UK Employee Benefits Trends: What Do Workers Want In 2025?

Tenth Revolution Group spoke with more than 1,500 people who work with Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, Microsoft, and similar platforms. Their findings suggest that employees want around 21% extra pay if they’re to remain with their current employer.

About half of those surveyed plan on staying where they are over the next year. The rest are looking at fresh opportunities and believe a 25% boost would make a job switch worthwhile.

Many in tech say better financial rewards could prevent them from jumping to a different role, especially as staff shortages continue to be an issue.

 

What Makes This Information Valuable for Employers?

 

Leaders are under growing pressure to hold on to skilled workers. An extra 21% in salary might be enough to keep a key team member from leaving.

Compensation stands out as a major factor, though it’s also wise to think about career progress and a supportive environment. Many specialists appreciate clear paths to grow their talents and a workplace that encourages development.

A timely pay raise before people start searching for external roles can save money and effort in hiring replacements. Listening closely to staff needs is an effective way to maintain loyalty.

 

Is There Advice from Tenth Revolution Group?

 

James Lloyd-Townshend, the Chairman and CEO, explains that a proactive boost in pay can discourage employees from resigning. He suggests 21% as a helpful guideline for retention, while 25% may attract new hires.

“IT professionals value stability and growth, but they also know their worth in a market driven by constant innovation and demand,” he said. “This data highlights that employers have an opportunity to retain talent by aligning pay increases with industry expectations before employees feel the need to seek external opportunities.”

The survey data points to wages as a big factor in loyalty for tech staff. Reviewing pay packages could reduce the expensive cycle of constantly recruiting and losing workers.

A forward-thinking outlook paired with clear career pathways can be a solid solution. Fair pay, along with good development options, seems to keep people motivated and invested in their jobs.
 

 

What Are Businesses Doing To Keep Employees?

 

Companies are also making sure they’re making the workplace a better environment with better resources for employees.
Richard Sharrock from Sood shared, “We’re adding a few new things for employees this year. One of these things is wellbeing days.

“On the final Friday of every month, we’re going to do something other than usual work. We’ve done this a few times – an office bake off, board games and sports days. We’re going to do this every single month going into 2025.

“Another thing is that we’re adding a system so that for every year an employee works here, we’re giving them an extra holiday for up to 10 years. We’ll also be getting new chairs for everyone as back ache seems rife.” In terms of employee wishes, a few have shared what they want from an employee benefits perspective, and this is what they said…

 

Jamie Griffin, Head of Commercial Partnerships, Livi UK, says:

 
Enhancements to current employee benefits schemes to include instant GP access service.

“With NHS GP waiting times at 7-14 days and 60 percent of common conditions not covered by mental and occupational programs or private insurers, a new solution is needed in the UK to help employees balance their busy days.

“Whilst private medical insurers offer a great solution to larger businesses, many smaller businesses are looking for an alternative to full medical insurance for their employees. Access to on-demand video GP consultations, health and wellbeing content, prescriptions, fit notes and referrals for onward care and treatment are key to covering more health conditions and providing flexible care while managing busy schedules.

“A survey by Unum3 revealed that the equivalent of 201 million hours were taken by employees visiting the GP and other health professionals, with the average full-time worker spending 8.3 hours attending appointments in 2023. The average employee made up to 3.1 visits to their GP and 1.7 visits to specialists, of which 2.5 hours were taken as paid sick leave.”

“Of the 2,000 UK workers who responded to the poll, 60 percent said they found taking time off for these appointments ‘stressful’, while 25 percent said they had to cancel an appointment due to personal issues or their workload being too high. As we start the new year, health and fitness are top of our agenda and on demand GP appointments are an employee benefit that is available for many companies today.”

 

Rebecca Leigh, Educator and editor, Academized.com, said:

 
“What I’d look for in 2025 as an employee is a flexible benefits package that provides me with some wellbeing. Hybrid working is something I’m in need of because it helps me manage both work and life. And mental health services—I would love counselling or wellness initiatives, given the current frantic times.

“I also want to be financially secure, so better pensions or money advice would be much appreciated. I would also be interested in having more individualised benefits at the end, such as extra holidays or family care. The more specific and personalised the benefits, the more inspired and devoted I am to my work.”

 

Adam Bennett, Head of Marketing, Digital ID, wants the following:

 
“For 2025, personalised incentives will be highly appreciated as every employee is unique. Health and wellness benefits, such as yoga or pilates passes, can help improve posture for those spending long hours at a desk. Allocating ‘mental health days’ will also be beneficial.

“It’s been shown time and time again that valued employees produce the highest standard of work and stay loyal, so recognising them through initiatives like “Employee of the Month” or performance-related rewards (such as an extra day off) will be effective.

“Other personalised incentives that workplaces should consider are Childcare support for parents and travel insurance for employees who love to travel. At the end of the day, every employee is different, so personalised incentives will increase employee satisfaction by showing that a company has taken time to understand them on an individual level.”