An increasing number of UK workers are giving a short-term boost to their salaries by contracting out of their company's employee benefits, according to research conducted by Unum .
A study from the provider has revealed that 38 per cent of companies have witnessed a growing trend over the past two years for employees to relinquish benefits such as income protection, life insurance or pension contributions, for a cash lump sum. In addition, around one in five (18 per cent) companies has witnessed a decrease in the amount employees are contributing into their pension schemes.
Marco Forato, Unum's Chief Marketing Officer, said: "We're witnessing several concerning trends that would point to many employees currently taking a very short-term view of their financial situation. Although there's no denying that a lot of people are struggling financially as a result of the recession, workers should only opt out of long-term financial benefits as a last resort."




