SavvyWoman : Protecting Your Money : Benefits Through Work

New rules mean you’ll be able to ask your employer for time off work to study or train.

From today, if you work for a company with 250 or more employees you’ll be able to ask for time off work to train or study. If you work for a smaller firm, you’ll get this right in April 2011.

If you’ve ever felt that you’ve had to make a choice between staying in your job or studying, you might be interested in new rights that come into force today. Under an initiative called ‘time to train’, if you work for a company (in England, Scotland or Wales) that employs 250 people or more you’ll have the right to ask for time off to study or train if it will help you and your business' performance. If you work for a smaller firm, you’ll have to wait until April 2011 to get this right.


	06-04-2010

Medical insurance is a popular perk, but some employers are looking to cut costs.

Lower premiums (or free cover) isn't the only advantage of taking out private medical insurance through your work, there are other benefits as well.

For most people, private medical insurance is a luxury they have to go without. The idea of being whisked into a private hospital might be appealing, but the reality of paying hefty premiums month in month means it’s out of reach. That’s why medical insurance offered as a benefit through work is so appealing. The most obvious benefit is the fact it’s cheaper (and may be free) and the cover is normally better than on individual policies. But some employers are looking to cut the cost of medical insurance by offering cheaper policies.


	11-03-2010

October 30th is ‘equal pay day’, as the gender pay gap means women effectively work the rest of the year for free.

Government figures show that women earn 17% less than men, on average, but there may be steps you can take to improve your pay package.

The gender pay gap is alive and kicking, according to government figures. The Fawcett Society, which campaigns on equality issues, says that women effectively work for free after October 30th, because of the pay gap between women and men. It cites government figures showing that, on average, women earn 17% less than men. That’s partly because more women work in catering and caring jobs, which are traditionally lower paid. But we also lose out in other ways; we retire on a lower state pension and save less for our retirement than men. So, what can you do to boost your pay and increase your pension?


	30-10-2009

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