10 Jan 13 Electricity: Friend or Foe?
Most people have absolutely no idea how much electricity they use daily, or to what extent electricity dictates our lives. Such is the fate of an invisible, intangible force; we do not think of what is powering the lightbulb or television, we simply expect it to turn on when we flick a switch or press a button. On average, the annual household energy consumption for a three bedroom house is 4200KW. We use electricity for everything, and it often takes a power cut to make us realise just how much we depend on it. But how many of you think about the dangers that come hand-in-hand with electricity? Electricity is designed to provide us with a useful and safe source of energy but like any force, it must be treated with caution or it can prove fatal. We are often told about keeping knives out of toasters, which you hope would be a matter of common sense, but there are many other injuries that electricity can cause. The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting has stated that there are around 12,500 electrical fires in homes across the UK and about 2,000 non fatal and 10 critical electric shock accidents each year. There are also many unknown dangers that electricity can pose, a recent example being the tragic news story of the jogger who died after coming into contact with a fallen power cable. Sadly, it often takes an awful accident like this to remind us of how electricity is more than just a convenience; it can also be a very dangerous force.
With this in mind, it is so important that you make sure your electrical wiring and appliances are regularly checked by a qualified electrician so that you, your loved ones and work colleagues are kept out of harm’s way. While there are some accidents that could never have been prevented, most electrical injuries are preventable. Something as simple as remembering not to overload extension cords helps protect you in your home and the best way to keep your business is safe is to have an electrician make sure your electrical appliances have had an up to date Portable Appliance Test (PAT). When choosing an electrician to do this, be sure to check that they are Part P qualified. The Part P qualification tells you that their electrical services will be carried out in accordance with building regulations. This will ensure that you can continue to use electricity in your homes or at work but without needless risks that can result in serious injury or death.
It is essential that your electrical wiring is regularly checked by a qualified electrician. The Cambridge News can provide the details of qualified professionals in your area.
17 Dec 12 Thomsons Online Benefits Celebrates Raising £34k for Charity in 2012
Thomsons Online Benefits employees have celebrated smashing their 2012 charity fundraising target by over 70%.
Thomsons employees raised a total of £34,236 through their efforts in competing in the London Triathlon and a range of other initiatives such as a sponsored leg wax and monthly collections at Victoria rail station! This total includes £10,374 of matching donations through Thomsons’ Pay It Forward scheme whereby the company matches each employee’s fundraising efforts by up to £500 per year. Employees are also allowed an additional day of leave to help them engage with the charities that inspire them.
The money raised will be equally split between the two London charities chosen by Thomsons employees, The Passage – a Victoria-based charity caring for the homeless – and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) – one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals.
Representatives from the Passage and GOSH joined Thomsons monthly breakfast meeting this week to receive their cheques and hear more about the charitable endeavours that contributed towards the raising of the money.
Justine Trumper, Head of Account Management – Corporate Partnerships at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity commented: ”On behalf of all the patients, parents and staff at Great Ormond Street I would like to say a big thank you to Thomsons Online Benefits for all of their support and amazing fundraising. Thanks to significant contributions such as this donation from Thomsons Online Benefits, we are able to treat some of the UK’s sickest children in brand new state of the art facilities that match the high standard of care which Great Ormond Street Hospital provides.”
Andrew Hollingsworth of the Passage added :”The Passage works with rough sleepers in South Westminster and Thomsons office is in the middle of our street outreach area. The Passage has been working with Thomsons for just over two years with Thomsons employees helping The Passage as volunteers including our own public collections in Victoria Station. As we step up our work with those unfortunate to live on the street in this very cold weather we are extremely grateful for Thomsons help in meeting our costs. By their partnership with The Passage, Thomsons share in our mission to provide resources which encourage, inspire and challenge homeless people to transform their lives and they help the most needy of their immediate neighbours.”
Michael Whitfield, CEO of Thomsons who presented the charities with their cheques said “This year our employees have really got behind and embraced our Pay it Forward scheme like never before, and we are absolutely delighted that we smashed our fundraising target by 70%. Not only did we raise a significant amount of money but we also saw the positive impact that this had in terms of team building and levels of employee engagement on which Thomsons thrives. We are already planning our 2013 programme and look forward to another year of exciting initiatives.”
About Thomsons Online Benefits
Thomsons Online Benefits help businesses gain maximum benefit from their employee reward schemes at minimum cost.
With their unique blend of consulting, communication and their award winning benefits administration technology platform, Darwin™, organisations the world over trust Thomsons Online Benefits with their employee benefits programmes.
Thomsons Online Benefits has won over 50 awards including ‘Firm of the Year’ and ‘Best Use of Technology’ in the 2012 Corporate Adviser Awards and attracted a prestigious portfolio of clients that includes Cisco, Microsoft and Samsung. Thomsons Online Benefits Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for business conducted in the UK.
Tags: Great Ormond Street, The Passage, Thomsons Online Benefits
22 Nov 12 Visit Sapphire at the IT Showcase
Sapphire will be exhibiting at forthcoming shows (more…)
Tags: Business Software, IT Showcase, SAP Business One, Sapphire Systems
06 Nov 12 Ten Years as Global Leading SunSystems Partner
Sapphire named number one for Infor SunSystems for 10th year running
Sapphire is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the Infor SunSystems Partner of the Year accolade for FY12, a position it has held for the past decade.
The award was announced earlier this week at the Infor Awards Ceremony – FY12 Partner Recognitions, which took place in Paris, France as part of the Infor on the Road and Infor EMEA Channel Partner Conference.
“We are naturally thrilled to have been named as the global number one for SunSystems this year” said Ian Caswell, Managing Director at Sapphire Systems. “It was great to see the new developments in SunSystems at our Customer User Day last month – along with some of the newer solutions from Infor, such as ION – and get feedback from both our new and long-standing customers.”
“This award celebrates two things,” said Chris Murphy, SVP of financial solutions for Infor. “The first is the longevity of our relationship with Sapphire, who for many years has been the number one global partner for our SunSystems solution. The second is the extensive range of services that Sapphire offers to its growing and global base of SunSystems customers. From 24 hour support and coverage by a range of global offices to user days focused on education and training, Sapphire has the resources and expertise to help its customers leverage the innovative new technologies being delivered by Infor for SunSystems, such as mobility and cloud. We look forward to continuing this incredibly strong relationship into 2013 and beyond.”
Sapphire provides consultancy, training and support for SunSystems implementations from offices throughout the UK, US and Asia-Pac. 24 hour hotline support is part of the standard offering for all customers.
“To have maintained this position for a full decade is an achievement we are all very proud of at Sapphire” Caswell concluded.
About Sapphire Systems plc:
Sapphire is the global leading Infor SunSystems partner, with a unique agreement with Infor to sell Infor SunSystems globally. An SAP Gold partner, Sapphire is the global number one partner for SAP Business One. Since 1986, Sapphire has offered customers wide-ranging practical expertise in selecting and implementing advanced financial accounting and business management solutions and today provides software, services and support for over 800 customers worldwide from their offices in the UK, USA & Asia-Pac. Sapphire is a founder member of the British Application Software Developers Association and was one of the first signatories of the BASDA Green Charter.
About Infor:
Infor is a leading provider of business software and services, helping more than 70,000 customers in 164 countries improve operations and drive growth.
About Infor SunSystems:
Infor SunSystems is a richly featured, web-based, global financial management solution. Its unique single-ledger design, with strong multi-currency and analysis capabilities, provides an ideal basis for financial reporting, and is complemented by integrated business process functionality for purchasing, sales, and inventory management. Available in a range of languages and configurable to meet varying accounting requirements, Infor SunSystems provides a common accounting solution that can be deployed globally to meet local requirements at the lowest total cost of ownership.
Tags: Sapphire Systems, SunSystems
01 Nov 12 Financial Management Solution for the Insurance Sector
Sapphire to showcase Infor SunSystems for the London Market
Sapphire announces a demonstration of the Infor SunSystems financial management solution, tailored to the Insurance sector, to take place on Tuesday 13th November 2012, from 9am – 10.30am.
Steven Wright, Sapphire’s Infor SunSystems Sales Manager, who will lead the session, outlined why SunSystems can work well for the sector: “SunSystems has a long history of deployment within the London Market and for good reason. The solution is more capable and more flexible than other packages, so lends itself very well to the varied and evolving management and regulatory requirements of the Lloyds market”.
He went on to say “SunSystems is a solution that fits all areas of the market including Managing Agents, Syndicates, Intermediaries and Brokers. Sophisticated currency handling and the ability to hold a huge amount of analysis such as year of account, trust fund, Class of Business, FIL code against transactions is invaluable. Other key benefits include automated allocation of costs across entities, strong integration with leading underwriting and broking solutions and the ability to design a chart and analysis profile capable of directly creating Lloyds QMA/QMR returns”.
The session will take place at Sapphire’s head office, based in the City of London.
For further information, the full agenda and registration, please visit Sapphire’s website:
http://www.sapphiresystems.com/uk/events/seminars.htm
About Sapphire Systems plc:
Sapphire is the global leading Infor SunSystems partner, with a unique agreement with Infor to sell Infor SunSystems globally. An SAP Gold partner, Sapphire is the global number one partner for SAP Business One. Since 1986, Sapphire has offered customers wide-ranging practical expertise in selecting and implementing advanced financial accounting and business management solutions and today provides software, services and support for over 800 customers worldwide from their offices in the UK, USA & Asia-Pac. Sapphire is a founder member of the British Application Software Developers Association and was one of the first signatories of the BASDA Green Charter.
About Infor SunSystems:
Infor SunSystems is a richly featured, web-based, global financial management solution. Its unique single-ledger design, with strong multi-currency and analysis capabilities, provides an ideal basis for financial reporting, and is complemented by integrated business process functionality for purchasing, sales, and inventory management. Available in a range of languages and configurable to meet varying accounting requirements, Infor SunSystems provides a common accounting solution that can be deployed globally to meet local requirements at the lowest total cost of ownership.
Press contact:
Victoria Park
020 7648 2008
victoria.park@sapphiresystems.com
Tags: Sapphire Systems, SunSystems
25 Sep 12 Tenth Edition of Employee Rewards Watch Survey Launches Today
A decade after its first ever launch, Thomsons Online Benefits today invites HR and benefits professionals to take part in the tenth Employee Rewards Watch survey.
Employee Rewards Watch (ERW) was first launched a decade ago in 2003 with around 430 organisations taking part. Ten years on, it remains the UK’s most authoritative benchmark of employee reward and benefits trends and industry practice. The very first survey revealed that less than 1% of respondents perceived that dealing with pension legislation was their biggest challenge. The 2012 edition showed that by the end of 2012, this will have risen to 40%. What’s more, only 5% of organisations that took part had a flexible benefits scheme in place, whereas by the end of 2011 it had risen to 40%. Last year showed that salary sacrifice is increasingly popular, with 91% of respondents operating salary sacrifice versus 68% in 2008. With the imminent introduction of automatic enrolment legislation this year and payroll teams preparing for new HMRC Real Time Information requirements in April 2013, the challenges for employers in administration, cost management and ROI on benefit and reward processes and spend has never been greater.
Michael Whitfield, Chief Executive, commented: “A decade ago, when we launched the very first Employee Rewards Watch Survey, we set out to deliver quality market insight to HR and reward professionals industry-wide to enable them to stay on top of the latest trends and issues in the industry. Ten years later, with a rapidly changing pensions landscape and ever increasing pressure on employers in the recovery from recession, we look to continue that support and insight-generation. 2013 will see the first iteration of the report in a landscape that reflects the imminent introduction of RDR, learnings from the front-runners in compulsory pension contributions for employers and an increasing focus on health and wellbeing – and HR professionals and other board room executives will need access the latest benefits and rewards trends to allow them to manage their businesses accordingly”
ERW 2013 Fact File:
Employee Rewards Watch is the UK’s most authoritative employee reward and benefits survey, now in its tenth year.
Report publication date: Q1 2013
Respondents can choose to fill up to six sections depending on their area of expertise. These include Pensions, Salary Sacrifice, Reward Strategy and Governance, Flexible Benefits, Health & Wellbeing and Employee Engagement. Participants are also invited to take part in a prize draw to win an Apple iPad or one of 5 Amazon Kindles.
Twitter hashtag: #ERW2013
All respondents will receive an advance copy of the full report.
About Thomsons Online Benefits:
Thomsons Online Benefits help businesses gain maximum benefit from their employee reward schemes at minimum cost.
With their unique blend of consulting, communication and their award winning benefits administration technology platform, Darwin™, organisations the world over trust Thomsons Online Benefits with their employee reward programmes.
Thomsons Online Benefits has won over 50 awards including ‘Firm of the Year’ and ‘Best Use of Technology’ in the 2012 Corporate Adviser Awards and attracted a prestigious portfolio of clients that includes Cisco, Microsoft and Samsung. Thomsons Online Benefits Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for business conducted in the UK.
Media Relations:
Caroline O’Keeffe
Director of Marketing and Communications
020 3328 4003
press@thomsons.com
Tags: Employee Rewards Watch, pensions, salary sacrifice, Thomsons Online Benefits
12 Jul 12 Thomsons Online Benefits Celebrates 9th Listing in Sunday Times League Tables
Thomsons Online Benefits, the leading employee benefits provider, is celebrating their 9th listing in the Sunday Times league tables following their ranking in the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200.
The new Sunday Times league table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing international sales. Total sales had to be at least £25m and international sales at least £1m in the latest financial year.
Thomsons was ranked 158th, alongside other well-known brands like Cath Kidston, Wiggle and LK Bennett, following a compound annual growth rate in international sales over two years of 27.87% per annum.
This latest ranking is Thomsons 9th in the Sunday Times league tables, following six previous listings in Tech Track 100, plus listings in Profit Track 100 and Buyout Track 100. It follows another successful year of growth for the financial year ending 31 December 2011 at Thomsons which saw both revenue and operating profit undergoing substantial increases, with revenue up 38% on 2010 to £27.4 million, and operating profit rising from £0.7m in 2010 to £2.5m in 2011.
Michael Whitfield, CEO at Thomsons comments: “We are delighted with yet another listing in the Sunday Times league tables this time highlighting the strength of the international side of our business. This follows us being selected by some of the world’s leading employers to help them deliver global reward strategies to help them improve employee engagement, administration and reporting efficiencies and to manage their global costs and risk management using one platform. In particular we are the provider of choice in the technology sector with 6 of the 10 largest technology companies selecting our platform DarwinTM.”
About Thomsons Online Benefits:
Thomsons Online Benefits help businesses gain maximum benefit from their employee reward schemes at minimum cost. With their unique consulting methodology Intelligent RewardTM and their award winning benefits administration technology platform, DarwinTM, organisations the world over trust Thomsons Online Benefits with their employee reward programmes.
Thomsons Online Benefits has won over 50 awards including ‘Firm of the Year’ and ‘Best Use of Technology’ in the 2012 Corporate Adviser Awards and attracted a prestigious portfolio of clients that includes Cisco, the Ministry of Defence and RBS.
Thomsons Online Benefits Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for business conducted in the UK.
Press contact:
Caroline O’Keeffe
Marketing & Communications Director
020 3328 4003
press@thomsons.com
Tags: employee benefits, Intelligent Reward, Thomsons Online Benefits
06 Jul 12 Job Hunting in Bedford
However, this depressing story varies significantly across the country with some places like the Birmingham, Ladywood area peaking at 12.3%, reflecting in part the continued decline in manufacturing there. For those seeking work with businesses in Bedford, the statistics are slightly more encouraging, with 1 in 14 (7% or about 6200 people) currently seeking employment, though youth unemployment is significantly higher, as it remains across the whole country.
Famous Bedford Enterprises
Placed at an important crossing point on the navigable River Great Ouse, Bedford has a long and distinguished history dating back to Saxon times. The town gained much wealth from wool as well as the lucrative grain trade, evidenced by its fine Corn Exchange building. Today, although grown locally, grain is traded elsewhere. River traffic on the Great Ouse has given way to rail and road, with the A6 running through town and the A1 and M1 only a short drive away. Consequently, there are a large number of warehouses in and around Bedford, serving the modern logistics industry and providing many employment opportunities.
• Continental Clothing recently set up a large warehouse and distribution centre on Cambridge Road, taking advantage of the newly improved road links in the area.
• Autoglass (suppliers of windscreens and other auto parts) is based in Bedford and employs 1300 mobile technicians nationally, as well as Bedford office staff.
• At the other end of the alphabet, United Paper Products recently moved their HQ to Bedford from Hitchin and hope to create 85 new jobs for the town.
One of the most famous businesses in Bedford, and still going strong today, is the Charles Wells brewery. Taking advantage of the original grain growing area, this brewing company currently employs around 400 people and was ranked amongst the top 100 places in which to work.
In more normal economic times for this county town, there would be a variety of public sector jobs available within the Council but this is not so much the case at present. Fortunately, there is a diverse range of private sector businesses currently operating from the town.
Small Yet Successful
When televisions were relatively expensive compared with average wages, it was popular to rent them rather than buy outright, and two of the main rental suppliers were Radio Rentals and Granada. In 2000, they combined into a much smaller business called Boxclever, which is based in Ampthill Road and continues to rent TVs via the internet instead of the high street. This is a business that is much smaller but still successfully trading.
Also out on the Ampthill Road you will find a much newer type of business called Blue Chip. This company set up in its high tech ‘green’ offices in 2002, making a pledge to plant 750,000 trees as a carbon offset. The company offers mid-range IBM support services to other businesses.
With Bedford businesses old and new still looking for job applicants, there should be no major delay in finding a suitable job in this town for those who have the right set of skills to offer.
Established Bedford businesses include Autoglass and the Charles Wells Brewery. For the latest news on these companies and other businesses in Bedford, visit the Bedfordshire on Sunday online.
Tags: Bedford businesses, Bedfordshire on Sunday, businesses in Bedford
06 Jul 12 Electronic Arts wins ‘Most Effective Pensions Communication Strategy’ award at the 2012 Employee Benefits Awards
Thomsons Online Benefits, the market leader in flexible benefits and benefit administration, has scooped its fourth award of 2012 after winning a gong at the Employee Benefits Awards 2012. Thomsons picked up the trophy for ‘Most Effective Pensions Communications Strategy’ for their work with Electronic Arts (EA) to improve awareness and engagement levels for their pension scheme.
The Employee Benefits Awards, held at The Artillery Garden at the HAC, recognise and showcase employers that have made a significant difference to their organisations through their reward strategies. The independence and integrity of these coveted awards is well-recognised and therefore makes winning a highly regarded achievement.
“Electronic Arts’ creative and fun strategy was designed to engage younger employees with pensions” commented Employee Benefits Awards. “Its My Future campaign, which focused on educating employees about their pension and why it is important, included an online quiz on how much more value a pension has if employees start saving early, and pension education workshops followed by one-to-one sessions. The communications campaign increased overall membership of the pension scheme from 66% to 71% in one month. Meanwhile, take-up among employees aged between 20 and 30 increased from 43% to 63%. One judge said: “[It was] dealing with an audience that can be extremely difficult.””
Michael Whitfield, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “This was an exciting recognition for the work we have done with Electronic Arts. This project took advantage of Thomsons bespoke software DarwinTM as well as our innovative ways to communicate and engage with staff. The results were not only a significant increase on overall participation and contributions, but also raised awareness amongst the young Electronic Arts workforce about the importance of future planning for retirement all without mentioning the “p” word!”
Melanie Crowther, Head of Compensation and Benefits at EA adds: “We were thrilled to win the Employee Benefits Award for ‘Most Effective Pensions Communication Strategy’. As one of the most established names in the video games industry, EA employ a largely male workforce with a young average age. We faced the challenge of how to inspire our employees, who make fantastically interactive software, to be interested in something as unsexy as pensions? Working with Thomsons Online Benefits, we approached this in an unusual way, completely in line with our culture and brand. By using interactive and entertaining tools and channels, and tapping into employees concerns about their “future income” rather than using the word pensions, we saw increased levels of both take up and contributions. Thomsons were an invaluable partner, providing creative thinking, continued support and guidance who showed that they really did understand what made our employees tick.”
Other Thomsons Clients who were finalists on the day included Blackrock for ‘Most effective total reward strategy’ and D Young & Co for ‘Most effective alignment of reward strategy to business strategy for organisations with fewer than 1,000 employees.’
About Thomsons Online Benefits:
Thomsons Online Benefits help businesses gain maximum benefit from their employee reward schemes at minimum cost. With their unique consulting methodology Intelligent RewardTM and their award winning benefits administration technology platform, DarwinTM, organisations the world over trust Thomsons Online Benefits with their employee reward programmes.
Thomsons Online Benefits has won over 50 awards including ‘Firm of the Year’ and ‘Best Use of Technology’ in the 2012 Corporate Adviser Awards and attracted a prestigious portfolio of clients that includes Cisco, Microsoft and RBS.
Tags: EA, employee benefits, Employee Benefits Awards, pensions, Thomsons Online Benefits
22 Jun 12 A Guide to Studying In London
If you’re an international student who will shortly be studying in London, it can be a daunting prospect. Moving from the comfort and familiarity of your own hometown to a bustling, thriving and exceptionally large and busy city can be a culture shock. Life as a London student however can be thrilling – few places on Earth offer the breadth of opportunity as the UK capital. So if you are coming to study in London, or planning to in the future, here are some top tips to help ensure your time there is rewarding both academically and personally.
Before you leave
Before you leave for London, you need to plan carefully for your stay. Finances of course are critical and you need to remember that London is a more expensive city to study than others in the UK, so you should factor this into your financial needs and requirements before leaving. You also need to have confirmed somewhere to stay, your travel arrangements and also how you are planning to stay in contact with loved ones back home (mobile phones are convenient, but if you have a computer and Internet connection then VOIP services like Skype are completely free).
Additionally, you will need your study materials (your college or university will advise you on what is required for your chosen course). If you are moving into private accommodation (rather than halls of residence) and are bringing a television, you will need to check you have a current TV licence for the property as this is a legal requirement in the UK. It is also strongly advised that you take out adequate insurance for all your personal belongings, but especially any items that are expensive to replace.
Your first week
Your first week in London will be hugely exciting and can be a little daunting at first. Don’t worry though as there are lots of students all in the same boat. Most universities and colleges run Freshers’ Week – a series of events that allow new students to get to know each other and join as many societies and clubs that interest them. Look for the international students section and you will find many other people having similar experiences to you and additionally, some students who have been in the city a while and can provide you with great information on what to do or where to go if you need help or advice.
The first week is crucial to making a great start to studying in London; it will help you forge new friendships that will stand the test of time and will give you a great start for the rest of your course.
Throughout the duration of your course
There may be times during your course when you need additional help, guidance or advice that other students may not be able to provide. As such, it is always a good starting point to seek out the advice of a college or university professional who is responsible for such matters. They will be able to give you sound, accurate and up to date information about the issue and advise you on what to do next. Remember, colleges and universities are not just there to teach you, but also advise and support you throughout your stay.
Lastly, remember to keep to your budget and try not to overspend, get assignments in on time and get the balance between academic life and your social life right. If you can, then London is a city that is ripe for any new student to explore.
About Holborn College:
Holborn College offers a range of Accountancy, Finance, Economics and Business degrees, as well as Diplomas in Law, specifically designed for full-time study in the UK. We offer a high quality of tuition, with many of our lecturers having industry experience to complement their academic qualifications. This gives their teaching a real-world perspective, and helps you to understand concepts by relating them to real-life scenarios.
