'33% of workers have no pension from employer'

OVER one third of workers do not have a pension or PRSA provided by their employer, according to a new survey.

It was carried out by RecruitIreland.com on Lifestyle. The survey covered over 470 respondents.

Apart from the pension deficit, the ongoing love affair between Irish workers and their cars is a major feature of the findings.

It also found Irish workers take their jobs seriously, with the majority of respondents saying they took their lunch at their desks.

Despite the desire to use the car even for short trips, respondents also displayed a healthy streak stating gym membership as the perk of their choice.

Statistically, however, just 13% of respondents enjoy this as a perk of their working conditions. On the basis of the findings RecruitIreland.com said the pension's time bomb was still ticking.

On the health front the situation was better, with 51% of respondents benefiting from private health insurance. Up 62% said they would like to have a dental care plan as a perk.

That is marginally below gym membership, which at 65% would be the perk of choice for a majority of workers if it were available.On commuting issues, the poll highlighted our ongoing love affair with cars.

Over 60% use the car for their transport to work despite the lack of parking and the reported gridlock on Irish roads.

Fewer than 50% of respondents had a maximum commuting distance of just five to six miles, while two-wheeled transport was the least favoured.

Just 15 respondents use a bicycle to get to work and only five use a motorcycle.

Sinead Johnson of RecruitIreland.com said "Perhaps the most interesting result is in relation to the provision of pensions and PRSA's. The fact that over one third of the 470 respondents from across the country stated that neither a pension or PRSA is offered, suggests either widespread breaches of the applicable PRSA legislation or high levels of confusion about the availability of such products."