Steve Herbert: The art of the deal?
Could a low-cost universal wellbeing tax break bring benefits for the UK government, employers and employees? Steve Herbert, co-host of the Benefits Unboxed podcast and a veteran HR and...
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Financial benefits
Heavy reliance on state pension highlights need for stronger workplace savings support
The government’s latest review of the state pension age (SPA) begins today against a backdrop of fresh research showing how heavily many older people rely on the state pension...
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Lidl unveils fifth pay rise in two years as employer says total wage investment £70m
Supermarket chain Lidl GB will increase pay for thousands of employees from 1 September 2025 as the employer confirmed its fifth wage uplift in just two years, which it...
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UK employers risk losing talent as two in five admit to ‘passive’ promotion of perks
Two in five employers admit they take a passive approach to promoting benefits and leave it to employees to initiate take-up. Grid, the industry body for the group risk...
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Toy retailer The Entertainer moves to employee ownership model
Major UK toy retailer, The Entertainer, is handing over the reins to its 1,900 employees, in a move that rewards and engages employees and preserves the employer's distinct culture....
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Saving trends shift as ISA contributions surge among women and over 50s
A significant shift in personal saving habits that could influence how employers think about financial wellbeing benefits has been identified by Scottish Friendly. In the second quarter of 2025,...
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Employees pay record £25.5bn into pensions but ‘stagnant’ savings concerns remain
Eligible private sector workers contributed a record-breaking £25.5 billion to workplace pensions in 2024, according to analysis from consultancy Broadstone. The figure, based on figures from the Department for...
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Talking AI benefits assistant launches to transform HR workflows
A conversational AI Benefits Manager’s Assistant is launching this month to answer employee benefits-related questions quickly and clearly, 24/7. The company behind the new tool, Financial Education, said that...
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Lorna Ferrie: hybrid is not a loophole, remote teams can’t ignore the pay transparency push
As the UK edges towards ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, and with the EU Pay Transparency Directive setting a new global standard, hybrid and remote employers can't afford...
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Half of younger workers ready for financial coaching, but employer access limited
Six in ten workplaces do not offer financial coaching as a benefit despite people that have used it being strong advocates for its value. Research shows that 87 percent...
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BENEFITS UNBOXED PODCAST
Benefits Unboxed
The podcast from Benefits Expert, the title for HR, reward and benefits professionals.
Seasoned professionals examine the challenges and innovations in today’s employee benefits, reward and HR sector. Every episode, they will unbox a key issue and unpack what it really means for employers and how they can tackle it.
The regulars are Claire Churchard, editor of Benefits Expert; Carole Goldsmith, HR director at the Royal Horticultural Society, and Steve Herbert, consultant and rewards & benefits veteran.
Benefits Unboxed – Hybrid work: reality versus rhetoric
Return-to-office mandates are a topic that’s generating plenty of heat in the media, but how closely do the headlines match workplace reality?
In this episode, one of a three-part series of 10-minute podcasts, hosts Claire Churchard and Steve Herbert discuss data that shows remote or home working is on the rise.
We look at what this means for HR, from balancing employee flexibility with business needs, to ensuring benefits packages remain fair and accessible. We discuss the pinch points, and the opportunities, in building the new normal of work.
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