Editorial: Managing auto-enrolment

But as fascinating as it is for us, it is equally a difficult time for a large proportion of our readership, those employer and scheme decision-makers that are dealing with the run-up to implementing the reform, the big kick-off and the aftermath.

It is to help meet this challenge that we have launched a new microsite, Managing Auto-enrolment.

This brings together news analysis, case studies, video and informed comment on how employers and pension schemes are navigating the requirements of this tricky reform.

You can watch The Pensions Advisory Service’s Marta Phillips talk about the difficulties larger employers are raising with the organisation, pensions minister Steve Webb discussing planned simplifications, and read about the lower-than-expected opt-out rates experienced at Royal Mail, Asda and John Lewis.

At the smaller-employer level, you can learn from Hewden’s project manager about why the plant hire company is being held back from offering more than the auto-enrolment minimum contributions by its concerns over the impact high take-up could have on its balance sheet.

Latest content featured in this week’s magazine includes the seasonal administrative fluctuations facing contract caterer Elior as it prepares for multiple auto-enrolment peaks (page six), and a discussion about the difficulty facing smaller employers wishing to benchmark their pension scheme against others in the market (pages 12-13).

In addition, you can read the latest data analysis of the reform’s progress so far, alongside guides and tips on navigating the administrative, legal and capacity challenges that it poses to pension teams.

This is our one-stop shop for coverage of this developing challenge for the UK pensions industry. It will update and evolve with auto-enrolment itself. We invite you to take a look.

Ian Smith is editor of Pensions Week. You can follow him on Twitter @iankmsmith and the team @pensionsweek