Workplace pension call to action 2016 – Don’t ignore it!

By Mattioli Woods

04 Feb 2016

As the New Year gets underway and all those Resolutions that have been made and in some cases already broken, the pensions world faces one of its own regulator imposed New Year Resolutions and also perhaps one of its toughest challenges.

To provide support and assistance to literally thousands of employers each and every month throughout 2016.

Professional pension advisers will have to be careful to ensure they have sufficient capacity to deliver a good level of service to all of their clients. For a further insight into the likely outcomes of the so called “capacity crunch” for professional advisers, you can read our “looking forward to 2016” article at http://www.taypat.co.uk/auto-enrolment-looking-foward-to-2016/.

In addition to this, employers are understandably feeling disgruntled at having to take on additional work in establishing a qualifying workplace pension scheme.

With the associated extra costs involved in the establishment and ongoing running costs of the pension scheme, employers feel the government have heaped onto their already substantial workloads of running a business an additional potentially time consuming burden.

But the task of having to put a workplace pension scheme in place at their staging date is one thing that will not just go away.

The question facing employers is what is this going to cost me to implement?

The answer is fairly simple, either engage the services of someone to take on the task of establishing a workplace pension scheme for them or go it alone. In which case, going it alone, the ‘cost’ will be the ‘time cost’ within the business of someone researching and implementing the appropriate solution and ensuring it is compliant and continues to be compliant in the future.

The specialist Auto Enrolment team at Taylor Patterson have already provided workplace pensions support to a broad spectrum of employers. Ranging from those that employ several hundred staff, down to employers with only one staff member with a tailored solution to suit each individual employer.

Most businesses that have staged already have used either their in house HR department or business adviser such as their accountant or pension scheme adviser to ensure this process was handled successfully for all concerned. But as we move forward into 2016 with around 500,000 employers reaching their staging date, smaller employers may feel they do not have the same level of support readily available to them.

If we look at what has happened already;

Is this the calm before the storm?

It seems that auto enrolment has been relatively successful so far: Figures from the Pensions Regulator show that since the start of auto enrolment, over 60,000 employers have put more than 5 million members of staff into a workplace pension. Opt-out rates are lower than expected and a handful of employers had completed their three year re-enrolment process at the end of 2015.

But some employers have struggled and have been subject to compliance action.

Up to the end of September 2015, more than 3,000 of the Pensions Regulator’s powers have been used, including 582 fixed penalty notices of £400 each. The real challenge will come over the next couple of years or so when around 1.8 million employers reach their staging date.

In response to this challenge, we have seen the Pensions Regulator step up its marketing drive to raise awareness with employers by introducing a giant purple creature called ‘Workie’ that has a simple message “Don’t ignore the workplace pension”. #DontIgnoreIt Smaller employers should not feel that they are alone in implementing this legislation. In spite of the increase in demand for professional advisers, help is still at hand for employers and ensuring you prepare early enough is key to success. Taylor Patterson has been heavily involved in auto enrolment since its inception in 2012. Drawing from our experience, we have developed a menu of services in which an employer can choose from to ensure they meet their auto enrolment needs. Through tailoring the level of service to the clients needs, we are well placed to provide support to employers going through the auto enrolment process.

Latest news

1

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University Keir Starmer meets Indian PM and included Prof Simon Guy Lancaster University. Pic Simon Dawson

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University

09 Oct 2025

2

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026 Best Events and Talented students on Lancashire Tourism Awards finalist list

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026

09 Oct 2025

3

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards Andrew Dewhurst with the award win

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards

09 Oct 2025

4

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool Jason Davenport PHX Training

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool

09 Oct 2025

5

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m Velocity Composites Has Announced Its Entry Into The Us Market

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m

08 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th
Ai 10.10.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Oct 2025 - 10 Oct 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West

Strathmore Hotel, Morecambe, LA4 5AP

08:00 - 10:00

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials
EventBrite NORi - 15th Oct 2025 Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials

Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine
LBV Advert_Autumn Reset 1200 x 630px.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine

The Artistry House , Preston , PR1 3JJ

17:30 - 19:30

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (26).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

October Freelancer Meet-Up
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

October Freelancer Meet-Up

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin