Time and time again over the last half a decade I was told that:
a) Auto-Enrolment (AE) would never happen
and
b) If it did happen, it would not be that difficult to implement
Time and time again I stated that it would happen (AE always had broad cross-party support, so there was never much chance of it not happening), and like as not it would be more difficult than it had any right to be.
And here we are in 2012 - with AE about to begin, and a set of rules more complex than the latest FIFA guidance on the application of the offside rule, written in a secret code, and printed on very soggy tissue-paper.
But you don’t need to take my word for it any more. No lesser a personage than Joanne Segars, the Chief Executive of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), is reported to have said:
“Employers are worrying about how on earth they will implement auto-enrolment.
The rules are eye-wateringly complex.”
Well, we are where we are. What is needed now is for employers to start taking some concrete action to move forward with their AE project. Our recent survey of employers showed very little traction in employers actually preparing to comply with this legislation, and virtually no improvement from the same survey 12 months ago.
One way that Jelf can help is through our workshop program. We have pension workshops lined up in London and Bristol, and will be announcing an event in Manchester soon. Details of these events can be found on this blog under the ‘Seminars and Events’ category.
Whether you attend the workshops or not, we will continue to keep you posted on AE through the blog.
You have been warned…
Best regards
Steve
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