In Reply to: Flexible Benefits posted by limpet on 20 October 2005 at 10:42:57:
: I plan to opt out for as long as I can, but presumably IBM will get me in the end.
I see it much the same way as you do. The line IBM is taking in roadshows is that while you may opt out now, come April 2007 you will have no choice.
Current employees might like to look at discussions on the topic of You* that are ongoing in forums.biz.m-working.uk (on forums.ibm.com), and ibm.hursley.hurchat (on hurnews.hursley.ibm.com). I posted the following comment recently:
My understanding of this is that the statement about it being
compulsory in 2007 is based on the assumption that a majority of eligible employees will opt into You* in the first year.
By opting in (or rather by not opting out, because if you do nothing, at some point you are deemed to have opted in by continuing to turn up for work) you will agree to the change in T&Cs. You can actively opt out - in law they must offer you that option.
But assuming a majority do opt in, the scheme becomes "established" in the eyes of HMRC etc, and IBM is then entitled to make the scheme compulsory for all employees. So in that case you don't have a choice, other than to leave IBM's employment.
The only way to avoid the compulsion in 2007 would be if a majority were to actively opt out this time round. I honestly can't see that happening, and frankly what would be the point? Any attempt to orchestrate a campaign towards that end would inevitably be career-limiting, and seen from IBM's perspective, why wouldn't you want IBM to be able to make substantial and perfectly legal savings on NI, while offering you the same benefits plus some albeit questionable additional flexibility?