UK reward metrics · Incentives & Recognition

What is the approximate annual recognition budget per employee?

Source lumi HRBase 252 organisationsFieldwork 2026 H1

39.7%£26–£50

39.7% of organisations in the lumi HR community answered “£26–£50” on annual recognition budget per employee (base: 252 UK organisations, 2026 H1).

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

How UK organisations answered

No dedicated recognition budget 4.8% Up to £25 21.4% £26–£50 39.7% £51–£100 24.6% More than £100 9.5%
Annual recognition budget per employee (base: 252 organisations, 2026 H1). Percentages percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
Annual recognition budget per employee: share of organisations by answer
AnswerShare of organisations
No dedicated recognition budgetrare4.8%
Up to £25alternative21.4%
£26–£50common39.7%
£51–£100alternative24.6%
More than £100rare9.5%

Common, alternative and rare describe how each answer sits against the community: the most chosen answer is common; an answer chosen by fewer than one in five organisations is rare.

Definition

The yearly amount budgeted per employee to fund recognition awards, or none. 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/annual-recognition-budget-per-employee
Last updated 19 September 2026 · Data licence: CC BY 4.0 for the figures in the CSV download.

See how your organisation compares

Members see their own organisation against the peer group, by sector and size, on every metric.

Book a call