Research by HR, benefits and payroll software provider Ciphr has revealed that paid sick leave (company sick pay) is the employee benefit that people value most – ahead of pay rises.
Pay rises that match or exceed inflation rank second, and flexible working hours third. Pension contribution matching and extra holiday allowance complete the top five.
Ciphr's employee benefits statistics are based on a 2026 survey of 2,000 UK employees, and a 2025 survey of 300 employers. The report includes a comparison between what benefits and incentives UK employers offer their staff and what employees rate as being most important to them.
The best employee benefits, ranked by UK workers
| Rank | Benefit | % of employees who value this |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Paid sick leave | 68% |
| 2. | Annual pay rises that match or exceed inflation | 60% |
| 3. | Flexible working hours | 58% |
| 4. | Pension contribution matching | 54% |
| 5. | Extra holiday allowance | 50% |
| 6. | Upskilling | 48% |
| 7. | Employee discounts scheme | 46% |
| 8. | Paid overtime | 42% |
| 9. | Hybrid working | 41% |
| =10. | Personalised employee development | 37% |
| =10. | Private health insurance | 37% |
Employee benefits: What women want, what men want
| Rank | What women want | What men want |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Paid sick leave: 70% of surveyed women | Paid sick leave: 64% of surveyed men |
| 2. | Annual pay rises (≥ inflation): 62% | Annual pay rises (≥ inflation): 58% |
| 3. | Flexible working hours: 60% | Pension contribution matching: 56% |
| 4. | Pension contribution matching: 53% | Flexible working hours: 54% |
| 5. | Extra holiday allowance: 49% | Extra holiday allowance: 52% |
| 6. | Upskilling: 48% | Upskilling: 48% |
| 7. | Employee discounts scheme: 47% | Employee discounts scheme: 44% |
| 8. | Paid overtime: 44% | Hybrid working: 43% |
| 9. | Hybrid working: 39% | Personalised L&D: 41% |
| 10. | Mental health and wellbeing support: 36% | Private health insurance: 41% |
| 11. | Personalised L&D: 35% | Performance bonus: 41% |
| 12. | Private health insurance: 34% | Paid overtime: 39% |
| 13. | Paid leave to study: 34% | Market-value salary: 39% |
| 14. | Death benefits/life insurance: 33% | Paid leave to study: 35% |
| 15. | Performance bonus: 30% | Death benefits/life insurance: 35% |
The employee benefits and incentives that matter most to different age groups
Employee benefits: what employees value vs what employers offer
- 66% of employees value paid sick leave, but only 56% of employers offer it to all staff
- 60% of employees want inflation-matching pay rises, but only 38% of employers award them
- Biggest gaps between what employees want and what employers offer: annual inflation-matching pay rises (60% vs 38%) and extra holiday allowance (50% vs 38%)
| Rank | Benefit / support | % of employees who value this | % of employers who offer this |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paid sick leave (occupational sick pay) | 68% | 56% |
| 2 | Annual pay rises that match or exceed (≥) inflation | 60% | 38% |
| 3 | Flexible working hours | 58% | 59% |
| 4 | Pension contribution matching | 54% | 52% |
| 5 | Extra holiday allowance | 50% | 38% |
| 6 | Upskilling | 48% | 62% |
| 7 | Employee discounts scheme (on shopping / travel etc) | 46% | 59% |
| 8 | Paid overtime | 42% | 46% |
| 9 | Hybrid working | 41% | 57% |
| 10 | Personalised employee development (mentoring / coaching etc) | 37% | 52% |
| 11 | Private health insurance | 37% | 45% |
| 12 | Mental health and wellbeing support | 35% | 52% |
| 13 | Performance bonus | 35% | 56% |
| 14 | Paid leave to study (for professional qualifications) | 34% | 45% |
| 15 | Death in service benefit / life insurance | 34% | 31% |
| 16 | Market-value salary | 33% | 28% |
| 17 | Reskilling or retraining | 31% | 48% |
| 18 | Subsidised meals or snacks | 29% | 48% |
| 19 | Access to private GP services / appointments | 29% | 30% |
| 20 | Four-day work week | 28% | 22% |
Notes
This research includes the results of two surveys commissioned by Ciphr and conducted by OnePoll. The survey of 2,000 UK employees ran in February 2026. The survey of 300 HR decision-makers (employed at UK organisations) ran in July 2025. Both surveys included similar questions on the topic of employee benefits and incentives.
Respondents taking the employee survey were asked:
- Which, if any, of the following financial benefits are important to you?
- What types of leave or time-off benefits are important to you?
- Which flexible or remote working options are important to you?
- Which, if any, of the following health and wellbeing benefits or family or life benefits are important to you?
- Which, if any, of the following professional development opportunities are important to you?
- What lifestyle or perk-related benefits are important to you?
Respondents taking the HR/employers survey were asked:
- Which, if any, of the following financial benefits are available to all employees in your organisation?
- What types of leave or time-off benefits are available to all employees?
- Which flexible or remote working options are available to all employees?
- Which, if any, of the following health and wellbeing benefits or family or life benefits are available to all employees?
- Which, if any, of the following professional development opportunities are available to all employees?
- What lifestyle or perk-related benefits are available to all employees?
- Are there any other benefits your organisation offers to all employees that haven’t been listed above?
Fair use statement: If you are interested in sharing these statistics, or quoting this study in an article, please include a link to this infographic page and credit Ciphr. Thanks.
Author: Emma-Louise Jones
This infographic was published in April 2026. It replaced an earlier version published in May 2022.
To read the key findings from the 2022 survey:
New poll reveals the benefits and perks that employees value most