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31 Aug 2018
by Rebecca Patton

At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 24-30 August 2018

Your quick-read round up of the reward and benefits stories appearing in the press in the past seven days.

The headlines you might have missed between 24-30 August.

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Two US-based lawn care organisations fined $59,926 in back pay
Employee Benefits: The US Department of Labor has fined two US-based lawn care organisations, Super Cutz Lawn Care and Precision Cut Lawn Service, a total of $59,926 (£46,748.27) in back pay for 92 employees, for failing to pay overtime and for not keeping records of staff working hours. Read story

TGI Friday’s employees commence fifth strike over tip and pay policies
Employee Benefits: Workers at American restaurant chain TGI Friday’s who are members of the union Unite have begun strike action today (24 August 2018), in continuation of a dispute regarding tips and minimum wage. Read story

'More detail' needed on TPR's master trust supervision policies
Professional Pensions: Initial responses to The Pensions Regulator's (TPR) consultation on how master trusts will be supervised says it lacks detail on some of its policy proposals, including pause orders. Read story

Nearly half of the self-employed do not have a pension
Pensions Expert: An unhealthy minority of self-employed workers in the UK do not currently save into a pension, according to new research. Nearly a third will depend solely upon the state pension to support them in retirement. Read story

What workplace perks do Generation Z want?
HR Grapevine: Generation Z value workplace perks more than any other age group, yet only 38% are expected to receive them when joining a new company, research conducted by Perkbox has found. Read story

Keeping your employee recognition scheme relevant
Incentive and Motivation: Putting in place an employee recognition programme which is visible and consistent across the organisation is just one part of what it takes to achieve better performance through recognition. Read story

Talent opting for private companies over third sector due to negative perceptions
People Management: Lack of investment in working culture could make or break sector, experts warn. Read story

Does your employee recognition programme need a reboot?
Incentive and Motivation: Recognising good work among your employees is a key driver of great business performance. Read story

How to pick a recognition platform that delivers
Incentive and Motivation: Recognition is a powerful tool that connects managers to their teams and employees to each other. Being acknowledged and thanked for a job well done is a human need, making the recipient feel valued and motivated to keep performing well, for themselves and the organisation they belong to. Read story 

Communisis employees suspend strike as discussion commences over pay dispute
Employee Benefits: Strike action due to commence today (Tuesday 28 August 2018) and last for 48 hours has been put on hold, as digital printing organisation Communisis has agreed to enter into discussion over pay with employees who are members of trade union Unite. Read story

Indiana-based restaurant to award $45,828 in back pay
Employee Benefits: Indiana-based restaurant The Journey is to award $45,828 (£35,525.87) in back pay to 16 employees after violating overtime and record keeping regulations. Read story

Lloyds Banking Group signs charter to support terminally ill employees
Employee Benefits: Financial services organisation Lloyds Banking Group has signed the Trades Union Congress’ (TUC) ‘Dying to work’ charter, in order to offer greater security to employees who are living and working with a terminal illness. Read story

Pension-dodging 'phoenix' company bosses face disqualification
Professional Pensions: Company bosses who deliberately dissolve their company to avoid paying pension contributions could be hit with disqualification under government plans. Read story

Ombudsman won't have resource to deal with estimated 400 cases in 2018/19
Professional Pensions: The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) has said it expects 1,800 cases to be opened over the 2018/19 financial year, but it only has the resources to deal with 1,400. Read story

Russell Stephens: Private healthcare and public sector workers – an untapped keg?
Corporate Adviser: The UK PMI market is at best stalling and, when it comes to individual schemes, contracting.  But opportunities may exist in unexpected areas says CS Healthcare director of marketing, distribution and membership services Russell Stephens. Read story

Half of workers expected to be freelance by 2020
HR Magazine: Up to 50% of workers are expected to turn freelance in the next two years, according to research from Kalido. Read story

Worker paid 100 times their salary due to HR slip-up
HR Grapevine: A worker was accidentally paid one hundred times their salary due to a HR mistake, the BBC reports. Read story

Michael Johnson: Replace pensions tax relief with bonuses
Pensions Expert: In a bid to make the pensions saving base more progressive, the Centre for Policy Studies has recommended substituting tax relief on pensions for capped bonuses on individual and employers’ retirement contributions. Read story

Regulator asks DB schemes to review transfer values
Money Marketing: The Pensions Regulator has sent a letter to trustees at defined benefit schemes saying it expects transfer values to be reviewed if there are concerns over their sustainability. Read story

Nine in 10 companies concerned about employee financial wellbeing
Cover: Just over a quarter of employers have defined financial wellbeing strategies that include provision of financial benefits other than a pension, according to research by Barnett Waddingham. Read story

KiwiRail agrees to a two-year pay deal for 2,319 RMTU members
Employee Benefits: New Zealand-based transport operator KiwiRail has agreed a two-year pay deal with trade union The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU). Read story

US-based Mexican restaurant chain Taqueria Chapala Jalisco fined $208,642 in back pay
Employee Benefits: Texas-based Mexican restaurant chain Taqueria Chapala Jalisco is to award 69 employees $208,642 (£161,811.26) in back pay, after a US Department of Labor investigation found it had violated minimum wage, overtime and record keeping requirements across four of its operating sites. Read story

PLSA calls for mandatory FM tenders to be run on closed basis
Professional Pensions: Mandatory tenders for fiduciary management services should be conducted on a closed basis with no minimum threshold for the number of managers involved, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) says. Read story

Pensions minister: Why DC consolidation needs to be simpler
Money Marketing: As minister for pensions and financial inclusion, I understand how important it is to promote the business community and support job creators. Read story

Disney will pay 100% of employees' degree fees
HR Grapevine: The Walt Disney Company is launching a new initiative to pay staff to complete an advanced degree, finish high school or learn a specialised trade, ajc.com reports. Read story

Two-fifths of employers believe office perks reduce employee stress
Employee Benefits: Two-fifths (40%) of employer respondents believe that providing office perks, such as a games room, free lunchtime fitness classes and an indoor slide, can reduce employee stress, while 27% think these perks can enhance productivity, according to research by recruitment website Totaljobs. Read story

Committee proposes mandatory reporting on disabled and ethnic minority staff
Employee Benefits: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has recommended that the UK government legislate for mandatory monitoring and reporting on the recruitment, retention and progression of disabled and ethnic minority employees for employers with more than 250 staff. Read story

Reported notifiable events surge 28% ahead of framework review
Professional Pensions: The Pensions Regulator (TPR) was made aware of 1,139 notifiable events from defined benefit (DB) schemes in the 2017/18 financial year, up 28% from 2016/17. Read story

Millions could 'lose £15,000' if govt scraps pension dashboard
Professional Pensions: Some 10 million people in the UK stand to retire with £15,000 less if the government scraps the pension dashboard, according to research by 38 Degrees. Read story

Commuting time should be counted as part of the working day
Personnel Today: Commuting time should be counted as part of the working day, according to research by the University of the West of England. Read story

Why you should pay staff the living wage
HR Grapevine: Earlier this month, cleaners across London went on strike in order to highlight what they believed was unfair and unliveable pay for the work they were doing. Read story