One in seven companies offers some form of choice regarding employee benefits, according to a report by consultants Watson Wyatt.
Flexible benefits allow employees to exchange holiday entitlement for extra pension contributions, or have childcare provision instead of a company car.
The research showed that senior staff are the most likely to be offered full flexible benefits plans. Of those companies offering some level of flexibility, directors and senior managers are eligible in 91% of cases, managers and professionals in 83% of cases, supervisors in 69% of cases, clerical staff in 60% of cases and manual workers in 46% of cases. The larger the employment package, the more room for flexibility.
The options of benefits available include: private medical insurance (most popular and being offered by 69% of those companies with flexible packages), company cars and holidays (both offered by 60% of those with flexibility), life assurance (37%), dental plans (34%), pensions (31%), childcare (17%) and critical illness cover (9%).
