The People Bulletin

Pay & Benefits

What’s an expenses policy ever done for you?
What’s an expenses policy ever done for you?

Since when were snake skin shoes and a four-pack of underpants bona fide business expenses? Lorraine Owens reviews the complexities of what is or is not allowable and recommends a tailored company policy.

Someone has to pay…
Someone has to pay…

George Osborne’s ‘Emergency Budget’ on 22 June presented a number of challenges for employers and, in particular, payroll managers. Diana Bruce summarises the key implications. 

Discrimination compensation payouts rocket
Discrimination compensation payouts rocket

Sue Johnstone reveals how employers paid out almost £8m in discrimination compensation during 2009 – double what it was in 2008.

A return to sanity?
A return to sanity?

Rupert Merson reflects on the long cold winter of pay freezes and even pay cuts and questions the role of bonuses in modern remuneration strategy

The benefits of flexible working
The benefits of flexible working

The approach of major sporting events such as the World Cup and Wimbledon have concentrated employer’s minds on how they can be more flexible with staff to avoid an increase in sickness absence says Amy Richardson

Reward strategy – what’s next?
Reward strategy – what’s next?

Stephen Cahill reviews how the recession hits executive pay and predicts some interesting conversations between remuneration committees and senior employees

A rather important piece of paper
A rather important piece of paper

All employees are entitled to an individual written payslip but how many know how to interpret it?  Elaine Gibson provides an analysis of its key components

Keep calm and carry on...
Keep calm and carry on...

Employee benefits are a great way to retain staff, but you must make sure that you account to HMRC for them in the correct way.  Lorraine Owens provides this year’s guide to surviving the P11D season.

Rewarding success
Rewarding success

The argument about bonuses and performance rumbles on, yet the FTSE 100 need to motivate and retain its top talent. Tom Gosling calls for fresh thinking on executive compensation

On and on...
On and on...

Chris Johnson reviews the issues for companies and employees to address in light of government’s decision to carry out early review of default retirement age.

Late for a very important date
Late for a very important date

When it comes to remitting employee deductions to HMRC, you just cannot afford to miss the deadlines. Lorraine Owens explains the implications of the new penalty regime

Click, click, click and away...
Click, click, click and away...

When it comes to end-of-year returns to HRMC, it pays to be fully prepared and familiar with the online filing process. Karen Thomson provides some background on this essential payroll procedure.

Bonuses – nudge nudge, wink wink…
Bonuses – nudge nudge, wink wink…

Rupert Merson reflects on the recent outbreak of public indignation over bankers’ bonuses and concludes that it is only too easy to lose sight of what those incentivised by performance-related pay are supposed to be doing in the first place.

Show me the people
Show me the people

When it comes to maximising shareholder value in an adverse economic climate, attention inevitably turns to drastic reductions in staff costs and slashed training budgets. Philip Whiteley argues that this is the wrong way of assessing the overall value of an organisation and suggests an alternative.

Beware the categorisation of earners rules
Beware the categorisation of earners rules

When are the genuinely self employed actually employed? When it comes to class 1 NIC payments, says Lorraine Owens.

Beyond the stakeholder scheme
Beyond the stakeholder scheme

With most employers moving away from defined benefit to defined contribution pension schemes, they face different challenges in engaging with employees on retirement provision. Charles Cotton looks at some recent research and makes the business case for pensions.

Geared for giving
Geared for giving

Dragons’ Den entrepreneur and philanthropist Duncan Bannatyne is appalled at how much charities lose each year through inefficient giving and calls on employers to kick start their Workplace Giving schemes.

Time to help
Time to help

Mike Locke argues that setting up an employer-supported volunteering scheme not only does wonders for social reponsponsibility, but helps with employee engagement, retention and is an important component of the benefit mix.

Just rewards
Just rewards

In difficult economic pay freezes have been commonplace but that is no excuse to neglect your pay strategy. Wendy Blake Ranken outlines a transparent approach to pay schemes and identifies some non-financial motivators to add to the reward mix.

Less equal human capital
Less equal human capital

Philip Whiteley takes a hard look at the equal pay debate and suggests that objective measurement of an employee’s actual contribution would circumvent many types of discrimination. But what are the barriers to its adoption?

Don't be an ostrich
Don't be an ostrich

It makes sense for all organisations to adopt the new rules for senior accounting officers covering proper tax reporting systems even though only the largest are currently affected by them, says Stuart Hibberd. It’s sensible best practice.

Reward choices
Reward choices

When did you last review your reward strategy?  Paul Ashcroft demonstrates how straightforward it is to introduce a flexible benefit programme once you have done the research

Surprise visit?
Surprise visit?

When the HMRC inspector comes to call, how ready are you for a compliance visit? Deborah Parks-Green identifies two areas that expose employers open to tax repayments and fines

What's a little sacrifice?
What's a little sacrifice?

Salary sacrifice schemes can be an effective means of saving precious cash, but employers must make sure they measure up to HMRC standards. Ken Gurr looks at how to avoid exposure to penalties.

The Whole story
The Whole story

Remuneration packages are not just about net pay, but a range of benefits. Lisa Ruff clarifies the function of total reward

 

The students are coming...
The students are coming...

Is your PAYE policy up to date for your employees? Good. But what about the holiday workers that are landing next week? Check you have the right new starter gear with Neil Tipping’s practical guide.

Talent Wars: The Employer Strikes Back
Talent Wars: The Employer Strikes Back

In an economy far, far away, the war of talent was skewed in favour of the employee. The recession has turned the tide for now and Rupert Merson explains the subtle changes at play that will turn it yet again

Get it right first time
Get it right first time

The rules on expenses and benefits reporting for employers set out by HMRC are complex and it is only too easy to make errors. David Daly explains how to survive the P11D season

Future Proof
Future Proof

The government is bringing in a new national private pension plan in  2012. Ian Bird explains how this will change UK pension provision and recommends employers start preparing now.

The big freeze?
The big freeze?

Supply and demand of labour are just one of the factors affecting pay settlements. Andrew Walker reveals how the pay landscape has changed drastically over the last 12 months in response to the current adverse economic conditions