Moreover, 36% of staff that do not currently receive some form of performance-related pay think that doing so would likewise make them more productive, although only three out of 10 are renumerated in this way today.

 

Generation Y (aged 18-29) and Generation X (aged 30-47) staff are more likely to receive some form of performance-related pay than Baby Boomers (aged 48-65), however. The practice is also more widespread among financial and business services firms, IT providers and science/pharmaceutical companies than it is in other industries.

 

These are the findings of a survey among 6,000 UK workers undertaken by recruitment agency Kelly Services as part of its wider Global Workforce Index, which involved 134,000 people in 29 countries.

 

Kelly Services’ interim country manager Andrew Cook said: “Many employees are actually quite comfortable about some element of their compensation being tied to their individual or group performance. This indicates that many are confident in their ability to perform their jobs well and believe they can share in the rewards of improved workplace productivity.”

 

But there was also strong support for employers to take a more active role in promoting workforce health. About half of those questioned believed organisations should provide incentives to encourage a healthier lifestyle, which included taking up exercise and losing weight, while 79% said such initiatives should be part of their employment package.

 

The most popular health benefits were health insurance (52%), followed by gym access or discounts (31%), smoke-free environments (8%) and on-site health screening (5%).

 

Aside from salary, training (54%) was rated as the best benefit an employer could provide. Flexible working came next (18%), followed by holidays or personal time off (9%) and retirement benefits (8%).