Nearly one in five UK job adverts promote legal or baseline workplace entitlements as “perks”, according to new research examining thousands of listings across the labour market.
An analysis of 9,646 job adverts by employee experience platform Reward Gateway | Edenred found that 18% highlight at least one statutory or standard workplace provision as a benefit. Examples include statutory holiday entitlement, lunch breaks, or basic workplace amenities.
The research arrives as the UK government considers stronger action on pay transparency and equal pay enforcement, with campaign groups and policymakers increasingly scrutinising how organisations advertise roles and compensation.
The study also found that 30% of job adverts provide no salary information at all, despite research showing that 64% of jobseekers say they will not apply for a role unless pay is disclosed.
Industries most likely to omit salary details were strategy and consultancy roles, with 205 listings lacking pay information. Estate agencies followed with 154 adverts, while manufacturing accounted for 143 listings without salary disclosure.
Compensation structures may partly explain these gaps. Consulting roles often rely on negotiation-based salary structures tied to billable rates, while estate agency earnings are typically commission-driven. Manufacturing positions frequently combine base salary with shift allowances, skill premiums, or location-based supplements.
By contrast, sectors including retail, catering, social care, and charities were among the most transparent when advertising salary information.
Across the adverts analysed, 17% listed a fixed salary while 53% provided a salary range. However, the average gap between the lower and upper bounds of advertised salary bands was £9,887.
Estate agencies recorded the widest average salary bands at £43,274, followed by law at £30,103 and insurance at £20,921. In contrast, customer service roles, apprenticeships, and retail positions displayed much narrower pay ranges.
The study also examined how organisations present workplace benefits within job listings.
More than 1,000 companies promoted access to drinking water as a perk, while 553 highlighted coffee availability. Training appeared in 457 adverts as a stated benefit, despite being widely regarded as a necessary component of most professional roles.
A further 336 companies listed the statutory UK minimum of 28 days annual leave — including bank holidays — as a perk rather than a legal entitlement. Charity organisations, social care providers, and sales roles were most likely to present this baseline entitlement as a benefit.
Other minor perks listed in adverts included snacks, fruit, casual dress codes, pizza, and Christmas parties. Ping-pong tables — once a staple of workplace perk lists — appeared in only a single listing.
Chris Britton, People Experience Director at Reward Gateway | Edenred, said the findings highlight the importance of greater transparency in recruitment.
“It’s surprising that nearly one in five job ads still promote basic legal entitlements as perks and that salary transparency remains limited, with 30% of adverts providing no pay information.
“However, improving transparency is vital to helping both employers and employees. It enables candidates to make informed career decisions, while helping businesses attract and retain top talent.
“Businesses should prioritise delivering meaningful benefits that support financial, physical, and emotional well-being, rather than repackaging minimal offerings to make roles appear more attractive.”
The findings also align with growing calls for clearer job advertising standards. Campaigns such as #SayThePay have gained traction in recent months as jobseekers push for mandatory salary disclosure in recruitment listings.
The full study can be viewed on the Reward Gateway | Edenred website.
