Many working in the pensions industry believe employees look to their employer for help understanding how much to save into a pension and which funds to invest in.

The results of an online poll carried out by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) also highlighted the new pressures that are being placed upon employers in the move from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) schemes, in terms of educating staff about the risks they are now exposed to.

Joanne Segars, chief executive of the NAPF said: "DC is the fastest growing part of the pensions market and because of this the associated challenges are rising just as rapidly. Employees do not just want standard information, they want in-depth information, much of which could be bordering on regulated advice. It means the skills of the employer have to be widened especially in being able to judge the difference. It can be a fine line but for the employer, it is a crucial legal and regulatory line."