The average pension contribution rate has fallen by 3.2% from 2016 to 2017, according to Aon’s 2017 Defined Contribution (DC) Scheme Survey.
The rate has fallen from a combined 12.7% of salary (6% employee and 6.7% employer) in 2016’s member survey, to 9.5% of salary in the 2017 survey (3% employee and 6% employer).
Additionally 41% of survey respondents will have to increase their default contribution rates before April 2019 when the minimum becomes 8% (with at least 3% from the employer).
Encouragingly, the survey also discovered a shift towards schemes now using a wider range of approaches to engage staff. The majority of schemes (84%) now use at least one written and one online form of communication, and 70% include some form of face-to-face involvement, which includes presentations and seminars or access to an adviser.
So how can HR professionals – now increasingly involved in pension design, delivery and communication – even better engage their staff with pensions and help them navigate an increasingly complex pensions landscape?
Our Guide to Workplace Pensions ebook, produced in partnership with Aon, is designed to allow them to do exactly this. As well as further insight from Aon's Defined Contribution (DC) Scheme Survey it includes engagement tips from HRDs, a pensions checklist, and insight into the future of pensions.
