http://www.watsonwyatt.com/news/pressreleases.asp Latest Watson Wyatt Press Releases en-us Copyright 2005 Watson Wyatt Worldwide http://backend.userland.com/rss091 1/5/2009 11:14:41 PM 20 UK – December 29, 2008 - Watson Wyatt sets out what it believes will be the key challenges facing the insurance industry during 2009. [Europe]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20287Singapore, 18 December 2008 - Carl Hess, global head of investment consulting at Watson Wyatt, said: “2009 will likely herald a deepening of this recession and in turn will bring a new investment regime which will be much more conservative on average than what we''ve seen over the past 20 years. [Asia-Pacific]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20275WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 19, 2008 — U.S. employers are stepping up their communication to workers about financial performance and solvency to help alleviate growing levels of stress and anxiety caused by the recession, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [Global]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20279Financial services companies are stopping hiring and are implementing organisation-wide restructuring, but are not expecting to introduce widespread pay freezes in 2009, according to consultants Watson Wyatt. [Europe]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20268WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2008 — The number of companies implementing cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, hiring and salary freezes and smaller pay raises, has risen sharply in just two months, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [United States]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20269WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2008 —Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm, announced today that it has acquired SMART Human Resource Vietnam Company Limited (“SMART HR”), a premier HR consulting services firm in Vietnam. [Global]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20271WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2008 —Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm, announced today that it has acquired SMART Human Resource Vietnam Company Limited (“SMART HR”), a premier HR consulting services firm in Vietnam. [Asia-Pacific]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20272With general uncertainty about what the economic future holds, the need for organisations to keep a tight focus on employee reward strategy will be more important in 2009 than ever before, according to Watson Wyatt. [United Kingdom]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=202622009 will likely herald a deepening of this recession and in turn will bring a new investment regime which will be much more conservative on average than what we''ve seen over the past 20 years. [Europe]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20238The Pensions Regulator (tPR) is trying to strike a difficult balance when it comes to the affordability of pension contributions, according to Watson Wyatt. Alongside its publication on recovery plans submitted during the first two years of the scheme specific funding regime, tPR has told trustees that they should not ‘over-react’ to the downturn but should be prepared to take account of ‘short-term cash flow difficulties’. [Europe]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20217With the recession showing no end in sight and the current spotlight on executive pay, many U.S. companies are cutting back on the annual bonuses and long-term incentives they pay their executives, according to a survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [United States]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20218Employee engagement in many Asia-Pacific countries - including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan - has declined over the past year, according to Watson Wyatt''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s 2008/2009 WorkAsia(TM) study. [Asia-Pacific]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20210Watson Wyatt has bolstered its settlement solutions team with the appointment of Robert Fitzsimmons as a consulting programme manager. His recruitment shows Watson Wyatt's growing focus on settlement projects. [United Kingdom]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20211In the midst of an economic crisis, rising health costs are leading an increasing number of U.S. workers to take steps to reduce their own spending on medical care, according to a survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [United States]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20212As the global financial crisis takes a tighter grip on the economy, some Canadian employers are bracing themselves for the looming economic slump. More than four in ten companies either have made or are planning layoffs or reductions (44%) and revising merit payments (42%) over the next year. According to the survey conducted in November 2008 by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm, employers are also ramping up employee communications and halting new staffing. The survey also indicates that while many companies are considering changes, less than 20% consider such changes to be significant. [Canada - English]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20240Two out of three defined benefit (DB) pension schemes expect employer contributions to rise following their next valuation, according to a survey by consultants Watson Wyatt. Despite this, over 40 per cent of schemes believe that they will no longer meet their planned timetable to become fully funded. [Europe]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20204Leading global consulting firm Watson Wyatt has strengthened its investment consulting team with two new senior appointments. Ross Barry has been recruited as Head of Portfolio Construction and Diversity, and Anna Weickart has joined as a Manager Research Consultant, specialising in Australian equities. [Australia]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20205The Government's decision to cut VAT and then put it up again could add around £3 billion to companies' defined benefit pension liabilities, according to Watson Wyatt. [United Kingdom]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20196 [United States]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20189Compensation committees at U.S. companies had been making significant adjustments to how they compensate their chief executives even prior to the recent financial crisis, according to an annual study by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [United States]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20176