Nearly 50 per cent of workers would sacrifice pay for a higher pension contribution by their employer
Europeans are certainly a practical bunch, with nearly 50 per cent of workers stating that they would sacrifice pay for a higher pension contribution by their employer, compared to only 13 per cent who would give up some of their salary for extra vacation days, according to consulting firm Aon Hewitt.
The desire for greater pension contributions from employers is uniformly the benefit most requested across all surveyed countries. While pensions have become a hot-button issue across Europe over recent years, this finding demonstrates that European workers are beginning to take their long-term savings and future seriously.
This research is part of Aon Hewitt's European Employee Benefits Benchmark, a survey of more than 7,500 workers from across Europe. The survey focuses on the views of workers on topics such as retirement, employee benefits and other pension-related issues.
Across Europe, financial security in the event of a serious injury or illness was also a popular ‘salary sacrifice’ option, as was assistance with saving for a major expenditure such as a home, car or school fees.
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Top 10 benefits Europeans would like if they were part of their pay packet. (Achieved by sacrificing some of the pay they would actually receive.) | |
|
Benefit |
European Average |
|
1. A higher pension contribution from your employer |
49% |
|
2. Greater financial protection in the event of illness/injury |
35% |
|
3. A savings plan to help save for a specific goal (e.g. home deposit, car, school fees) |
26% |
|
4. Ability to take 3 – 6 months unpaid or part-paid leave |
26% |
|
5. An education course of worker’s choice |
23% |
|
6. Childcare |
18% |
|
7. Alternative healthcare treatments |
15% |
|
8. Purchase extra vacation days |
13% |
|
9. A home cleaning and ironing service |
10% |
|
10. Company mobile phone |
9% |
