It’s important to save for the future. Keeping workers informed about their state pensions and requiring businesses to provide a pension scheme for staff are major steps taken by government to help people prepare for retirement.
Assess your pension provider
The first step you should take as a business owner is to assess your current pension provider.
Look at the value for money you receive based on annual fees you pay. The range of pension options you have access to and the level of customer service you receive.
You might find that another provider offers better value for money, not only for your business but also for your employees. Making a change that benefits everyone can be a great way to show employees that as an employer you are taking steps to look after their future.
If you’re unsure about your provider it can pay to do some additional research. For example, look at the customer service levels you receive. See how many businesses work with your provider, how they are viewed and rated by other business owners.
Look for key information such as:
- Reviews – with a reputable site such as Trustpilot
- Award wins that highlight quality of service
- Do they come recommended by peers?
You might find that your investigations prompt you to want to make a switch in provider.
Prepare for your move
The decision to move then involves a number of processes.
Firstly, you need to contact your new provider and begin the process of sinning up to their services.
Secondly, you need to inform your current provider that you intend to switch.
Finally, you need to inform your employees that their pension provider is changing and keep them up to date with any changes or developments that they need to know about.
Making the move
The move itself is carried out between the two pension providers. It is your job to inform staff the change is taking place, and you might be required to potentially fill out some paperwork, but other than that the majority of the change and transition period is overseen by people external to your business.
Your pension provider should keep you up to date on this process, any issues, and any hold-ups. They should also provide you with a projected timeframe for the completion of the switch, as well as all useful pieces of information that should be shared with your team.
Help employees with any queries and issues
Your employees need to be aware that their pension is being transferred, and they might have queries around what this does to what they’ve already saved, how long the process might take or if this changes what they need to do if they were to leave your business and take their pension with them.
Being able to answer these questions is important. However, many pension providers will send your employees a joining pack, much like what they probably received from the previous provider, which should hopefully answer many of the questions they have.
If this doesn’t answer all questions some staff may have, then, to help ease any anxiety around the transition, it can be a good idea to have someone in your business, potentially within HR or finance, as a ‘go to’ person who can answer queries or chase up any potential questions staff might have.
How FSB can help with your workplace pensions
It might seem like there are many variables to consider when you’re deciding which is the best pension provider for your business and employees.
FSB’s Workplace Pension service is here to make sure your business’ pension scheme is comprehensive, effective, and easy to understand. Benefits of this service, which is available in our FSB Business Essentials package, include:
- Access to an award-winning scheme from a well-known and trusted UK pension provider, Legal and General
- Full support and 1-2-1 guidance through the whole process.
- A full range of flexible retirement options