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At a glance: reward and benefits headlines this week 22-28 May 2020

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 22-28 May 2020. 46CA-1590508368_headlinesMAIN.jpg

If your workplace is reopening, try to keep it as flexible as possible
HR Review: This is the advice of Jamie Mackenzie, director at Sodexo Engage, whilst giving tips on workplace safety for those who have recently returned to work following the easing of some of the lockdown restrictions. Read story

Companies are fraudulently claiming their employees are on furlough
HR Review: More than a third of calls to a whistleblowing charity has been to report companies fraudulently claiming their employees are on furlough in order to receive 80 per cent of their wages. Read story

42pc of employers looking to reintroduce furloughed workers
Corporate Adviser: Three out of 10 employers in England are now actively reopening their workplaces for employees who cannot work remotely, according to a survey today from employment compliance specialists XpertHR. Read story

APPT announces its first 14 accredited trustees
Professional Pensions: The Association of Professional Pension Trustees (APPT) has announced the first 14 trustees to have received accreditation after completing its programme. Read story

Osborne Clarke reduces pay for employees by 7%
Employee Benefits: Law firm Osborne Clarke is reducing the pay of employees earning over £30,000 by 7%, from 1 June 2020. Read story

HC-One to provide full organisational sick pay for 27,000 carers
Employee Benefits: British healthcare management organisation HC-One has agreed to provide full organisational Covid-19 (Coronavirus) sick pay for all of its 27,000 employees, if they have to self-isolate or take time off during the pandemic. Read story

Sodexo UK and Ireland rewards front-line staff with special bonus payment
Employee Benefits: Life services organisation Sodexo UK and Ireland will redirect funds from its annual bonus scheme to reward its front-line employees who are working throughout the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Read story

Tribunal rules non-cash contributions are not eligible for pensions tax relief
Employee Benefits: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has won a case at an Upper Tier Tribunal, which ruled that non-cash (in-specie) contributions are not eligible for pensions tax relief. Read story

Facebook will overhaul remote work pay
HR Grapevine: Over the past few weeks, several companies have revealed that their employees will have the choice to work from home permanently or return back to the office, following the coronavirus lockdown. Read story

90% of employers say financial worries have a negative impact on employee mental health
Employer News: As the UK acknowledges Mental Health Awareness Week, research out today shows that two out of three individuals say that worrying about finances has a significant impact on their mental health. Read story

LGPS funding deficit falls by £31bn over 3 years
Pensions Age: The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) has cut its funding deficit from £37.2bn in 2016 to £6.0bn in 2019, according to its Advisory Board's annual report. Read story

Managing employee holiday entitlement during COVID-19
HR Magazine: COVID-19 will continue to cause difficulty for employers even when the worst effects of the pandemic have passed. Read story

Nearly a third of offices are reopening so employees can return to work
HR Review: This is according to XpertHR, who found that 30 per cent of workplaces are reopening their doors to certain members of staff. Read story

Covid crisis wipes out many DB scheme surpluses
Corporate Adviser: FTSE100 DB pension schemes were in their strongest financial position for 20 years prior to the Covid-19 crisis hitting, according to new data from LCP. Read story

University of Manchester introduces voluntary pay initiatives for 12,000 employees
Employee Benefits: University of Manchester has taken further steps to deal with the financial ramifications of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic by introducing several voluntary pay measures for its 12,000 employees. Read story

Prysmian Group launches global maternity policy
Employee Benefits: Italian manufacturer Prysmian Group has launched a new policy to support any of its 30,000 employees globally who wish to take maternity leave. Read story

Nationwide Building Society launches mental health support network for 18,000 employees
Employee Benefits: UK financial business, Nationwide Building Society has launched an online mental wellbeing network to support its 18,000 employees during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Read story

Firm ordered to contribute to staff rent payments
HR Grapevine: When an employee works from home it is likely that they will incur additional costs, whether this is due to increased electricity usage, Wi-Fi upgrades or phone bills. Read story

Employers set to cover part of staff wages
HR Grapevine: Following the briefing by Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday (Monday 25, 2020) in which it was announced that from the June 15, all non-essential retailers will be able to reopen in England, changes to the pre-existing furlough scheme set out by Chancellor Rishi Sunak are also set to be implemented. Read story

Up to 1.5m over-50s could delay retirement due to Covid-19 – L&G
Pensions Age: As many as 1.5 million workers aged over 50 could delay their retirement as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Legal & General (L&G) Retail Retirement. Read story

Tens of thousands of women missing out on £100m in state pension uplifts - Webb
Pensions Age: Tens of thousands of married older women could be entitled to a higher rate of state pension than they are receiving, analysis by Lane Clark and Peacock (LCP) has revealed. Read story

Is the lockdown erasing progress made regarding the gender pay gap?
HR Review: There is “a risk that the lockdown will lead to a further increase in the gender wage gap,” as it has resulted in reduced working hours for mothers with the added pressure of looking after children at home whilst schools are no longer open. Read story

TPR chief warns of increased demand for DB transfer CETVs
Professional Pensions: The Pensions Regulator (TPR) chief executive Charles Counsell has warned scheme trustees could see an increased demand for cash equivalent transfer values (CETVs) from defined benefit (DB) members. Read story

L&G agrees £650m buy-in with 3i scheme
Professional Pensions: The 3i Group Pension Plan has agreed a £650m buy-in with Legal & General (L&G), insuring the remaining benefits within the scheme. Read story

Half of employers still anticipate redundancies when furlough ends, survey reveals
People Management: People Management research also finds vast majority using the job retention scheme have done so for staff they would otherwise have had to let go. Read story

Google to pay working-from-home allowance to 118,000 employees globally
Employee Benefits: American technology organisation Google is giving 118,000 global employees a $1,000 (£812) or local currency equivalent allowance to cover the cost of any equipment they need to work from home. Read story

Invesco enhances parental benefits for 1,692 employees
Employee Benefits: Global investment organisation Invesco has enhanced its paid parental leave scheme across Europe, the Middle East and Africa region (EMEA) for its 1,692 employees. Read story

COVID-19 sick pay scheme opens for employer claims
HR Grapevine: As of today, small businesses and employers across the nation who have paid employees statutory sick pay (SSP) for cases of coronavirus will be able to claim back the money, the Government has confirmed. Read story

Corporate wellbeing is too focused on sick workers
Workplace Insight: Corporate wellbeing initiatives are often too focused on sick individuals, and firms should be addressing the root causes of physical and mental health by building healthy organisations instead. Read story

Encourage staff to take a break, to maximise the benefit of lockdown holidays
Employer News: Taking time off work during lockdown, particularly in place of a cancelled holiday, can feel like adding insult to injury. But having time off work is crucial to maintaining good mental and physical wellbeing, and that includes holidays taken during lockdown. Read story

Govt and financial bodies publish guide for pension savers
Pensions Age: The government, financial bodies and regulators have joined forces to publish a guide for pension savers in response to an increase in enquiries during the Covid-19 pandemic. Read story

Maps launches 'Guardians of Financial Wellbeing' Advisory Group
Pensions Age: The Money and Pensions Service (Maps) has launched a new advisory group to provide long-term support for its future Corporate Strategy and UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing. Read story

GAD and DHSC increase tax flexibilities for NHS Pension Scheme
Professional Pensions: Senior clinicians within the NHS Pension Scheme will receive extra assistance to adjust their pension accrual to fit within tax allowances. Read story

British Bankers' Association scheme completes £95m full buy-in deal with Aviva
Professional Pensions: The British Bankers’ Association Pension Scheme (BBA) has completed a £95m bulk purchase annuity transaction with Aviva. Read story

Savers must beat market rebound to save pensions
Professional Pensions: Pension savers could see a faster recovery of monies lost during the Covid-19 pandemic by increasing contributions ahead of a market rebound, according to research from PensionBee. Read story

What can an employer do if someone refuses to return to work?
People Management: People Management asks legal experts how to approach the knotty issue of asking staff to come back to a workplace and the key employment law principles to consider. Read story

Most employers expect staff to continue home working for some time, survey finds
People Management: People Management research reveals just 4 per cent of organisations have returned employees to work since the lockdown rules were relaxed. Read story

Brains gives 1,600 employees early access to furlough pay during Covid-19
Employee Benefits: Pub and hotel chain Brains is giving its 1,600 employees early access to furlough pay during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Read story

Deutsche Bank introduces a one month voluntary pay reduction for senior managers
Employee Benefits: Multinational investment bank Deutsche Bank has aske senior managers to take part in a voluntary pay reduction as part of measures to deal with the financial ramifications of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Read story

Epsom and St Helier non-emergency patient transfer staff receive pay increase
Employee Benefits: 140 Epsom and St Helier non-emergency patient transfer staff will receive a pay increase in line with the real living wage of £10.75 an hour. Read story

50% of employers are topping up employees’ furlough pay
Employee Benefits: One half (50%) of employers are topping up employees’ furlough pay during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, according to research by Willis Towers Watson. Read story

Weird Fish gives employees modelling opportunities
Employee Benefits: Something for the weekend: Clothing brand Weird Fish has given employees the opportunity to excel in their modelling careers by advertising its new range of activewear. Read story

Should employers pay for THESE WFH essentials?
HR Grapevine: The coronavirus pandemic forced many organisations into remote working arrangements almost overnight. While remote employees will save money on commutes and travel, it seems that financial costs have risen in other areas of working life. Read story

PensionBee urges savers to increase contributions ahead of ‘market rebound’
Pensions Age: Savers that increase their pension contributions ahead of a possible market rebound could see them make up for “years of savings neglect”, as well as recent losses due to Covid-19, PensionBee has said. Read story

Society on the ‘cusp of a generation’ that demands ‘pension to be proud of’ – Richard Curtis
Pensions Age: Global society is on a “cusp of a generation” that demands a “pension to be proud of”, according to the film producer, director and writer, Richard Curtis. Read story

How employers can help relieve financial burdens facing employees
HR News: Mark Abrams, chief executive officer at Auriga, on how employers can put measures in place to help employees struggling financially. Read story

Some good news around incentives
Incentive and Motivation: Employees and Employers are on the same page with rewards. Read story