Firms face pressure on pensions

Fewer than one in ten UK employers mention pension provisions in their job advertisements, a report by the Trades Union Congress has claimed.

According to the TUC’s annual survey, only 6.1% - 69 advertisements out of 1,132 - mentioned a pension, a decrease of 0.5% from 2004 figures. The survey also found that only 29 advertisements referred to a final salary scheme.

The figures were based on evidence based in a number of newspapers, including the ‘Sunday Times’, the ‘Guardian’, the ‘Evening Standard’ and the ‘Daily Mirror’, during a two-week period in July.

The figures are worse than the previous years, the TUC claimed. In 2004, researchers found that 6.6% - 101 advertisements out of 1,519 – mentioned a pension, with only half of those mentioning a final salary scheme. Only 13 of the advertisements mentioned the level of employer contribution.

The TUC described the findings as a “poor response”, especially in light of encouragement from the Department for Work and Pensions for firms to mention pensions in their job adverts.

The DWP recently arranged for all adverts through Jobcentre Plus to include pension information as part of their ‘Informed Choice’ programme.

Commenting on the findings, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Employers who offer workplace pension schemes should be boasting about it. Those who don’t are missing a golden opportunity to attract and retain key workers who are seeking a pension in their benefits package.

“If all job adverts gave clear information on their pension schemes, prospective employees would take the advertisement more seriously.”

(KMcA/SP)