a more flexible approach to retirement
HR Grapevine: British workers are opting to work past traditional retirement ages, as well as phasing out full-time work by cutting back hours ahead of retirement, new research reveals. Read story
Plumbing scheme launches consultation on closing to future accrual
Professional Pensions: The trustee board of the Plumbing and Mechanical Services (UK) Industry Pension Scheme has launched a consultation with sponsoring employers on closing the scheme to future accrual. Read story
40pc of employers not communicating benefits regularly
Corporate Adviser: Two in five employers are failing to maximise the value of their benefits spend because they are not communicating with staff regularly, research by Chase de Vere and Lightbulb has found. Read story
Jobs and services likely to suffer to afford public sector pay rises, warn experts
People Management: Government decision to fund raises via departmental budgets criticised by unions. Read story
Employers spend thousands on extra benefits to attract skilled EU workers
Personnel Today: Six in 10 organisations have offered EU workers extra incentives – including medical insurance, bonuses and higher salaries – in an attempt to attract the skilled workers they need ahead of Brexit. Read story
Workplace mental health support 'as important' as financial resources - BMJ Open
Cover: Employees who can speak openly about mental health with managers are less likely to take days off, study published by British Medical Journal suggests. Read story
MPs urge Hammond to overhaul pension tax relief
Money Marketing: The government has received renewed calls to encourage greater saving through introducing a flat rate of pension tax relief. Read story
65% of UK employees believe they are underpaid
Employee Benefits: Under two-thirds (65%) of employees think they are underpaid, but this rises to 94% among employees based in Aberdeen, according to research by recruitment website CV Library. Read story
Direct Line Group extends family-friendly benefits for 10,000 staff
Employee Benefits: Insurance organisation Direct Line Group has today (Thursday 26 July 2018) extended its family-friendly benefits for 10,000 UK-based employees. Read story
USS proposes increasing contributions by 41% as talks continue
Professional Pensions: The trustees of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) have proposed raising total contributions by 41% by April 2020. Read story
How employers can support the growing band of older workers
Personnel Today: More and more over-50s are staying in work past state pension age. Camille Renaudon from Hibberts Solicitors looks at practical steps employers can take to avoid age discrimination in their employment policies and practices. Read story
Pay awards remain at 2.5% in first six months of 2018
Personnel Today: The average pay deal stabilised at 2.5% over last six months, as employers continue to make higher pay awards than last year. Read story
Threshold adults favour medium-term saving over pensions
Pensions Expert: A new report suggests that savers described as threshold adults are limiting their participation in pension saving due to the competing priority of establishing themselves as adults – do they need a more flexible pension system? Read story