Today brings news of three disparate areas of expertise. DP’s Financial Advice & Services give their verdict on the Pension Schemes Act. Legal and tech experts rradar advise firms on the importance of a working from home policy. And gut health specialists Chuckling Goat discuss the latest findings from their gut microbiome study.
DP’s Financial Advice & Services praise the Pension Schemes Act but call for clarity over the role of NEST
The West Midlands-based financial advisors, DP’s Financial Advice & Services have spoken of their support for the Pension Schemes Act, which has led to employees being automatically enrolled in a workplace pension. At the same time, they have raised questions over the role of NEST, the government’s pension into which most auto-enrolled employees’ pensions are paid.
Writing in The Parliamentary Review, senior partners David Parkinson and David Parnell said:
‘Overall, we see the Pension Schemes Act as a positive development, enabling consumers to take control of their own financial destiny into retirement. There is now no reason for consumers not to save for their own retirement with the additional incentive of, potentially, passing on the wealth they built up to their children and beyond.
‘We strongly welcome the implementation of auto-enrolment, which compels employers to offer the vast majority of employees access to a pension scheme along with contributions from both parties. To date, this would seem to have been a successful roll-out with “opt out” rates far smaller than feared.
‘It has created a culture of saving towards retirement, with a large number of employees choosing to contribute over and above the minimum compulsory contribution levels. The launch of NEST helped many small employers as, for many life offices, the contributions would have been below their minimum levels.
'However, we feel that the role of NEST needs to be clarified to ensure that it does not seek to become a financial adviser.’
rradar advises firms on home working policy
With working from home very much looking like it will play a sizeable role in our working habits for many years to come, legal and tech experts rradar have put out a helpful guide for businesses.
‘Different businesses will prefer different approaches and there is no one-size-fits-all solution,’ HR advisor Kiri Thompson explains, ‘What will be needed, however, is an updated and detailed home-working policy to ensure that everyone is aware of what is required and expected of them in the future. To this end, all employees should be made aware of the existence of the home working policy, and be clear on its contents, before they begin working from home.’
The guide, which is available on the rradar website, includes details on pay, expenses, expectation and insurance.
Chuckling Goat raises awareness of Biofilm
An ongoing study of the gut microbiome has drawn attention to the potential dangers of biofilm.
Chuckling Goat, the gut health experts led by Shann Jones, describe biofilm as ‘a collection of one or more types of living microorganisms, clumped together in an armour-like crust.’
Their studies show that biofilms can help harmful bacteria to stay within the microbiome perhaps indefinitely.
The company suggests Reishi mushroom tincture or Gingko biloba tincture as a potential remedy.
