The UK is a nation divided by benefits, according to new research from Vebnet.
The survey of UK employees found that as well as variations between genders and age groups, benefit choices also differ greatly between regions.
People in the south west are most likely to increase their pensions savings, with 17% doing so compared to a national average of 10%. The survey found that 20% more men than women have increased the amount they contribute to their pension.
The 26 to 35 age group have the highest take-up of personal accident insurance, while those aged 36 to 45 are more worried about serious illness and have the highest take-up of critical illness insurance.
The highest take-up of retail vouchers is by employees in the midlands, north west and Wales, and at 9% is almost four times as popular in these regions than in the south east (2.4%).
For the under 25s, shopping vouchers are three times more popular than making extra pensions savings.
Richard Morgan, director of consultancy at Vebnet, said: “Ten years ago there was very little on offer in the way of flexible benefits, but now we have an array of options which can be tailored to suit different lifestyles, allowing employees to really take advantage of the benefits and make some incredible savings.
“It is fascinating to see how individual preferences vary by gender, age and where we live. This underlines the importance of understanding the needs of the individual and developing employee communication strategies with a different balance and focus for each key segment of the population.”
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