What is garden leave and how can it affect your business?
‘Garden leave’ describes a period when employees are serving out their notice period but are not required to attend work; either because there is no work for them to do or because the employer is concerned that their attendance at work could cause problems. Garden leave originated with employers that wanted their employees to adhere […]
Employers increase salaries and benefits to attract staff
At least four in 10 employers have raised some salaries in the hope of attracting suitable candidates, according to a survey by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation. The survey of 600 bosses revealed that 80% had re-advertised a role after failing to recruit anyone. Furthermore, 24% said they’d had to lower job requirements in order […]
Employee Assistance Programmes underused
Employers need to do more to encourage take-up of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), according to a new report. EAPs can be hugely beneficial for people with mental health problems or on prolonged sickness absence. But despite the benefits, EAPs have a very low take-up. The Lancaster University Work Foundation’s report, suggests that many people see […]
Salary sacrifice schemes scrapped
The 2016 Autumn Statement confirmed fears that it is the end of the road for many salary sacrifice schemes. The writing was already on the wall in the Spring Budget, with hints that the government could limit the range of tax savings benefits available through salary sacrifice schemes. And now the new Chancellor, Philip Hammond […]
Employee benefits cut to focus on profitability
While an increasing number of UK employers are tightening their belts after the introduction of the National Living Wage and pension auto enrolment, businesses over in the Silicon Valley are taking serious measures to improve profitability and cut excess spending. Dropbox is one several high profile companies that has recently announced that it will be […]
FCA to Curb Pension Exit Penalties
The Treasury has tasked the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with reducing what pensions service providers can charge investors. Chancellor George Osbourne told the House of Commons “The pension freedoms we’ve introduced have been widely welcomed, but we know that nearly 700,000 people who are eligible face some sort of early exit charge.” “The government isn’t […]
What Your Employees Do Before Breakfast
Over three-quarters of UK employees spend their mornings completing chores before going to work, a survey has found. CV-Library asked over 2,000 workers how they spend their time in the mornings and the results suggest that we are a pretty busy bunch. A staggering 77.2% of respondents said that they need to complete a multitude […]
Unique Employee Benefits
When job hunting, what first attracts people to a company? Salary is likely to be the first thing. But job hunters are now taking more notice of what potential employers are offering besides the usual pay rates. Employers have begun to recognise this and started to put together packages, offering their staff increasingly imaginative employee […]
Offer Flexible Hours to Hire Better Talent
Fewer than one in ten ‘quality’ jobs offer the possibility of flexible hours. A failure to recognise the prevalence of flexible working means that employers are overlooking up to 1.9 million qualified candidates, a report has warned. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) surveyed parents, older people and disabled people to form the report. It found […]
Planning the Christmas Party
The Christmas party is a great opportunity to thank staff for their efforts over the last year, relax a little and get to know people outside of work. However, it’s always a concern when the alcohol starts to flow and your employees let their hair down. Romances, punch-ups and offensive jokes can be par for […]
Voluntary Benefit Schemes
A new report published by Benefits Research 2014 suggests that benefit schemes such as gym memberships and discounts on leisure activities are the most popular options an employer can offer. As more and more employers practice employee wellbeing initiatives and other forms of employee engagement, offering subsidised or discounted gym memberships is one way to offer […]
Statutory Maternity and Sick Pay Rates Frozen for 2016
Following on from the Autumn Budget, the Government has announced that there will be no increase to a variety of statutory pay rates in 2016. The affected statutory rates include maternity and paternity pay, shared parental pay, adoption pay and sick pay. A complete list of the Government’s statutory pay rates for 2016 can be […]
Volunteering Initiatives Boost Engagement
We’re approaching the season of goodwill, which means that many businesses will be turning their attention to volunteering initiatives for their staff. Pre-empting this, the CIPD and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) have launched a joint study into employer-supported volunteering (ESV). The aim of the study is to identify how ESV schemes can […]
UK Workers Not Taking Full Holiday Allowance
More than half of workers in the UK are not taking their full holiday allowance, according to research by Reed. 54% of employees are leaving an average of three days of holiday a year unused. Nearly half of the respondents (45%) said that they had previously cancelled a holiday for work reasons, whilst 24% said […]
Netflix Offers Year of Fully Paid Parental Leave
Netflix has introduced fully-paid parental leave as its latest unlimited employee benefit. The media streaming giant has introduced the policy as a means of attracting and retaining the best talent. It covers the first year following a child’s birth or adoption. Parents will have the flexibility to stay at home, drop in when they can or […]
Employers Still Struggle with Auto-Enrolment
Nearly 8,000 SMEs have not made plans to fulfil their auto-enrolment requirements according to a new report from the Pensions Regulator (TPR). TPR stated that this figure represents 20% of the employers that were due to stage during the period from 1st April to the 30th June. During the same time frame TPR issued 119 […]
Unlimited Holiday in the UK?
Sir Richard Branson created a stir earlier this month by announcing that the Virgin Group will be piloting unlimited holiday schemes. The entrepreneur has termed the unlimited allowance a ‘non-policy’, as Virgin Group employees will have complete flexibility with how and when they take their time off as long as they do so responsibly. Branson […]
