IRS Masterclass and Conference

Reward, Benefits and Pensions

19th - 20th November 2008, London

IRS Masterclass: Employee Pensions - 19th November 2008
How to move from the traditional pension package to retirement planning and set your organisation apart

With many countries rewriting their pension laws and accounting rules, employers are considering how to best structure their retirement plans. And in the United Kingdom, companies continue to adjust to the legislative changes of recent years.

Pension planning must now take account of a host of complex financial, risk and demographic issues. This master class, run by leading HR consultancy Watson Wyatt, will give in-depth advice on how employers can help staff plan for retirement and make financial provisions which go beyond conventional workplace pension schemes.

The programme will address issues including how retirement saving will change in the future, including employee perceptions and expectations, and how employers can respond strategically and move towards implementing responsive retirement planning for staff.

IRS Conference: Employee Reward and Benefits Strategy - 20th November 2008
Be an employer of choice with cost effective benefits linked to business goals

HR and reward practitioners and senior managers are trying to balance a number of factors when developing an employee reward and benefit strategy. While the pressures of the global market and the on-going “credit crunch” mean that cost-cutting schemes look attractive, employers are under pressure to ensure they have employees with the right capabilities in place to remain competitive in an increasingly discerning consumer market seeking better quality goods and services. And pressures on public sector organisations seeking to reward staff in an effective manner are no less acute, with tax-payers expecting value for money.

This conference will make sure your organisation can develop an objective over-view of current market trends. Expert speakers will give the evidence on what works, and what doe not. How highly valued is pay in the current market? Does the resurgence of union action in search of higher pay deals mean that this is more likely to be the “gold standard” of employee reward – or do employers just have to make a stronger case for the benefits of a reward package which includes conditions of service and other perks as well as salary?

Case studies from award-winning employers - Norwich Union, John Lewis and Buckinghamshire County Council - demonstrate how benefit packages can be a key motivator of staff, and form a central part of an organisation’s brand as employer of choice.

Experts from the Institute of Employment Studies, Towers Perrin, CELRE and Hay Group will consider some of the central issues now shaping the market, including salary sacrifice, group reward and linking benefits to CSR, and the importance of understanding how rewards can be managed most effectively to boost performance and morale as well as link to business goals.

Understanding the legal dimension is also vital. Our legal expert, Chris Holme of Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP, will look at the legal background to reward, including compliance issues with age discrimination law and TUPE legislation; managing incentives in an uncertain market, assessing equal pay and benefits and current trends in employment legislation which affect benefit and reward.

Offering the right reward and benefits package to your staff is increasingly challenging. Employees are looking for packages which reward effort as well providing long term security, and employee benefits are key to how employers set themselves apart in the war for talent.

The Employee Reward and Benefits Strategy will look at how HR professionals can respond strategically to external pressures including the global economic turndown and the demographic challenges of an ageing workforce and skills shortages among younger workers. The Employee Pensions Master Class will go into depth on one of the biggest HR challenges: how employers can help staff plan for retirement, looking beyond the traditional company pension at cost-effective solutions.

Cutting through the jargon and complexity is essential if senior HR staff are going to help employers make the right decisions. The IRS conference on employee benefit and reward, coupled with a one day master class on financial retirement planning should help do just this.

Delegates have the option of attending both days for a comprehensive briefing on the current issues in rewards and benefits or attend the conference or master class separately.