More UK employees could walk away from their jobs if they feel their employer is not taking pay concerns seriously, as organisations face fresh pressure to improve pay transparency and build trust around compensation.
That’s according to a new global survey that found the majority, or 59 percent, of UK employees would consider resigning if they raised pay concerns and their employer failed to address them. It suggests a potential retention risk even in workplaces where staff say they are broadly satisfied with their salary.
The research, commissioned by HR firm Remote, reveals that 73 percent of UK employees said they were mostly or definitely satisfied with their current salary, including 91 percent of 16 to 24 year olds.
Pay satisfaction did not mean workers felt financially secure, as 65 percent of UK employees were worried about the impact of a static salary, with 10 percent saying they would struggle to cover basic necessities.
Cost pressures leave pay confidence exposed
The survey suggests that pay confidence could quickly shift if household costs continued to rise. More than a quarter of UK employees, 28 percent, said they would need to make major cutbacks if their salary stayed the same, while 17 percent said they could maintain their lifestyle and still have flexibility for savings and investments.
Barbara Matthews, chief people officer at Remote, argued that employers needed to treat pay as an ongoing conversation rather than a one-off decision. “Feeling fairly paid today doesn’t guarantee that’ll hold tomorrow. Maintaining an open dialogue around compensation is so important because it shows employees their needs and concerns are genuinely being heard.”
The survey also suggested differences in how groups experienced pay. It found men were generally more satisfied with their salary than women, with 31 percent of female employees in the UK reporting dissatisfaction compared with 22 percent of men.
Many still uneasy asking for raise
While more than half of UK employees said they felt confident discussing pay, the data pointed to lingering discomfort. Asked how comfortable they would feel requesting a pay rise, 39.46 percent said they would feel somewhat comfortable and 19.98 percent said very comfortable. But 25.07 percent said they would not feel very comfortable and 11.69 percent said they would not feel comfortable at all.
Matthews framed the issue as cultural as well as financial. “If four in ten employees don’t feel comfortable asking for a pay raise, we have a culture problem,” she said. “When people can talk honestly about pay, trust grows and inequities shrink.”
The research suggests that a lack of responsiveness from employers could quickly translate into turnover risk. It found 37.76 percent of UK employees would be likely to consider leaving if no action was taken after they raised salary concerns, while 20.88 percent said they would be very likely to do so.
Matthews said employers should not treat pay discussions as taboo. “Pay conversations in the workplace are often seen as uncomfortable or even inappropriate. But silence only breeds inequity and disengagement. When organisations encourage open, honest discussions about compensation, they set the foundation for a truly transparent pay culture.”
The study was carried out by pollster Censuswide between 30 September and 7 October 2025 among 6,260 white-collar professionals across seven countries, including the UK.
