As in previous years, the percentage of respondents that cite the cost of implementing a scheme as a barrier to offering flex is significantly higher than those citing the second most common reason.
When it comes to the ongoing cost of offering flexible benefits, including the technology required, this is considered much more of a barrier among employers that currently offer a flex scheme.
Some 41% of this group cite this as a barrier to flex, compared with 32% that have not implemented a scheme.
Conversely, respondents that do not offer flex are more likely to consider internal staff resourcing constraints and the impact of flex on internal HR and processes to be a barrier than their peers that have implemented a flexible benefits scheme (25% and 23% versus 18% and 16%, respectively).
Other barriers to flex that score highly year after year include the complexity of administration and getting approval for the business case.
Read the Employee Benefits/Towers Watson Flexible benefits research 2014 in full.
