Research from 2,000 UK employees and 300 HR leaders reveals what people actually want from their employee benefits, and where most employers are still falling short. Get the full findings, free.
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Paid sick leave beats pay rises as the most valued benefit (68% vs 60%)
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60% want inflation-matching pay, but only 38% of employers deliver it
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88% of employees have at least one thing that makes them happy at work, and it’s rarely pay
Download the guide
Benefits are under more scrutiny than ever, and guesswork won’t cut it
Employer National Insurance contributions are rising. Wage bills are under pressure. And HR teams are being asked to justify every pound of reward spend.
At the same time, benefits have never mattered more to the people you’re trying to keep. HR leaders have named offering a good range of employee benefits one of their biggest priorities for 2026.
The problem is that too many benefits strategies are still built on assumptions, not evidence. This guide replaces the guesswork with real data on what employees value, where employers are falling short, and how to close that gap.
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What you’ll get from the guide
- The benefits employees value most: the definitive ranking, and how men and women differ
- Mind the gap: where employee demand and employer provision are furthest apart
- One size doesn’t fit all: tailoring benefits to age and life stage
- Beyond benefits: what genuinely drives happiness, engagement and retention
- Your action plan: five practical, data-led steps for employers
A taste of what the data shows
1st
among the most valued employee benefits is paid sick leave, ranking above pay rises.
60%
of employees want pay rises that match or beat inflation. Only 38% of employers provide them.
88%
of employees have at least one thing that makes them feel happy at work.
How organisations like yours are putting this into practice
“A personalised benefits platform gives HR and reward teams the structure to design a thoughtful package, the tools to communicate it so people actually use what’s on offer, and employees genuine choice across their health, financial and lifestyle priorities. That’s where we see significant improvement in wellbeing, and it shows up in retention, attraction and engagement.” Phil Curtis, benefits specialist
It's not just a nice idea. EMCOR UK saw engagement rise from 57% to 73% after rolling out FlexGenius, and staff turnover dropped from 23% to 14.5% in the years that followed.
What’s inside the guide?
The guide gives HR, people and reward leaders a clear view of what UK employees value most, where employer provision falls short, and how to close the gap with confidence. You’ll get full benefit rankings, insight into differences by gender, age and life stage, and a practical five-step action plan you can put to work straight away. It is free to download, with no cost and no sales call, and draws on Ciphr Group research with 2,000 UK employees and 300 UK HR decision-makers.
Ready to see what your people really want?
Download the guide now and find out where your benefits package is already winning, and where the gaps are costing you talent.