Employees dissatisfied with level of pay rises and bonuses

2011 left many employees across all sectors dissatisfied with the size of pay rise and bonus they received, with the majority having seen their pay either frozen (48%) or cut (5%), and just 18% having received a cash bonus, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)'s annual survey of Employee Attitudes to Pay.

The survey also found that employees are readjusting their expectations for the coming year in line with the economic climate. Amongst those who did receive a pay rise in 2011, satisfaction levels have dipped slightly since last year. Nevertheless, most were happy, mainly because their pay rise reflected the state of the economy. However, just 19% felt that their pay rise had reflected how well they worked.

Charles Cotton, rewards advisor at the CIPD, says: "It's encouraging to see that employees recognise the impact the state of the economy has on their employers' ability to reward them with pay rises and cash bonuses. However, one of the main reasons cited for dissatisfaction with a pay rise was feeling that it didn't reflect how well the individual had performed. Employers must try harder to explain what performance the organisation values and how it will reward and recognise this. If not, levels of motivation and productivity could fall, perpetuating a vicious circle that could hold back both organisational performance and wider hopes of economic recovery."

The survey found that the proportion of employees receiving a pay rise has fallen from 67% in 2008 to 45% in 2011, down slightly on the 46% recorded in 2010. By sector, 51% of private sector employees have had a pay rise since the start of 2011, 45% did likewise in the voluntary sector, but just 24% of those in the public sector have received an increase. Among those receiving a pay rise the average (median) increase was 2.5%.

The survey found the proportion of employees who have been subject to a pay freeze has increased from 24% in 2008 to 48% in 2011. By sector, public sector employees (70%) are most likely to have seen their pay frozen in 2011, followed by those in the voluntary sector (48%) and the private sector (42%). In addition, 5% of employees saw their pay cut.

Some 26% of the employees surveyed work for employers that operate a cash bonus (33% in the private sector and 11% in the public sector). 68% of those eligible for a bonus award received one, down on the 72% recorded in 2010. Among those who received a bonus most were satisfied with it. The most common explanations for bonus satisfaction are: it reflected how well I had performed at work (37%); it reflected how much money the employer has made (31%); and it reflected how well my team had performed at work (18%).