HR practitioners from different industries gathered together on July 1, 2011 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel for an afternoon discussion of Flexible Benefits (Flexben) programs in the Philippines. Entitled Flex Talks, the event was composed of two parts: introductory address and the multi-sectoral panel discussion.

Drawing from his decade-long experience in local Flexben implementation programs, Peter Cauton briefly provided the participants with the basics, practices, advantages, as well as critical Flexben trends during his introductory address.

“It brought awareness of the new trends on benefits package administration and customizing it depending on the individual needs of the employees,” Atty. Agnes Villano, head of HR and Legal of Orange and Bronze Software Labs concurred.

To provide the participants with an extensive and multi-angled discussion, STORM Consulting invited three distinguished HR practitioners from the cosmetics, advertising and IT industries to share their Flexben experiences: Weng Manalaysay, HR Director of GroupM Philippines; Chona Ahorro, Human Capital Management head of Pointwest Technologies; and Paolo Domingo, Senior Learning for Development Manager of L’Oreal Philippines.

The panelists vigorously tackled the pros, cons, tips, and best practices drawing from their first-hand experience of implementing Flexben in their respective organizations.

“[The] panelists sharing real-life experience were enlightening,” Simon Villalon of Hewlett-Packard said.

By the end of the seminar, the participants were not only equipped with the essential Flexben knowledge, they also got a glimpse of the emerging Flexben trends and practices in the Philippines.