At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week
The headlines you might have missed between 8-14 January 2016
Waspi campaign continues despite Govt debate rejection
Corporate Adviser: Campaigners are pledging to continue to fight for concessions for women whose state pension will increase from 60 to 66, despite the Government has rejected their case in a debate in Parliament yesterday. Read story
A quarter of employees would look elsewhere if denied a pay rise
HR Magazine: Additionally, 50.8% said they believe perks are ‘just a fad’ and would rather be given money instead. Read story
Pay growth expected to remain at 1.5% to 2.5% in 2016
HR Magazine: The rate of growth in December was the slowest it has been in more than two years. Read story
Shared Parental Leave: implementation so far
HR Magazine: Working Families has examined how parents and organisations are finding Shared Parental Leave since its introduction. Read story
National Express gains living wage accreditation
Employee Benefits: National Express has been accredited as a living wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation. Read story
27% feel appreciated through workplace reward and recognition
Employee Benefits: Just over a quarter (27%) of respondents feel most appreciated as a result of reward and recognition in the workplace, according to research by office design firm Peldon Rose. Read story
Hymans – tell 21m state pension losers where they stand
Corporate Adviser: A massive DWP focus on the 21 million losers in the switch to single-tier state pension is needed to allow them to make up the shortfall they will experience says Hymans Robertson. Read story
MPs slam DWP single-tier communication
Corporate Adviser: MPs have slammed the Department for Work and Pensions communication of the new state pension, branding it as confusing, lacking in clarity and creating misunderstanding. Read story
Financial education: a conscious impact
Reward Guide: Employees need to understand when they need education and advice around their pension decisions, says Jonathan Watts-Lay, director, WEALTH at work. Read story
One third of employees want to leave current job this year
Reward Guide: Lack of progression causing staff to look for new opportunities. Read story
Wolseley UK introduces car salary sacrifice scheme
Employee Benefits: Heating, plumbing and building materials organisation Wolseley UK has introduced a car salary sacrifice scheme for all of its 6,500 employees. Read story
US court rules on back pay case for unpaid breaks
Employee Benefits: A US Court has ruled that publishing firm American Future Systems, which operates as Progressive Business Publications, is liable to pay staff back wages for unpaid rest breaks. Read story
Leeds and Sheffield experience biggest UK pay growth
Employee Benefits: Leeds, Sheffield and Bristol experienced the largest salary growth among UK cities in 2015 compared to 2014, according to research by job vacancy website CV Library. Read story
TPAS launches pension scams campaign
Professional Pensions: The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) has launched a campaign to highlight the dangers of pension scams. Read story
Manufacturers warn national living wage is ‘risk to growth’
CIPD: Workforce restructuring on cards for many employers, finds sector body EEF. Read story
FCA admits it will consider return to commission
Money Marketing: FCA acting chief executive Tracey McDermott has admitted the Financial Advice Market Review may reintroduce some form of commission but claims the regulator will not reverse the RDR. Read story
£1bn question over public worker GMP cost – Mercer
Corporate Adviser: Local authorities and public sector contractors may be landed with an additional annual pension bill of £1bn if a quirk of legislation allows the Government to shove the cost of inflation proofing on their shoulders, says Mercer. Read story
Zurich takes a country-specific approach to staff health and wellbeing
Employee Benefits: Global insurer Zurich employs around 55,000 people in more than 170 countries. Although it has a global strategy to create an environment where employees feel their health and wellbeing is supported by the organisation, the delivery of this is very much determined by the specifics of each country. Read story
How to address local healthcare needs across a global workforce
Employee Benefits: Local differences including state healthcare provision, insurance regulations and culture will affect how a global health and wellbeing strategy is applied in different countries. Read story
Entering the matrix: Taking pension tech to the next level
Pensions Expert: Any other business: Apple’s string of acquisitions over recent months are pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence in the drive to get closer to consumers – but where does the pensions industry rank in the digital journey? Read story
Five predictions for employee benefits in 2016
Employee Benefits: Through 2016 and beyond, employee benefits will evolve as staff wants and needs vary, and technology improves. Read story
New York City mayor sets $15 minimum wage for government staff
Employee Benefits: The minimum wage for New York City government employees and those who provide contracted work for the city at social service organisations is to rise to $15 an hour by the end of 2018. Read story
At risk: How pension tax reforms will affect group life
Cover Magazine: Ron Wheatcroft reveals the wider implications of pension tax reforms on later life income and in particular employers’ death-in-service cover. Read story
EAP standards framework strengthened
Corporate Adviser: New standards for providers of employee assistance programmes have been published by the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association. Read story
One in three businesses get DB transfer enquiries since April
Professional Pensions: More than a third (36%) of employers have seen staff enquiring about transferring from a defined benefit (DB) to a defined contribution (DC) pension scheme since April, research finds. Read story
LGPS could get £1bn bill for state pension reform
Professional Pensions: State pension reform could cost local authorities and public sector contractors £1bn if the government forces them to pay for inflation protection, according to Mercer. Read story
Government should replace LGPS with DC scheme through NEST, says Johnson
Professional Pensions: Pooling the local government pension scheme (LGPS) into infrastructure-focused funds is mere tinkering and will not be enough to repair its deficit hole, according to Michael Johnson. Read story
Almost half of small businesses in the dark on AE responsibilities
Professional Pensions: Small firms are still not clear about their auto enrolment (AE) responsibilities and are underestimating the costs, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Read story
HR prioritises retirement planning ahead of training for over-50s, research shows
CIPD: Mismatch between what older workers want and how they’re managed at work. Read story
Employers ‘miss out’ on up to 1.9m highly qualified candidates due to lack of flexible working
CIPD: Research reveals fewer than one in 10 ‘quality’ jobs accommodate flexible opportunities. Read story
54% say working hours negatively affect stress levels
Employee Benefits: More than half (54%) of manager-respondents believe that working hours are having a negative effect on their stress levels, according to research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Read story
50% of Europe’s top-paid CEOs are in the UK
Employee Benefits: Half (50%) of Europe’s top 10 highest paid chief executive officers (CEOs) are based in the UK, according to research by the Executive Remuneration Centre at the Vlerick Business School. Read story
Labour names new shadow pensions minister
Money Marketing: Labour has moved its shadow pensions minister Nick Thomas-Symonds to a new role after just five months. Read story
ONS: UK productivity levels not markedly improving
HR Magazine: Working environments are hindering productivity, with only 54% thinking their workspace aids this. Read story
Starbucks China introduces sabbatical leave and housing allowance subsidy
Employee Benefits: Starbucks is introducing a sabbatical leave policy and housing allowance subsidy for its 30,000 Chinese employees. Read story
UBM receives living wage accreditation
Employee Benefits: UBM, which employs more than 750 staff in the UK, has been accredited as a living wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation. Read story
Sheetz to invest $15m to increase employees’ pay
Employee Benefits: US convenience store chain Sheetz is to invest more than $15 million this year to increase its employees’ pay. Read story
TPR wins landmark AE case in High Court
Professional Pensions: A judgement has ruled that UK employees who travel between locations such as seafarers are eligible for auto enrolment (AE), in a landmark victory for the regulator. Read story
Ombudsman rules scheme should have told members tax implications of re-employment
Professional Pensions: The Pensions Ombudsman (PO) has sided with members of the Police Pension Scheme who were hit by a tax penalty when they returned to work after retiring. Read story
Pensions Institute predicts medical underwriting boom in bulk annuity market
Professional Pensions: The Pensions Institute has predicted there will be rapid growth in medically underwritten bulk annuities as schemes turn to ‘top-sliced' deals and traditional insurers get into the market. Read story
United Utility workers in strike vote over DB closure
Professional Pensions: GMB members at United Utilities in the North-West are being balloted over industrial action in response to plans to close the company’s defined benefit (DB) pension scheme. Read story
Simplyhealth offers its workforce a total reward overview
Employee Benefits: Simplyhealth, which employs 1,400 people, uses its reward site, My Reward, to strengthen its employee pay, bonus and benefits offering and provide a go-to place where employees can find out anything they want to know about their total reward package. Read story
Bank error slows Shell pension payments to members
Pensions Expert: A Bacs processing error at Royal Bank of Scotland last week caused delays in pension payments to 30,000 members of oil giant Shell’s UK defined benefit schemes. Read story
Creative Auto Enrolment latest provider to add employer charge
Money Marketing: Creative Auto Enrolment has become the latest pension provider to add an employer charge to meet the burden of servicing small firms. Read story
Bank of England proposes changes to bonus buy-out rules
Employee Benefits: The Bank of England has laid out proposals that would enable bankers’ bonuses to be revoked after they have moved employer. Read story
Cost of global employer-funded health plans to increase by 9.1%
Employee Benefits: Average cost increases for global employer-funded medical plans are expected to reach 9.1% this year, according to research by Aon Hewitt. Read story
Just 32% of female staff believe they are paid the same as male counterparts
Employee Benefits: Less than a third (32%) of female employee respondents believe they are paid the same as their male counterparts for equal work, according to research by law firm Simpson Millar. Read story
FCA admits blunder on cash out figures
Professional Pensions: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has admitted it made a mistake when calculating how many people had fully cashed out their pensions to take advantage of the April freedoms. Read story
US tops global high-pay league, with UK and Germany in second place
CIPD: Senior directors in North America earn £11.9m a year, on average, putting the country top of the global high pay rankings, a study has revealed. Read story