Employers boost benefits to control wage rises

Research from the insurer claims 45% of small to medium sized businesses plan to improve their employee benefits packages instead of offering pay rises. It said a tenth of small employers have already offered better benefits to staff instead of a pay rise in the past year. Extra paid holidays, flexible working hours and home working were the most likely benefits to be offered. Dominic Grinstead, managing director at MetLife UK, said: "It is encouraging to see a number of SMEs in the UK looking at embracing more sophisticated employee benefits packages in the future. "They may ne...