09:30 - 09:40
Chair’s opening remarks
09:40 - 10:10
Opening keynote: Navigating a year of change: Employment Rights Bill, cost of living crisis, pay changes, and what’s to come in 2026
With almost one year of a Labour government, what key changes have...
- With almost one year of a Labour government, what key changes have come into place with the Employment Rights bill, and what will come in 2026?
- Will we see an end to the cost of living crisis?
- What impact has the rise in Employer NICs and increased national living wage had on recruitment and retention, rewards and benefits offerings, and employee happiness?
10:10 - 10:40
Masterclass: pay transparency, reporting and fairness: is it time to change your approach?
Exploring the current context for greater transparency on pay and enhanced pay...
- Exploring the current context for greater transparency on pay and enhanced pay gap reporting, including gender, disability and ethnicity
- Fair pay in the UK: just why are we so ‘un-transparent’?
- How can you achieve improvement in pay fairness and transparency?
- How can pay transparency help retain and engage your workforce?
10:40 - 11:10
Case study: CIPD People Management Award Winner - Creating a first-rate rewards and benefits scheme
Seasalt Cornwall undertook a huge overhaul of their reward package, leading to...
Seasalt Cornwall undertook a huge overhaul of their reward package, leading to them winning the People Management Awards ‘Best reward or recognition initiative’ in 2024. Find out what they did to completely change their reward and recognition package for the better with actionable insights to inspire changes in your own organisation.
11:40 - 12:15
Panel: Beyond the salary, the broader picture of employee financial health
As the cost of living crisis continues, supporting your employees and their...
As the cost of living crisis continues, supporting your employees and their financial wellbeing is essential;
- How do you create and sustain a culture of financial wellness that benefits both employees and organisations?
- What benefits can you put into place to support the financial wellbeing of employees beyond just the salary, or lead to more ‘net pay’ in the employees pocket?
14:00 - 14:30
Panel: One-size doesn’t fit all, how you can build an individualised package for your diverse workforce to support wellbeing and retention
How to design an inclusive and accessible benefits package to cater to...
How to design an inclusive and accessible benefits package to cater to a variety of physical and mental needs, life stages, and cultural preferences.
How do you create a benefits offering that considers the diversity of the workforce?
How can you effectively tailor packages to meet the needs of a diverse and evolving workforce?
The panelists will share strategies that have effectively worked in their organisations.
14:30 - 15:00
Presentation: Proactively managing the rising costs of private medical insurance using a preventative approach
Private medical insurance is one of the most utilised benefits across businesses,...
Private medical insurance is one of the most utilised benefits across businesses, but is also one of the most expensive. While some influencing factors are out of your control, hear what key initiatives can be used to help control costs, while boosting the value of your health benefits. This session will also assess preventative strategies and solutions - including wellness programmes, early intervention, and preventative care.
15:30 - 16:15
Hackathon: Future ready workplace: how can we utilise AI as a tool to support rewards and benefits?
AI is here, and implementation across the working world is increasing day-by-day,...
- What are your current challenges for using AI for rewards and benefits?
- What are the first steps to implementation?
- What will be the potential hurdles to adoption?
- How can you utilise AI to support your work, and free up time for the value-adding tasks?
- Key takeaways and what happens next?
16:15 - 16:45
Panel: Engaging Gen Z with your benefits offerings, including: pensions, mortgage advice and financial wellbeing
Many companies have fantastic benefits offerings including strong pension schemes, mortgage advice,...
- Many companies have fantastic benefits offerings including strong pension schemes, mortgage advice, financial advice, and savings schemes, but younger generations don’t necessarily feel a connection to these benefits
- How do you engage younger generations, and make them aware of the benefits on offer?
- How do you make sure when the benefits do become relevant, your employees can easily find and utilise them?
16:45 - 16:50
Chair’s closing remarks