Helping employees and employers through the cost of living crisis

With inflation forecast to rise to potentially 13% by the end of the year and energy prices rising, many are struggling to make ends meet. Issues with recruitment and retention are another worrying factor as organisations struggle to fill vacancies.

So, what can employers do to help current employees and attract new ones and what are the tax/NIC implications of the help than can be offered to employees?
Many organisations are looking for ways to help employees through this crisis. We are getting lots of enquiries via our subscription service about what can be done and what the tax/NIC implications will be.

Any assistance that can be provided must have the aim of providing help and, ideally, any tax/NIC liabilities should be kept as low as possible. There are tax efficient ways that employers can help their employees that do not create an ongoing financial cost to the organisation in the same way that an increase in pay would. Indeed, there are some options that we will be presenting that can give the organisation cost savings as well as helping employees.

The Seminar will look at ways that organisations can help employees with the cost of living crisis and explain the tax implications. The Seminar will look at both direct financial and medical/wellbeing assistance that is tax and cost efficient as well as being a help to employees.

Many organisations will already operate some of the schemes and wellbeing programmes that we will be exploring. This seminar will help your organisation to identify these opportunities and provide the clarity to communicate them effectively to employees, as well as providing the impetus for new ways to help employees.

The areas we will be exploring include: –

•  Financial assistance
  This session will include loans to employees, additional payments, workplace and trivial benefits, to name but a few.

• Salary sacrifice schemes
  The benefits of electric lease cars, workplace nurseries and cycle to work.

• Business mileage expenses
  We will look at the consequences of increasing business mileage rates and when the geographical area can be a permanent workplace for itinerant workers.

• Employee Wellbeing
  Covid caused a big increase in anxiety and stress which is now being exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. Improving employee wellbeing is a key driver of an effective and happy workforce.

• Medical assistance
  There are several exemptions from tax and NICs available that provide help with medical assistance.

This Seminar is intended for HR professionals within the organisation and all those who are tasked with looking at how to help employees through the current crisis and to maintain staffing levels by offering attractive recruitment and retention benefits to employees.

Register for Cost of Living Crisis Seminar here