A significant revelation has emerged from new job ad analysis in the UK, showing many employers present statutory rights as workplace benefits.
- The study, conducted by Rippl, found that 46% of job listings highlight legal rights such as pensions and holidays as perks.
- Free parking and similar amenities are frequently advertised, despite being basic expectations, particularly in suburban areas.
- Perks like free tea and fruit, commonly deemed as basic courtesies, are included in job ads as benefits.
- Experts argue that minimal offerings are unlikely to attract or retain top talent, urging companies to prioritize meaningful benefits.
A significant revelation from a recent analysis of UK job ads by Rippl has shown that a large portion of employers are presenting statutory rights as workplace benefits. This pattern was discovered across major job listing sites in the UK, revealing that 46% of active job vacancies misleadingly list legal entitlements, such as pensions and statutory holidays, as if they are unique perks.
The study highlighted several statutory and basic amenities disguised as enticing benefits. Notably, the presence of ‘company pension’ appeared in over 124,000 job advertisements, ’20 days holiday’ featured in more than 2,000, and ‘statutory sick pay’ was mentioned 253 times. Furthermore, conveniences like free or on-site parking, with over 66,000 and 95,000 mentions respectively, were marketed as attractive draws despite being standard facility provisions, especially in non-urban areas.
This trend extends to include comparatively trivial offerings, identified in job postings as benefits. Such listings reference complimentary items like tea and fruit, with tea being the most cited at 1,078 times. Other offers included free pizza, which was listed 126 times, raffles at 435 mentions, and even beanbag chairs, albeit only mentioned three times. These items, while nice, fall short of substantial employee benefits.
Chris Brown, CEO of Rippl, criticizes this approach, emphasizing that “while complementary fruit or Friday office pizza are nice to have, these perks do little to attract or retain top talent in today’s competitive job market.” He insists that more genuine offerings, such as competitive salaries, meaningful perks, flexible working arrangements, and genuine wellbeing support, are essential to create a compelling workplace culture that not only attracts but also retains employees.
Employers should focus on authentic benefits rather than statutory or minimal offerings to attract and retain high-quality talent.
