richard-parkin

More than half (53%) of respondents under the age of 35 cite flexible working as one of the top three most attractive benefits when applying for a new job, according to research by Fidelity International.

Its survey of 1,230 UK employees also found that 53% of all respondents list annual leave in their top three most attractive benefits.

The research also found:

  • 51% of all respondents cite flexible working as one of their top three most attractive workplace benefits, 44% list pension contributions, and 38% include bonuses in their top three workplace benefits.
  • 29% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 35 include employer pension contributions in their top three benefits, compared to 57% of respondents aged over 55.
  • 46% of respondents aged 18-35 years old include generous annual leave in the top three most attractive benefits when applying for a new job, and 37% place bonuses in their top three.
  • 48% of male respondents place pensions in their top three benefits, compared to 40% of female respondents.
  • 57% of female respondents cite flexible working as one of the top three most attractive benefits.
  • 58% of respondents aged 35-54 years old list annual leave in their top three benefits, followed by pension contributions (52%), and flexible working (50%).

Richard Parkin (pictured), head of pensions policy at Fidelity International, said: “It’s perhaps not surprising that younger people don’t think about retirement saving when choosing a job but it could be costly not to do so. Making pension contributions at an early age is much more cost effective than leaving it until later life.

“While [employees] might have got a salary increase on changing jobs, if [their] new employer is paying less in pension contributions than [their] current employer [they] may not be as well off in the long run.”