Sponsor a colleague today for Decembeard!
B2P HR Supporting Decembeard – helping to beat bowel cancer Click here to see the ‘before picture’ and find out how you can join in and make a difference ….
B2P HR Supporting Decembeard – helping to beat bowel cancer Click here to see the ‘before picture’ and find out how you can join in and make a difference ….
A survey this week by Trade Union UNISON of 2,977 ambulance workers suggested that 96% said they were suffering from stress. This is one of many articles covering the topic of stress and workplace stress, so what is it that causes us to feel like his in the work place? Our long hours culture, staff shortages, irregular or non-existent breaks or lunch hours, working in a target driven industry? When we are busy it is all too easy not to recognise the signs around us – in ourselves and others around us. This article has been written with the intention of being a resource of referral for all employees and managers on how to recognise and control how we ‘Deal with Pressure’. Part 2 will follow later this month with the emphasis on how ‘people managers’ can support their teams.
‘Pension freedom’ is coming in April 2015. This reform will allow people over the age of 55 to decide how they want to manage their retirement savings by giving them options; spending, saving or investing. With such an important decision to be made this month B2P has invited a ‘guest blogger’ a professional independent financial planner to share his thoughts…
The New World of Pensions
I’ve experienced a certain amount of suspicion over the years when advising entrepreneurs to contribute to a pension plan. ‘My business is my pension’, they’d cry, (although scant few had engaged with a business consultant to work out an exit strategy) or the other misguided answer was ‘my house is my pension’ although the question ‘how long will that money last and where will you live when you’ve sold it?’ didn’t elicit a coherent answer.
Our free-thinking Minister of State for Pensions Steve Webb has completely re-thought pensions legislation, introducing freedoms and flexibility that’s aligned to the thinking of the entrepreneur. This money you save will always be yours to spend on supporting yourself and your family (and it’s your stupid fault if you blow it on fast cars and slow greyhounds – at last a minister who treats us like adults) and if you don’t spend it, you can use it for succession planning and pass it on to the next generation free of inheritance tax and, if you’re unlucky enough to die before age 75, pass it on for an income to be drawn tax free too.
A pension really should be seen as another savings account – but one where you get tax relief on the way in, tax effective gains, a quarter comes out tax free and the income can be managed to meet your future income needs – which won’t be consistent. Contributions can reduce your own income tax rates, bring back your personal allowance or child benefit and be used to extract money from a business without incurring corporation tax. What’s not to like, other than not being able to get to it until you’re aged 55?
Of course there are risks with pensions – the main risk that people don’t get, is the risk of living too long and running out of money. Careful planning can help mitigate this. There’s always capital risk- what do stocks and shares do? They go up and down (but of course they also pay an income that can be rolled up). Another looming risk is if the money is accessible to you, it’s also accessible to trustees in bankruptcy. Businesses can fail – due to economic circumstances, divorce, or the death or serious illness of a key person in the business. The latter two can be prevented by insurance, (the future subject of another blog?) but if you can take money on demand having ‘crystallised’ and taken income, so can the insolvency practitioner. This risk is only looming as the courts have not yet made up their minds on this one. Also if you take income, your contributions are capped at £10k pa and if you breach this HMRC will take a very dim view.
Making sure you have a comfortable retirement when you stop working usually needs the help of advisors. A good, regulated financial planner (no, not the bloke down the pub) will formulate the right provider, the right investments and combination of income streams to keep you safe. Business Consultants will get your business systemised and saleable and a good solicitor will help with the sale.
So open your minds to the benefits, do some thinking and get saving. It’s always later than you think.
James Tarry DipFA CeMAP, Financial Planner, Mob: 07713 266916
This week saw national coverage and promotion of London’s first “Happy Café” (the 2nd in the UK) called The Canvas……yes you heard right “A HAPPY CAFÉ”. The Canvas, created and launched by Ruth Rogers aims to make people feel better about themselves; improve well-being, promote positive thinking, encourage relaxation and increase self-confidence – could this be the new way to chill out? Do we think that an idea like this has a place in the work environment?
Burning bright or burning light? Breakthrough2Performance asks you to share your views on whether there is a place for e-cigarettes in the workplace.
With British Summer time 2014 beginning on Sunday 30th March at 1.00am (tonight to you and I!), this means our clocks will move forward one hour (from 1.00am to 2.00am) and we have one hour less in bed….did you miss National Bed month in March?
Those of you read our March Newsletter will know March was National Bed month and we received many comments on this particular Health & Wellbeing article – especially the ‘sheep dash’ game:-
“Played the sheep game made Bobbing Bobcat 3rd go! Wife won’t let me play anymore the bleating sheep are driving her mad!”
“The sheep game has generated much hilarity and good natured competition in our office!”
We also received a request for more information on this topic – so here goes!
Having one hour less in bed is not all bad – it means we’ll gain extra daylight for a number of months to follow! Natural sunlight in itself brings many health and emotional benefits but having a good night’s sleep is also important for our health, mood, relationships and performance.
How do you know if you’re not getting enough sleep? Do any of these sound familiar?
· Need an alarm clock to wake up on time and rely too much on the snooze button!
· Feel sluggish in the afternoon?
· Get sleepy in warm rooms or meetings?
· Fall asleep watching TV in the evening? Source: HelpGuide.org
We’ve found a range of useful tips such as:-
· Cutting down on stimulants such as tea or coffee 4 hours before bedtime
· Trying to avoid a big meal or spicy food just before bedtime
· Some people find a routine helps them to prepare for bedtime e.g. a bath, quiet music, reading or a herbal tea
· Making sure your bedroom is restful, dark and quiet and that you have a comfortable mattress and good pillows
We all know the saying “An apple a day keeps the Doctor away” but a recent study reports that eating two Kiwi fruit an hour before bed helps you to sleep better and longer!” Source: BBCGoodfood
Thank you once again to everyone for your comments and contributions to our newsletters! Please do keep them coming in!!
Finally…..British summer times falls on Mother’s Day this year – so if you’ve booked a treat or table for lunch – remember to check your timings!
It’s not just this time of year that our nearest and dearest are there to support us – through the trials and tribulations of life, picking us up when we’re down and encouraging us with our dreams – but it is now that we choose to show our appreciation and say thank you – but what about our friends and work colleagues?
December is often a time to celebrate and to say thank you to your employees for their contributions during the year.
Friendship in the workplace is a powerful thing from building camaraderie to impacting on your well-being!
Is there anything better than a contagious giggle you can’t control?
Being social can boost your immune system and laughter can lower blood pressure and increase memory and learning.
We are also running a Festive Quiz Search competition – how many HR-related answers can you find? Have a go and win a prize!
See our December newsletter for reasons why you may wish to consider joining the festivities this month. https://www.breakthrough2performance.co.uk/Newsletters.aspx
In our October Newsletter under our well-being section we asked those of you who were taking part to drop us an email! See how one team got on during the month of Movember!
28% of employees have trouble meeting monthly household expenses. With ‘Pay Day Loan’ companies claimed to be one of the fastest growing sectors during the recession. Could your employees be part of these statistics?
Breakthrough2Performance offers outsourced expertise to customers throughout the UK from our base near Milton Keynes. Call us today to discuss your HR, Coaching and Training requirements.
