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Links
When it comes to building up a bank of Live Long & Prosper resources, there’s a wealth of information out there. The organisations, websites and resources that follow have been drawn together to help you to:
- ‘Gen up’ on what’s happening in the world of pensions and employer requirements
- Collate booklets, leaflets, CD-ROMs and other resources to make available to your employees
- Inspire further ideas for activities in the workplace, and how to address the financial, physical and mental well-being of employees
Click on the link below to take you to an area of your choice, or take time to browse the whole list! It’s by no means an exhaustive list but it will get you started.
Retirement planning
Most (there are some exceptions) employers are required by law to offer employees access to a stakeholder scheme (although the employer doesn’t actually have to make contributions) to help them save for their retirement. The Pension Service explains all.
For employers, a good place to start is the Pensions at Work website. It gives employers information and examples of good practice in workplace pension provision. For example, the retailer GAP has recently re-launched their pension scheme with significant results.
If you’re looking for a straight-talking site that will give you all the ins and outs on pensions and retirement – so you can impress colleagues with your knowledge – then the Directgov website is a good place to go.
A firm favourite of ours is the Motley Fool website. It’s an independent site, regularly updated with everything worth knowing about pensions and personal finance. You can event download podcasts from the site.
If you’re after booklets for employees that will explain how pensions work and the retirement options available to them, then look no further than the 'Guides for those planning ahead' from the Pension Service. There are guides on ‘Pensions: the basics’, ‘State Pensions’, ‘Occupational Pensions’, ‘Personal Pensions’, ‘Your Pension statement explained’ and ‘Understanding your State Pension forecast’ to name but a few. Go to the Pension Service website. You can also order guides for employers.
Getting active
Visit the British Heart Foundation’s Think Fit! site for lots of ideas, case studies and healthy workplace policies that you can try out in your store.
Sport England has produced a Physical Activity Programme Guide to help workplaces deliver a successful physical activity programme. Although it’s aimed at government departments, there’s a lot the retail sector can glean from it.
For workplace exercise programmes – and indeed workouts that can be done anytime, anyplace, anywhere – visit www.netfit.co.uk
Healthy living
Make a difference to the health of your workplace with the BBC Big Challenge. The site includes tips on manageable ways to eat more healthily at work.
The Faculty of Public Health has produced a ‘Creating a healthy workplace’ leaflet – which you can order in hard copy – aimed at both employers and employees. At the Faculty of Public Health website you will find a detailed guide setting out eight areas where employers and employees can take steps to create a workplace that is supportive of and conducive to good health for those that work there.
Emotional well-being
Did you know that we have a National Director for Health and Work, employed by the Government? There’s also a ‘Health, work and well-being’ strategy, and a website dedicated to improving health and well-being at work.
For small businesses, Workplace Health Connect provides information and advice on specific health issues, absence management and case study examples.
The Stress area on the Health and Safety Executive website provides employers with the material and resources to understand the causes of stress at work, and to identify – and solve – stress-related problems in the workplace.
Lifelong Learning
Fire up employees’ enthusiasm for learning by taking part in the National Learning at Work Day campaign, organised by the Campaign for Learning.
The Support4Learning website contains lots of information to help you understand how individuals learn best – meaning that your staff get the most from learning opportunities. Find out why some people learn best through reading, whereas others prefer to learn by doing.
Click here for a list of organisations who will help you to train and develop your staff.
