UK reward metrics · Pay

Which allowances or premiums are currently paid?

Source lumi HRBase 262 organisationsFieldwork 2026 H1

48.9%Acting-up allowance

48.9% of organisations in the lumi HR community selected “Acting-up allowance” for allowances or premiums currently paid (base: 262 organisations, 2026 H1; organisations could select more than one).

Figures describe organisations in the lumi HR community, not a random sample of UK employers.

How UK organisations answered

Acting-up allowance 48.9% Bank holiday premium 40.8% On-call / standby allowance (retainer) 40.8% Car allowance 39.3% Shift allowance 39.3% Night premium 35.9% London weighting / location allowance 34% Weekend premium 33.2% First aid allowance 26% Call-out allowance 23.3% Travel allowance 18.7% Uniform allowance 16.4% Market scarcity allowance 12.2% Mobile/phone allowance 12.2% Meal allowance 8.4% Other 7.3% Homeworking allowance 6.1% Tool allowance 5.3% Cost-of-living allowance 5% None 2.3%
Allowances or premiums currently paid (base: 262 organisations, 2026 H1). Organisations could select more than one, so the figures do not sum to 100%.
Allowances or premiums currently paid: share of organisations by answer
AnswerShare of organisations
Acting-up allowance48.9%
Bank holiday premium40.8%
On-call / standby allowance (retainer)40.8%
Car allowance39.3%
Shift allowance39.3%
Night premium35.9%
London weighting / location allowance34%
Weekend premium33.2%
First aid allowance26%
Call-out allowance23.3%
Travel allowance18.7%
Uniform allowance16.4%
Market scarcity allowance12.2%
Mobile/phone allowance12.2%
Meal allowance8.4%
Other7.3%
Homeworking allowance6.1%
Tool allowance5.3%
Cost-of-living allowance5%
None2.3%

Definition

The cash allowances and premiums currently paid, from car and location allowances to shift, weekend and on-call / standby; select all. The on-call / standby allowance is the retainer for being available; the call-out allowance pays for actually attending when called out. See the methodology for how the base is built, how not-applicable answers are handled, the public floor, and which organisations are excluded.

Cite this figure
Source: lumi HR, UK Reward Metrics, September 2026, lumihr.co.uk/metrics/allowances-or-premiums-currently-paid
Last updated 19 September 2026 · Data licence: CC BY 4.0 for the figures in the CSV download.

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