WSB Awards 2019 - The Winners

To view all the photos of the night, click on the image above

The awards were presented on 5 September 2019 at a glittering gala dinner at London's Marriott Hotel on Grosvenor Square hosted by comedian and radio presenter Greg Burns.

The awards - which are now in their 7th year - recognised the employers which have the best benefits teams and offerings to staff and have done the most to improve these over the past 12 months.

In addition, the awards rewarded the best pension and benefit providers - recognising those that have done the most to help employers and their staff over the past year.

To find out more about the awards - and register to receive information about next year's awards, visit: http://events.wsandb.co.uk/awards

The winners of the 2019 awards are:

Employer Awards

Best Benefits Strategy / Innovation of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner on its innovative salary advance scheme which has resulted in clear benefits for employees

Winner: Dunelm

Highly Commended: e.surv Chartered Surveyors part of LSL Property Services

Finalists:

Capgemini

Dunelm

e.surv Chartered Surveyors part of LSL Property Services

The HudsonBec Group

Travis Perkins

 

Best Pensions Strategy of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner for successfully completing a four-year change programme to design an innovative new DC scheme and embed a financial wellness strategy

Winner: Siemens

Finalists:

PensionBee

Siemens

 

Best Communications / Engagement Initiative of the Year

Judges' Comments: The winner was commended for its very well managed communications to support a very sensitive and complex change

Winner: Schneider Electric

Highly Commended: Capgemini

Finalists:

Bank of England

Capgemini

Equifax

Schneider Electric

Travis Perkins

 

Best Healthcare and Wellbeing Strategy of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner for its "holistic approach to wellbeing"

Winner: ACCA

Highly Commended: London Borough of Waltham Forest

Finalists:

ACCA

Benenden Health

London Borough of Waltham Forest

Royal Mail Group

The Hyde Group

Weil, Gotshal & Manges

 

Best Financial Education Strategy

Judges' Comments: Judges were impressed at how the winner had set up financial education programme to deliver a programme of education across 4,000 colleagues and 1,500 key leaders.

Winner: HSBC

Finalists:

HSBC

Siemens

 

Best Flexible Benefits Strategy

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner for the way in which it had taken an outdated package and developed it into one that was both "innovative and engaging".

Winner: Aspen Insurance

Finalists:

Aspen Insurance

Tokio Marine Kiln

Worldpay

 

Best Mental Health Wellbeing Strategy

Judges' Comments: Judges commended the winner in this category - praising it for "setting the bar high for the contribution an employer can make".

Winner: Royal Mail Group

Finalists:

Royal Mail Group

Virgin Active

 

Consultant and Provider Awards

Employee Benefit Consultant of the Year

Judges' Comments: The winner was praised for a strong entry, its innovative app and for having a "genuine focus on health and wellbeing".

Winner: Aon

Finalists:

Aon

Barnett Waddingham

Secondsight

 

Pension Consultant of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges were impressed by the winner's entry which they said focussed not just on the client but also on the member - demonstrating both the value of its offering to business and a variety of tools for employers and employees

Winner: Aon

Highly Commended: Hymans Robertson

Finalists:

Aon

Barker Tatham Investment Consultants

Hymans Robertson

 

Benefits Innovation of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner for developing an innovative and "sound" product that really engages both employer and employees

Winner: Salary Finance

Finalists:

ABAKA

Aon

Employee Benefits Collective

Hatch

HRUX

One4all Gift Cards

Salary Finance

Smarterly

 

Benefit Communications Initiative of the Year

Judges' Comments: The winner was praised by judges for its "fresh multi-channel approach" and its innovative approach to personalisation

Winner: Aon

Finalists:

Aon

Aviva

HRUX

Legal & General

like minds

Scottish Widows

 

Best Use of Technology for Benefits Award

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner for an "easy to implement solution" that is "incredibly well received" by the end-user.

Winner: Zest Technology

Finalists:

ABAKA

Aon

Aviva

Benefex

HRUX

One4all Gift Cards

Smart Pension

Smarterly

Zest Technology

 

Car Scheme Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges commended the winner for its commitment to environmentally friendly solutions and its great customer service

Winner: Alphabet

Finalists:

Alphabet

SG Fleet

Tuskerdirect

 

Financial Education Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: The winner was praised for the way in which it had combined financial coaching and financial planning technology to help employees

Winner: Hatch

Finalists:

ABAKA

Aviva

Continuum Financial Services

Hatch

HSBC

Salary Finance

Scottish Widows

 

Group Risk Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: The winner was praised for "offering much more than just financial protection" and for demonstrating its "commitment to workplace wellbeing".

Winner: Unum

Finalists:

Aviva Group Protection

Omnilife

Unum

 

Health Cash Plan Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: The winner was commended for its ongoing innovation as well as for the way in which it has "lobbied for change in the sector" over the past year

Winner: Medicash

Finalists:

Medicash

Simplyhealth

 

Health and Wellbeing Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner for a "stand-out" entry and commended it for "making a real difference to people's health and lives".

Winner: Healthy Performance

Highly Commended: Aviva UK Health

Finalists:

Aviva UK Health

Benenden Health

Healthy Performance

Kamwell

Smarterly

 

Pension Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges were impressed with the technology used by the winner in this category, particularly its app and its development of an Alexa skill

Winner: Aviva

Highly Commended: PensionBee

Finalists:

Aon

Aviva

Legal & General Investment Management

PensionBee

Salvus Master Trust

Scottish Widows

Smart Pension

 

Wellbeing Initiative of the Year

Judges' Comments: The winner of this category was praised for the way in which it has helped "make it easy for employers to do the right thing for their staff and their businesses"

Winner: Legal & General

Finalists:

Legal & General

Salary Finance

 

Mental Health Initiative Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges said the winner put forward an excellent submission, had a comprehensive set of solutions available and demonstrated the ability to build a bespoke multi-year plan for clients

Winner: Aon

Finalists:

Aon

Salary Finance

 

International Benefits Provider of the Year 

Judges' Comments: The winner was praised for its "great customer focus" and the way in which it manages to "sound and feel personal" despite the size of its organisation.

Winner: Aetna International

Finalists:

Aetna International

Generali Global Health

Xexec

 

Share Scheme Provider of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges said the winner demonstrated how it added value by helping its clients and their employees achieve the maximum from their share plans.

Winner: Equiniti

Finalists:

Equiniti

YBS Share Plans

 

Workplace Savings and Benefits Initiative of the Year

Judges' Comments: Judges praised the winner for its growing suite of salary-linked benefits that are helping both employers and employees

Winner: Salary Finance

Finalists:

ABAKA

iCOM Reward Works

Salary Finance

Smart Pension

Smarterly

Squire Patton Boggs