More than a third of UK employees say they do not receive enough information about pay and benefits, according to new research from the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC).
The findings are published in ‘EXTRA: How employees feel about communication volume, channels and topics’, a supplement to the institute’s main 2025 IC Index. Based on responses from a representative sample of almost 5000 workers across the UK, the report highlights the areas where staff feel communication is lacking – and where it may be excessive.
As it was in the previous year’s report, pay and benefits represents the leading gap, with 36 per cent of employees reporting they hear too little on the subject, while career and personal development opportunities is next on the list (31 per cent), followed by guidance to help people do their jobs (27 per cent), which was ranked fourth last time round.
IC and HR working together
The report notes that each of these topics has a high impact on employee engagement when insufficient information is provided, and says: “It’s important that IC teams work with HR to make sure employees can find the information they need when they need it” and that “any changes are communicated proactively and comprehensively.”
Other areas flagged as under-communicated include organisational challenges (26 per cent), ways of working and hybrid working (26 per cent), and external context such as market conditions (24 per cent).
By contrast, some subjects appear to be over-emphasised. Diversity and inclusion is most often cited as an area where employees receive too much communication, at 21 per cent. Values and culture, along with people stories and news, also attracted higher-than-average “too much” responses.
The supplement also shows that a considerably smaller proportion of employees than previously felt they get too little information on organisational strategy and direction. The topic, which last year was among the top concerns for employees, has now dropped five places. Nineteen per cent say they hear too little about strategy, whereas 75 per cent believe they receive the right amount of information.
Overall, the research suggests, employees want more practical and individual-focused communication to support their pay, progression and day-to-day work, balanced alongside organisational updates. “People also need to know how they can progress,” it says, “and have the information they need to be able to do their job, areas where HR and managers will play a more significant role, but where IC teams can still support.”