At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week
The headlines you might have missed between 27 November - 3 December
Callcredit uses communication to boost staff engagement with flex
Employee Benefits: Callcredit has boosted employee engagement with its flexible benefits package by offering a wider choice of benefits for selection and running a multimedia communications campaign. Read story
Pets at Home to pay all staff national living wage
Employee Benefits: Pets at Home is to pay all of its employees the national living wage, including those aged under 25. Read story
Government urged to boost SME health support
WSB: The government is failing to support small and medium businesses in looking after the health of their employees, according to a report by the Work Foundation. Read story
One in four firms reject provider and consultant help
WSB: One in four employers wants no help from providers or consultants in managing their group risk schemes. Read story
Shepherd and Wedderburn engages employees with pensions
WSB: Edinburgh-based law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn is publishing a pensions newsletter to engage its staff in the company’s scheme. Read story
Tax-Free Childcare in ten key points
WSB: HM Revenue and Customs has issued a ten point guide to the incoming Tax-Free Childcare scheme. Read story
How BAE Systems implemented its international share plan
WSB: BAE Systems has launched its first-ever employee share plan for non-UK taxpayers. Kristian Brunt-Seymour explains the details. Read story
Rangers Football Club to pay staff living wage
Employee Benefits: Rangers Football Club will pay all its employees the living wage with immediate effect. Read story
56% use tools and modellers for financial education
Employee Benefits: Tools and modellers (56%), along with face-to-face seminars (51%), targeted communication (45%) and online education (39%) are the most common financial education methods, according to the Employee Benefits/Close Brothers Pensions research 2015. Read story
Fuel Card Services launches voluntary benefits programme
Employee Benefits: Fuel Card Services has introduced a voluntary benefits scheme to reward and engage its 300 employees. Read story
Esland Care's employee engagement strategy
Reward Guide: Esland has partnered with Perkbox to give employees treats and discounts for their day-to-day lives, in a one-stop way. Read story
Seven LGPS funds appoint LGIM to manage £6.5bn pooled investments
Professional Pensions: Legal and General Investment Management (LGIM) has been chosen to manage £6.5bn of passive pooled investments for seven local government pension schemes (LGPS) known as the “Shires”. Read story
RAC Pension Scheme completes £600m longevity swap
Professional Pensions: The RAC (2003) Pension Scheme has completed a £600m longevity swap with Scor Se, which could be a watershed in how small schemes manage longevity risk. Read story
Pensions Institute predicts large scale consolidation among life companies
Professional Pensions: Research from The Pensions Institute predicts the demise of many life companies, while assets under management (AUM) are expected to double to £550bn. Read story
Marsh completes Jelf acquisition
Cover Magazine: Broker Marsh has completed its acquisition of Jelf Group following approval by shareholders and regulatory authorities. Read story
OECD brands triple lock ‘most bizarre’ pensions policy for a long time
Professional Pensions: The triple lock is “one of the most bizarre policies” implemented in UK pensions for a long time according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Read story
Unions reject United Utilities’ proposal to shut DB scheme
Professional Pensions: Workers at United Utilities are set to vote on industrial action if the firm goes ahead with plans to close its defined benefit (DB) scheme. Read story
Falling rate expectations push deficits up 16% in November
Professional Pensions: Deficits of UK defined benefit (DB) schemes rose £36bn to £264bn last month as a result of falling interest rates, figures show. Read story
GHD launches employee engagement platform
Employee Benefits: GHD has launched an employee engagement platform to communicate its employee benefits, culture and values to staff. Read story
Coloplast communicates flexible benefits through roadshow
Employee Benefits: Global medical services provider Coloplast hosted a flexible benefits roadshow to help its employees plan for their future. Read story
How Jaguar Land Rover is combining benefits and CSR to support its business goals
WSB: Jaguar Land Rover is one of the most established and famous names in the UK's manufacturing and engineering industry. Read story
Why employers should use CSR to lead a benefits strategy
WSB: How and why are companies making workplace benefits a part of their corporate social responsibility strategies? Owain Thomas investigates the relationship. Read story
Richer Sounds offers unusual benefits to look after employees
Employee Benefits: Electrical retailer Richer Sounds takes an interesting approach to employee benefits using employer-owned resources; staff have access to holiday homes and the use of the company Bentley. Read story
Government extends gender pay reporting requirements
Employee Benefits: The government has extended its gender pay gap reporting requirements to include large public sector organisations and bonus information. Read story
Nest: We 'can handle whatever numbers come to us’
Pensions Expert: The pensions industry is gearing up for the large numbers of small employers about to stage – 1.8m employers need to meet their auto-enrolment duties in the next few years. Read story
How recent IASB changes could affect your scheme
Pensions Expert: The changes to International Financial Reporting Standards pension reporting will take effect for all companies operating under UK generally accepted accounting principles for the period starting on or after January 1 2015 (if not already adopted). Read story
Female HR professionals earn 11% less than men, says survey
Personnel Today: Women in the HR profession earn on average 11% less than men – the equivalent of £4,534 per person in cash terms, XpertHR’s annual HR salary survey has revealed. Read story
Boat builder accused of missing three months of pension contributions
Professional Pensions: Fairline Boats has been accused of missing three months of pension contributions for its 468-strong workforce. Read story
Most UK workers do not expect to retire at 65
Professional Pensions: Two out of three people believe they will have to work past 65, mainly because they do not expect to have enough money to retire, research finds. Read story
Consultation opens on income tax and national insurance alignment
Employee Benefits: The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has launched a consultation to establish where the complexities lie in the differences between income tax and national insurance (NI) contributions, and to seek views on how the system could be simplified. Read story
26% do not provide any pensions support to staff
Employee Benefits: Just over a quarter (26%) of respondents do not provide employees with any information, advice or guidance about pensions, according to research by The National Skills Academy for Financial Services (NSAFS) in partnership with Axa Investment Managers (Axa IM). Read story
28% take time off for caring responsibilities
Employee Benefits: More than a quarter (28%) of respondents take time off work or work irregular hours to care for a family member, according to research by Willis PMI Group. Read story
Consultation on tax and NI alignment launched
WSB: The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) is launching its consultation into the closer alignment of income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs). Read story
Almost half of young workers not eligible for workplace rewards
HR Magazine: Almost half (48%) of 25- to 34-year old workers are not eligible for the rewards and benefits offered by their employer. Read story
Anglian Water taps into own resources for staff benefits
Employee Benefits: Sally Purbrick, head of reward at Anglian Water, says: “As much as possible, we try to include all our employees so no one misses out on benefits or opportunities. Read story
Healthy, happy, hard-working
Reward Guide: We’re living for longer, but we’re not healthier. We need to take more care of ourselves, says Maggie Williams. Read story
British Land and Barratt Developments rewarded for share schemes
WSB: British Land and Barratt Developments claimed the top two awards at the IFS Proshare awards. Read story
DWP to spend £44m on ‘Workie’ auto-enrolment campaign
Money Marketing: Whitehall officials have budgeted almost £50m for a high-profile campaign to promote automatic enrolment, Money Marketing can reveal. Read story
Citizens Advice is weakest link in Pension Wise chain
Money Marketing: Over recent months, Money Marketing has been constantly chipping away at the Treasury and the FCA for information on how Pension Wise is performing. Read story
TPR: DB trustees are helpless in face of market volatility
Professional Pensions: Trustees and their advisers can do little to plug deficits of defined benefit (DB) schemes in the face of market forces which are beyond their control, says Andrew Warwick-Thompson. Read story
DB transfers double since January
Professional Pensions: The number of people transferring out of defined benefit (DB) schemes each month doubled over the last year, according to figures from Xafinity. Read story
British Gas holiday pay case reaches tribunal
Employee Benefits: The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) is to hear a case regarding holiday pay from British Gas on 8 and 9 December. Read story
BT, Asda and Holiday Extras awarded for employee share plans
Employee Benefits: Asda, BT and Holiday Extras are among the organisations recognised for their employee share plans at the 2015 IFS Proshare Awards. Read story
66% expect to work past 65
Employee Benefits: Two-thirds (66%) of employees expect to have to work over the age of 65, according to a study by Portus Consulting. Read story