At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week
The headlines you might have missed between 18-24 September.
Lidl UK becomes first supermarket to adopt living wage
HR Magazine: From 1 October all Lidl UK employees will receive a minimum of £8.20 per hour across England, Scotland and Wales, and £9.35 per hour in London. Read story
NICE reveals keys to older workers' wellbeing
WSB: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has added guidance on improving the health and wellbeing of older workers. Read story
Case study: How National Express is shrinking its pension deficit
WSB: National Express is closing its pension scheme deficit by taking a new approach. Read story
FTSE 250 CEO remuneration declines by 3%
Employee Benefits: The median level of total remuneration received by chief executive officers (CEOs) in the FTSE 250 fell by 3% last year, according to research by FIT Remuneration Consultants. Read story
Pot follows member under threat as Govt delays reforms
Money Marketing: The Department for Work and Pensions could scrap controversial plans for the pot follows member model for automatic pension transfers. Read story
Half population not auto-enrolled
Corporate Adviser: Less than half of the working age population is eligible for auto-enrolment, with 23 per cent of employees ineligible according to the Pensions Policy Institute. Read story
Morrisons delivers £150m property assets to secure scheme funding
Pensions Expert: Supermarket chain Morrisons has transferred a further £150m worth of property into an asset-backed funding vehicle in a bid to improve security for its pension scheme. Read story
Granada appeal threatens contingent asset arrangements
Pensions Expert: Broadcaster Granada is appealing a High Court ruling in an attempt to recover £40m of gilts from one of its pension schemes, but lawyers say the case could jeopardise other employers’ non-cash contributions. Read story
Freedom variability distorts member behaviour, FCA study shows
Pensions Expert: Data from the Financial Conduct Authority has shown drastic changes in how consumers access their pensions since the introduction of the flexibilities, though experts have said difficulty accessing some options may have skewed consumer choices. Read story
Airport owner puts LGPS membership under review in cost-cutting drive
Pensions Expert: The owner of Durham Tees Valley Airport is undertaking a review of the aviation hub's membership of Teesside Pension Fund and overall benefits structure in a wider push to curb company losses. Read story
Pensions get an automated makeover as robo-advisers come to the UK
CIPD: Will smarter computers lessen the burden on HR? Read story
Altmann launches campaign to help public understand 2016 state pension
Professional Pensions: The pensions minister has unveiled a major communications drive to broaden the public’s understanding of the state pension to be introduced next April. Read story
Law change could help schemes sue banks over FX and Libor scandals
Professional Pensions: The introduction of US-style class actions in the UK next month could enable schemes to seek damages collectively from bank manipulation of Libor and foreign exchange (FX). Read story
Third of employers will not offer freedom and choice
Professional Pensions: Up to 32% of employers will not amend their defined contribution (DC) schemes in light of the Budget 2014 changes according to research from Close Brothers Asset Management (CBAM). Read story
Employee benefit loan service launched by former Google chief
Corporate Adviser: Employees will be offered loans at a fraction of high street rates under a new workplace borrowing platform launched by a team including Google’s former UK managing director. Read story
What role does reward play in a talent management strategy?
Employee Benefits: To be a top-performing organisation, an employer must attract and retain high-potential staff with a talent management strategy that is clearly aligned to the business’ objectives. But what role does reward play in this? Read story
Bibby Financial Services’ values underpin reward strategy
Employee Benefits: Bibby Financial Services recognises the importance of organisational values that are firmly ensconced within all aspects of the business. Read story
Siemens launches global reward plan amid culture shift
WSB: Siemens has introduced a global reward schemes for non-executive staff and re-focused its executive plan. Read story
Innocent Drinks overhauls reward scheme
WSB: The company took a look at workers pay-related rewards in 2015 as part of changes to its benefits offering. This included pay and career development. Read story
World Duty Free Group reboots paper-based engagement
WSB: World Duty Free Group saved £18,000 and improved employee engagement by replacing its online communication service with a paper system. Read story
Employers must align financial wellbeing to reward
Employee Benefits: Employers need to align their financial wellbeing scheme to their total reward programme in order to engage the workforce of tomorrow, according to Ian Hodson (pictured), reward manager at The University of Lincoln. Read story
Novae Group flags dangers of ‘complex’ reward rhetoric
Employee Benefits: Employers with overly complicated reward strategies risk disengaging employees and confusing them about the mechanics and value of their reward strategy. Read story
Career development is key for total reward strategies of the future
Employee Benefits: Career development support needs to be at the heart of total reward strategies of the future, according to Jane Marsh, group people director at drinks manufacturer Innocent Drinks. Read story
Benefits do not necessarily require generational segmentation
Employee Benefits: Martha How, partner at Aon Employee Benefits, warned against segmenting benefits for employees based on sweeping assumptions about generational attitudes. Read story
PPF levies set to fall by 3% after drop in employer insolvency risk
Professional Pensions: The Pension Protection Fund has revealed its levy estimate for schemes in 2016/2017 will total £615m, down from £635m the previous year. Read story
Six changes the PPF is making to its levy rules
Professional Pensions: The Pension Protection Fund is proposing to make six changes to its levy rules in relation to the PPF-specific model. Read story
NEST promotes Dean to head following Jones’ departure
Professional Pensions: Helen Dean has taken over from Tim Jones as chief executive of the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). Read story
People’s Pension: three quarters don’t grasp importance of tax relief
Professional Pensions: Nearly three quarters of pension savers do not understand or have not heard of tax relief according to research. Read story
Cost of childcare still a problem for 61 per cent of working mums
CIPD: Government proposals ‘too focused’ on early years rather than school-aged children, report finds. Read story
FedEx, Uber and Yelp cases bring employee status issue to the fore
Employee Benefits: Recent court cases from Uber, Yelp and FedEx have highlighted the difficulties associated with how employers define the difference between ‘employees’ and ‘workers’, and what rights these individuals are entitled to. Read story
Police forces to appeal decision on age discrimination case
Employee Benefits: An appeal has been filed against the Employment Appeal Tribunal’s (EAT’s) ruling that a regulation enabling police forces to compulsorily retire officers after they become entitled to a pension worth at least two-thirds of pensionable pay is not age discriminatory. Read story
Jo Broadbent: Addressing long-term sick leave during unit transfers
Employee Benefits: A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision found that an employee on long-term sick leave did not transfer under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Tupe) to a new employer with other employees when the part of the business in which he worked before his absence transferred. Read story
Nationwide hosts Apple day and supports caring employees
WSB: Nationwide Building Society is widening access to several benefits to support employees with caring responsibilities and introducing Fitbits to its benefits scheme. Read story
Benefits driving retention and absence success at Peel Ports
WSB: Peel Ports Group has seen retention and absence improve to record levels thanks in part to the flexible benefits scheme introduced to support its growth strategy. Read story
Ricoh: Focus on key business indicators for measuring benefits
WSB: Ricoh has boosted engagement in its flexible benefits schemes but believes employers should use wider business metrics to validate its success. Read story
Clifford Chance pensions uptake increases by two thirds
WSB: Over two thirds of staff (61%) at Clifford Chance have contributed to their pensions in the first three months since the launch of the law firm's benefits programme CCMe. Read story
Wearables could boost staff health
Employee Benefits: Wearable technology could boost staff health and wellbeing, particularly if employers adopt gamification. Read story
Lend Lease launches wellbeing days
Employee Benefits: Lend Lease has introduced paid ‘wellbeing days’ for staff to use to rest and recuperate, so they can return to work and perform at their optimum level. Read story
Equinix moves to a regional reward approach
Employee Benefits: Equinix is moving away from a centralised reward approach to a more locally-focused structure. Read story
Employers should educate staff about childcare voucher changes
Employee Benefits: Employers should educate their employees about the government’s changes to childcare vouchers planned for autumn 2017, said Gemma Dainty (pictured), reward consultant at TalkTalk. Read story
Baker and McKenzie sees benefits of supporting working carers
Employee Benefits: Law firm Baker and McKenzie has consolidated its parental policies to enhance its support for working parents. Read story
How trustees can assess value for money in DC
Professional Pensions: Elston Consulting has written guidance to help trustees assess and report on value for money in defined contribution (DC) schemes. Read story
Origo to develop pension dashboard capability for industry
Professional Pensions: A service to help people keep track of their pension pots will be developed over the next couple of years by ecommerce firm Origo. Read story
TPAS: Tax, LTA and accessing freedoms top concerns for members
Professional Pensions: Avoiding tax, accessing pension freedoms and the lifetime allowance are the topics which most concern people who contact the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS). Read story
Higher rate tax relief over - McPhail
Corporate Adviser: The game is up for higher rate tax relief on pensions and higher earners are making the most of the incentive while it is still there says Hargreaves Lansdown. Read story
Clear workplace vision is key for destination employers
Employee Benefits: Employees need to understand the overall purpose of the organisation they work for in order for that organisation to become a destination employer, according to Karen Bowes, vice president of international HR, Capital One. Read story
Clifford Chance and Sky utilise targeted benefits communication
Employee Benefits: Sky and Clifford Chance recognise the importance of using targeted benefits communication to reach all employees. Read story
Heineken and Virgin Media communicate pension changes to staff
Employee Benefits: Heineken and Virgin Media have adopted a continuous communications approach to inform staff about the pension reforms. Read story
32% will not review defined contribution pension schemes
Employee Benefits: Almost a third (32%) of respondents do not plan on reviewing or adjusting existing defined contribution (DC) pension services for employees following the introduction of the pension flexibilities in April, according to research by Close Brothers Asset Management. Read story
92% view the introduction of auto-enrolment positively
Employee Benefits: Almost all (92%) of respondents believe that it was a good idea for the government to introduce auto-enrolment, according to research by Hargreaves Lansdown. Read story
Aon warns on employee benefits segmentation
Cover Magazine: Generational segmentation in employee benefits is too simplistic and not necessarily meeting employers’ and employees needs, analysis from Martha How for Aon Employee Benefits has found. Read story
Falling employer insolvency drops PPF levy by 3%
WSB: The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has revealed its levy estimate for schemes in 2016/2017 will total £615m, down from £635m the previous year. Read story
Half of employers concerned about green car tax cuts
WSB: The majority of employers are worried about the impact of cutting tax relief for low emission vehicles. Read story
Pension-Isa Revolution 'would reduce national debt by £115bn - Morgan Stanley
Corporate Adviser: A complete shift to a pension Isa model could cut UK debt by £115bn and reduce annual spending by around £20bn a year, hitting insurance stocks and boosting wealth management, according to a report by Morgan Stanley. Read story
Who ‘owns’ employee engagement?
CIPD: Staff turn to peers, not HR, to feel engaged at work, study reveals. Read story
HR needs to 'own' engagement strategies, says Oracle
HR Magazine: HR needs to step up and own engagement, according to Andy Campbell, HCM strategy director of Oracle. Read story
ONS: DC membership jumps by 2m but contributions halved
Professional Pensions: Active membership of occupational pensions has increased by over two million but average contributions have halved says the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Read story
Councils called up on £14bn pension investments in fossil fuels
Professional Pensions: Local government pension funds’ true exposure to fossil fuels has been unveiled for the first time by environmental lobby groups. Read story
Haynes Publishing closes DB scheme to new entrants
Professional Pensions: Haynes Publishing Group has shut its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme to new entrants as the company’s revenues have fallen in the past year. Read story