At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 18-24 October 2019
The headlines you might have missed between 18-24 October.
UK areas which have the biggest gender pay gaps
HR Review: UK areas with the biggest gender pay gaps has been revealed with the worst part of the country seeing almost £12,000 difference in earnings between the two genders. Read story
10k, 20k, 30k – PLSA’s new standards for retirement income
Corporate Adviser: The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has launched Retirement Living Standard benchmarks that prescribe a £10,200 annual income as a minimum level for a single person to live, just £1,433 more than full state pension. Read story
Why good governance is more important than engagement
Professional Pensions: The industry constantly talks about the need to engage members. Gregg McClymont says a more important priority is how to ensure all schemes are governed well. Read story
Asda scheme completes £3.8bn full buy-in with Rothesay Life
Professional Pensions: Almost £35bn of defined benefit (DB) liabilities have now been insured this year after yet another giant buy-in by the Asda Group Pension Scheme with Rothesay Life. Read story
Employers ‘failing to grant leave for antenatal appointments’
Health Insurance and Protection: Employers are making it difficult for women and their partners to take time off work to attend midwife appointments, research suggests. Read story
Chipotle launches employer-paid degree programme for US staff
Employee Benefits: Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill has launched a new employer-funded degree programme for its 80,000 US-based employees, offering to pay 100% of the tuition fees for 75 different business and technology degrees provided through Guild Education. Read story
Channel 4 introduces menopause policy to tackle stigma and support female staff
Employee Benefits: Media organisation Channel 4 has introduced a new menopause policy for its 800 UK-based staff, aiming to support employees with menopausal symptoms, as well as to provide guidance to managers and colleagues on how to assist others. Read story
Liverpool-based Home Bargains staff vote to accept 11.4% pay rise
Employee Benefits: Drivers employed at discount retail organisation Home Bargains in Liverpool have voted to accept a two-year pay deal, and are set to receive an 11.4% pay increase. Read story
Majority of firms now offer return to work programmes
Workplace Insight: More than four in five (83 percent) UK business leaders have a return to work programme in place – either formally or informally, according to new research from recruitment consultancy Robert Half UK. Read story
Group risk industry responds to statutory sick pay proposals
Cover: Key figures disappointed that role of group income protection rehab ignored by government report. Read story
Employee Reward Programs Are a Must for Businesses Looking to Retain Top Talent
Incentive and Motivation: New research revealed successfully-executed employee reward programs deepen employee engagement and loyalty. Read story
Brits call for Pensions Dashboard as two-thirds say it would be useful to see all pensions in one place
HR News: Since the launch of auto-enrolment, it’s estimated that 9.5 million people are now enrolled in a workplace pension. And with job hopping Brits seeking new employment more than eleven times in their life, how easy is it to keep track of old pensions? Read story
No real improvement in UK retirement system – Mercer
Pensions Age: Little improvement has been made in strengthening the adequacy of the UK retirement system, meaning that employers may have to play a bigger role in helping to close the retirement savings gap. Read story
Thirty leading companies sign up to mental health commitment
Personnel Today: Thirty organisations including Barclays, Royal Mail, and John Lewis have signed a commitment to recognise the importance of promoting staff wellbeing and good mental health. Read story
Banning email out-of-hours likely to be harmful to some employees
Workplace Insight: The newly published research, led by the University of Sussex, states that while blanket bans could help some workers to achieve certain goals, they could impede other employees’ progress towards their own targets. Read story
Argos boss slashed festive employee bonus
HR Grapevine: When the Christmas season rolls around it’s natural for employees to receive some form of bonus or reward for their efforts over the past year. Not only that, by offering staff members small rewards, morale will improve among teams leaving employees feeling positive for when they return back to work in the New Year. Read story
Edam Group rolls out wellbeing programme for 400 staff
Employee Benefits: Credit hire and post-accident services organisation Edam Group has rolled out a new wellbeing programme for its 400 staff, seeking to improve employees’ mental health. Read story
Organisation behind Bella Italia and Café Rouge launches reward and recognition scheme
Employee Benefits: Restaurant organisation Casual Dining Group (CDG), which owns brands including Bella Italia, Café Rouge and Las Iguanas, has launched a new reward and recognition scheme for its 7,000 employees in the UK. Read story
DWP proposes levy hike as funded bodies see 'continuing change and growth'
Professional Pensions: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has proposed increasing the general levy on occupational and personal pension schemes from 1 April 2020. Read story
Nuclear master trust gets authorisation
Corporate Adviser: The Combined Nuclear Pension Plan, the master trust for workers in the nuclear decommissioning industry, has just received authorisation, the 35th provider to do so. Read story
40,000 companies fined over auto-enrolment failures
Professional Pensions: More than 40,000 companies were issued fines for failing to meet auto-enrolment (AE) obligations in 2018, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has confirmed. Read story
Care Providers of Wilmington ordered to pay $90,640 for wage violations
Employee Benefits: Home healthcare organisation Care Providers of Wilmington has been ordered to pay $90,640 (£70,091.91) in back wages and liquidated damages to 21 employees for violating minimum wage, overtime and record keeping regulations. Read story
An Post reports a 3.71% mean gender pay gap across 9,290 employees
Employee Benefits: State-owned postal organisation An Post, based in Dublin, Ireland, has reported a 3.71% mean gender pay gap as at October 2019. Read story
91% want healthcare providers to improve employees’ mental health
Employee Benefits: Most respondents state they would like their healthcare provider to improve either their employees’ mental health (91%) or their physical health (84%), according to research by Employee Benefits. Read story
Bupa to provide free EAP to 'struggling' Thomas Cook employees
Cover: Bupa Health Services has announced it is providing the 9,000 Thomas Cook employees impacted by the company's collapse with an employee assistance programme (EAP). Read story
MPs call for Parliamentary Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels
Pensions Age: A total of 330 current and former MPs have signed a petition calling on the trustees of the Parliamentary Pension Fund to end its investments in fossil fuel companies. Read story
Women are one third less likely than men to have flexible working
HR News: Women are one third less likely than men to have arrangements for flexible working in place according to a new study for The Brew by rent24 of 1,000 UK office workers. Read story
The Importance of Supporting Employee Wellbeing beyond Traditional Staff Benefits
Incentive and Motivation: Worrying figures show that around one in ten workers don’t receive regular payslips, and around one in twenty don’t get their legal holiday entitlement. Read story
Women significantly less likely to be promoted after having children, says government report
People Management: CIPD calls for review of parental leave legislation to allow families choice over how they share caring responsibilities. Read story
Mayor of Columbus announces $15 per hour minimum wage for full-time employees
Employee Benefits: The mayor of Columbus, Ohio, Andrew Ginther, has confirmed an increase to the city’s minimum wage, ensuring that all permanent, full-time employees will now receive at least $15 (£11.67) an hour. Read story
Outsourced UCL staff to receive same pay, pension and annual leave as employees
Employee Benefits: Around 900 outsourced members of staff working at educational institution University College London (UCL) will receive the same pay, pension arrangements and annual leave entitlements as directly employed staff who perform the same roles. Read story
Barclays, John Lewis and Royal Mail sign new mental health commitment
Employee Benefits: Utilities organisation Anglian Water, banking business Barclays, retailer John Lewis Partnership, postal service Royal Mail and financial services firm Virgin Money are among 30 employers that have signed the new Mental Health at Work Commitment. Read story
Employee 'pulls sickie' due to costly work training
HR Grapevine: In any role, a certain amount of travel may be required. Whether that’s to external client meetings or industry exhibitions and shows, employees often have to travel locally or internationally to support their organisation. Read story
Whitbread DB pension swings into £222m surplus following Costa sale
Pensions Age: The Whitbread defined benefit pension scheme funding level swung into a surplus of £222m after a one-off contribution of £381m following the sale of Costa Coffee. Read story
Help boost pensions, UK employers urged
HR Magazine: Employers must offer workers more pensions education and support to help narrow savings gaps, according to research from Mercer. Read story
Top employee benefits which will put a smile on workers faces
HR Review: A strong employee benefits package can encourage retention and increase the welfare and happiness of employees, in light of this a director has given her ideal workplace benefits and reward package. Read story
Aviva completes £1.7bn buy-in with its staff pension scheme
Professional Pensions: Aviva Life and Pensions UK has completed a £1.7bn bulk annuity buy-in with the Aviva Staff Pension Scheme. Read story
Manchester Airport Group members to be transferred to L&G master trust
Professional Pensions: Manchester Airport Group (MAG) has selected Legal and General (L&G) to run a master trust scheme for its employees after a review of its defined contribution arrangement, PP has learned. Read story
Top tips for engaging high health risk employees
Health Insurance and Protection: Towergate Health & Protection has revealed its top tips on how to engage employees who are at higher risk of poor health. Read story
Businesses prioritising wellbeing through benefits strategies
People Management: Employers look to flexible working, mentoring and training to enhance packages following ‘dramatic’ rise in interest in staff health. Read story
One in five workers ‘embarrassed to take time off for mental illness’
People Management: Employees in the UK have grown more concerned about taking time off because of mental health problems over the last year, according to a study, with presenteeism a “persistent problem” in workplaces. Read story
Pure Planet commits to offset employees’ commuting carbon emissions
Employee Benefits: Renewable energy supplier Pure Planet has launched a new initiative to offset the carbon emissions created by its employees’ daily commutes. Read story
ITN reports a 15% mean gender pay gap for 2019
Employee Benefits: Media organisation ITN has reported a 15% mean gender pay gap for fixed hourly pay across its 679 employees, as at 5 April 2019; this compares to a 16.7% gap reported for April 2018. Read story
Employers Predict Lower Pay Rises for 2020
Employer News: Pay awards over the past year have typically been worth 2.5%, XpertHR’s regular monitoring of settlements has found. However, there is less optimism for the coming year, with a going rate of 2.1% expected to emerge over the next 12 months. Read story
AE gender and age gap shrinking – TPR
Pensions Age: The amount of young people and women saving into an auto-enrolment workplace pension scheme has increased, shrinking the gender and age gap, according to The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) latest figures. Read story
Proposed NHS pension flexibilities are ‘sticking plaster’ - BMA
Pensions Age: The government’s proposed flexibilities to the NHS Pension Scheme are a “sticking plaster” solution that will not solve the crisis over working hours that is engulfing the UK’s healthcare system. Read story
Only 1 in 5 employees satisfied with their job despite good salary
HR News: According to YouGov research, over a third of Brits don’t like their job, with men less likely to say they enjoy their jobs than women. Read story