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23 Aug 2019
by Rebecca Patton

At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 16-22 August 2019

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 16-22 August. A7D5-1566226730_headlinesMAIN.jpg

UK employees suffer from ‘guilty vacation syndrome’ adding to the rise of ‘burnout’
HR Review: The majority of UK employees suffer from ‘guilty vacation syndrome’ which some believe have helped lead to the rise of a ‘burnout’ feeling in the workplace. Read story

TPR writes to 120 schemes about incorrect equalisation calculations
Pensions Expert: The Pensions Regulator has written to the trustees of 120 pension schemes administered by Prudential making them aware of potential pension payment errors. Read story

Four-fifths of UK employees state poor mental wellbeing impacts their work
Employee Benefits: Four-fifths (80%) of UK employees who have struggled with poor mental wellbeing believe that this has impacted on their work, according to research by insight agency Opinium and the University of Warwick. Read story

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust increases pay for ambulance crew and trainees
Employee Benefits: The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust has announced that it will transition 1,350 ambulance crew members and trainees from pay band four into pay band five, following a re-evaluation of job descriptions. Read story

Nearly 40% of business leaders feel depressed or unhappy 'at least once a week’
Cover: A poll of 516 business leaders across nine sectors has revealed that - at least once a week - 39% feel depressed or unhappy, 43% cannot sleep properly, 45% experience anger or frustration and 45% feel anxious. Read story

Raise state pension age to 75 and boost 'employee-tailored' mid-life MOTs, says think-tank
Professional Pensions: The Centre for Social Justice is calling for the state pension age to be raised to 70 by 2028 and to 75 by 2035, a much faster rise than currently planned. Read story

Cherokee Nation increases minimum wage to $11 an hour
Employee Benefits: Cherokee Nation, the sovereign government of the tribal Cherokee people in Oklahoma, has increased the minimum wage for tribe employees from $9.50 (£7.83) an hour to $11 (£9.07) an hour. Read story

Merseyside-based Matalan warehouse staff strike in pay dispute
Employee Benefits: Around 500 warehouse staff employed at retailer Matalan’s distribution centre in Knowsley, Merseyside, are undertaking strike action today (Monday 19 August 2019) in an ongoing pay dispute. Read story

Two-fifths of employees with cancer value reduced or flexible hours
Employee Benefits: Approximately two-fifths (42%) of employees who have been diagnosed with cancer state that being offered reduced or flexible hours is one of the most valuable ways employers can help support them through treatment, according to research by Unum. Read story

Mental health concerns mean two thirds of men consider quitting job
Workplace Insight: A new study from job board CV-Library claims that men across the UK have reached breaking point in their careers, with nearly two thirds (61 percent) wanting to quit their job because it’s affecting their mental health.  Read story

Firms need to place more value on older workers
Workplace Insight: As we live longer lives, it’s inevitable that more of us want to work for longer. It makes good business sense too: with fewer younger people starting work to replace those set to retire in future years, coupled with uncertainty over Brexit and labour shortages, employers can’t afford to lose older workers. Read story

Financial firms provide best workplace pensions: research
Corporate Adviser: Financial firms typically invest twice as much money into employees’ pension, when compared to other industries according to new research. Read story

TPR authorises People’s Pension, Atlas and Cheviot master trusts
Corporate Adviser: The Pensions Regulator has confirmed that The People’s Pension, Atlas Master Trust and The Cheviot Pension have now been authorised. Read story

Breakspear Park offers massages for National Relaxation Day
Employee Benefits: Business park Breakspear Park gave the 800 employees working for various organisations from its Hemel Hempstead operating site the opportunity to book in for a free massage on National Relaxation Day, Thursday 15 August 2019. Read story

Sidley Austin extends paid parental leave for US associates and counsel
Employee Benefits: Global law firm Sidley Austin has extended its paid parental leave policy for US-based associates and counsel, providing up to 14 weeks of paid leave for male and female legal staff. Read story

Argos employees in Ireland vote to accept 2.5% pay rise
Employee Benefits: Staff employed by retailer Argos in Ireland, who are members of the Mandate Trade Union, have voted to accept a 2.5% pay increase. Read story

Backlash over 'unfair' £200 deduction for workplace training
HR Grapevine: Workers at the coffeehouse Costa Coffee have claimed that they had £200 deducted from their wages for training. Read story

Pension liabilities expected to rise as 2019 sees fewer deaths reported
Pensions Age: Defined benefit pension schemes could see their liabilities rise if the mortality trend of fewer deaths in 2019 continues throughout the year, according to LCP. Read story

App used for financial wellbeing and income streaming adopted by Bella Italia and Café Rouge
HR Review: Casual Dining Group (CDG) an independent restaurant company based in the UK who operate such brands as Bella Italia, Café Rouge and others have signed up with financial wellbeing and income streaming app Wagestream, which has given access to just under a fifth of its employees to a drawdown of over £900,000. Read story

Nine million employees ‘sleeping walking’ into retirement
Corporate Adviser: Millions of middle-aged employees have no idea how much they need to be saving to ensure a comfortable retirement, according to the latest survey by Aviva. Read story

Company with policy to not pay maternity allowance ‘discriminated against pregnant worker’
People Management: Tribunal rules in favour of expectant mother as experts highlight the dangers of organisations avoiding their legal obligations. Read story

Quantum Advisory launches volunteering leave for 123 staff
Employee Benefits: Financial services consultancy Quantum Advisory has launched a new volunteering leave benefit for its 123 employees, enabling staff across its five operating sites in Amersham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and London to fulfil charity commitments. Read story

Three in 10 expatriate employees say wages have a positive impact on wellbeing
Employee Benefits: Approximately three in 10 (28%) expatriate employees have found that wage levels have a positive impact on their wellbeing, according to research by global healthcare provider Aetna International. Read story

Average chief executive officer pay at FTSE 100 organisations was £3.46m in 2018
Employee Benefits: The median annual pay for chief executive officers employed at the UK’s top 100 organisations as £3.46 million in 2018; this constituted a 13% decrease from 2017’s recorded median pay of £3.97 million, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the High Pay Centre. Read story

Dentons appoints chief mindfulness officer to roll out wellbeing programme
Employee Benefits: Global law firm Dentons, which employs 17,500 people worldwide, has appointed a Europe chief mindfulness officer, to take responsibility for rolling out its wellbeing programme, NextMind, as well as to train in-house mindfulness ambassadors. Read story

Jones Day faces legal action in parental leave gender discrimination case
Employee Benefits: US-based global law firm Jones Day is to face legal action from two of its former associates. The married ex-colleagues have accused the organisation of gender discrimination within its paid parental leave policy, because the father did not qualify for the paid disability leave offered to birth mothers. Read story

Nearly half of Brits unable to do 10,000 daily steps due to work
Cover: A study of 2,850 people by Perkbox Medical has found that 45% of Brits feel they are unable to hit a target of 10,000 steps a day because they are ‘not able to walk a lot at work', while a further 40% stated that they ‘don't have enough time' to reach fitness goals. Read story

Aon: employers must understand employee wellbeing business goals to avoid health and cost challenges
Employer News: Organisations have goals ranging from tick box exercises to cost avoidance measures to health being central to values, but clear understanding helps avoid health and cost challenges. Read story

Rudd rules out raising SPA to 75
Pensions Age: Work and Pensions Secretary, Amber Rudd, has ruled out raising the state pension age (SPA) to 75, as proposed by think tank The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) earlier this week. Read story

Is ‘guilty vacation syndrome’ the newest workplace epidemic?
Incentive and Motivation: Two thirds of working Brits have experienced ‘guilty vacation syndrome’ – the nagging urge to cancel or delay vacation due to guilt, new research commissioned by Perkbox, Europe’s fastest growing employee experience platform, has found. Might this be the reason why burnout is on the rise? Read story

Women FTSE 100 CEOs drop in number but salaries increase
HR Review: Female FTSE 100 companies’ CEOs dropped from seven in 2017 to six in 2018, however, these women earned more collectively than they did the previous year. Read story

Bank holiday warning: a rise in holiday requests before and sick leave after
HR Review: The Friday before the August bank holiday (23rd August) is the most popular day for employees to book holiday leave, with absences possibly spiking after it as well. Read story

£350k fine for employer’s AE failure
Corporate Adviser: An employer has been hit with a £350,000 fine for failing to fully comply with its pension duties, The Pensions Regulator has confirmed. Read story

Public sector schemes facing £102bn gap in next 10 years
Pensions Expert: The sustainability of unfunded public sector pension schemes has been called into question by actuaries, with calculations pointing to a shortfall of £102bn in the next 10 years. Read story

One in eight employers reluctant to hire women who might go on to have children, survey finds
People Management: Experts ‘disappointed’ in revealing figures and say HR ‘should be leading the way in tackling discrimination in the workplace’. Read story

Friends superfan could earn $1,000 for watching 60 episodes as show turns 25
Employee Benefits: Telecommunications organisation FrontierBundles.com is offering the perfect side hustle for fans of the iconic TV show Friends. A lucky viewer who loves Joey, Rachel, Monica, Ross, Phoebe and Chandler could receive $1,000 (£823.20) for watching 25 hours’ worth of episodes, in celebration of the show’s 25th anniversary next month. Read story

33% feel Good Work Standard will lead to staff being better paid
Employee Benefits: A third (33%) of Employee Benefits readers believe that the Good Work Standard, an employment benchmark introduced by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (pictured), will lead to more employees being paid the voluntary London living wage rate, currently set at £10.55 an hour. Read story

Young savers in line for £6,500 annual pension shortfall
Pensions Age: The average saver in their twenties is in line for an average annual pension shortfall of £6,500, according to research from Scottish Widows. Read story