Quarter of Brits would turn down higher wages for perks

Just over half (55 per cent) of UK workplaces currently offer employment bonuses such as a company car or free food.

Workers in Wales were the most likely to accept a lower salary for extras, with almost a third saying they would accept a position for less money if it had better perks.

The UK-wide survey commissioned by Printerland.co.uk asked 2,000 workers about the work perks they already received and which they wish they had.

It found the most common perks offered are flexitime (51 per cent), financial bonuses (50 per cent), free food (32 per cent), gadgets like phones and tablets (21 per cent) and company cars (11 per cent).

The more unique benefits offered to staff include perks such as duvet days and counselling, while others get massages and holidays.

When asked what perks employees would like, freebies such as Netflix subscriptions and event tickets came out top (42 per cent), followed by free trips (37 per cent).

Some 35 per cent of workers said they'd like shopping discounts, while others listed gym memberships (28 per cent) and on-site facilities such as a crèche (25 per cent).

Despite the popularity of work perks, 16 per cent of people said that they didn't want any additional employment benefits, with one claiming the cost would catch up with them in other areas.

Chris Ralph, marketing manager at Printerland.co.uk, said: "There has been a culture shift in UK businesses over the last few years as companies shift their focus from attracting new talent, to retaining current staff.

"In fact, a survey by Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) shows that 47 per cent of businesses operating in the UK have awarded pay rises over the last 12 months to encourage their employees to stay.

"However, the data from our latest survey has shown that a quarter of employed Brits would rather take a pay cut and receive work perks, which shows how important increasing staff morale can be to a business."

The survey revealed London businesses offer staff the most perks, with just over 60 per cent of those employed in the capital receiving benefits.

The East Midlands is the region offering employees the fewest work perks.

Despite this, the data shows that those working in the East Midlands have the highest level of job satisfaction, with almost half of respondents citing a job fulfillment of 80 per cent, compared to a national average of 65 per cent.