Top 20 UK Retention & Talent Statistics
THE MATERNITY CRISIS
A leaking pipeline
43%
Maternity Attrition - Workforce Exodus
43% of UK mothers took just 12 weeks or less maternity leave following the birth of their most recent child in 2024, with many forced back early citing financial pressure. Within three years of having a child, 85% of women had left full-time work, illustrating post-maternity mental load.¹
98%
While 98% of women want to return to their careers after maternity, only 13% feel able to continue full-time. And of those who tried to return to full-time roles, 79% ended up leaving their job because they couldn't make it work. Flexible support is lacking.²
Return to Work Failure Rate
71%
Senior Women Turnover
Retention is especially poor at leadership levels. 71% of women in senior roles cut their maternity leave to under 6 months hoping to keep career momentum, yet 57% still left their employer within two years of returning. The pipeline to top roles is leaking at this critical stage.³
24%
Part-Time Penalty
Only 24% of new mothers return to their previous working hours; the rest either downgrade or drop out. In one survey, 57% left the workforce entirely (often citing mental health struggles and impossible work-family load). Many who stay can only manage by going part-time, which often stalls their progression (contributing to the long-term gender pay gap).⁴
THE COST OF DOING NOTHING
Why retention beats recruitment
£30,614
Cost of Turnover (Mid-level)
The average cost to replace an employee earning over £25,000 is £30,614 in the UK. This includes ~£5,000 in logistical hiring costs and ~£25,600 in lost output during the ~28 weeks it takes a new hire to reach full productivity.⁵
£150,000
Higher-level roles incur even greater costs – often 150% of annual salary or more. For example, in sectors such as legal and finance, studies peg replacement costs to an average £40,000 per person (due to higher salaries and longer onboarding). Losing one £100,000 director can easily cost ~£150,000+ to replace when ripple effects are factored in.⁶
Cost of Turnover (Senior roles)
6+ months
Hidden Costs & Domino Effects
Beyond direct costs, turnover causes productivity loss and team disruption. It typically takes 6+ months for a new hire to reach full capacity, during which existing team members bear extra load (risking burnout and further exits). Knowledge loss and client relationship damage are intangible costs which can rival the direct expenses.⁷
~75%
Retention vs Recruitment Economics
Multiple analyses show it is cheaper to retain than to recruit in the current market. Losing an employee can cost ~75% of their salary (for mid-level positions) when all factors considered. By contrast, meaningful retention interventions (flexible working, coaching, concierge support) cost a fraction of that. Gallup estimates replacing a manager costs ~200% of salary, whereas the cost of a robust support programme might be just 5–10% of salary – a strong ROI case.⁸
THE GENDER PAY GAP PRESSURE
Compliance meets commercial imperative
12.8%
UK Gender Pay Gap (Overall)
The median gender pay gap for all employees in the UK is 12.8% as of April 2025 (down slightly from 13.1% in April 2024) – but progress remains slow. Among full-time employees it's 6.9% (down from 7.1%) but the gap balloons for age 40+ and higher earners, reflecting the drop in senior positions held by women.⁹
29.8%
The Gender Pay Gap is most pronounced in the finance sector where there is a 29.8% median pay gap (the highest of any UK sector). This effectively means women in finance work 109 days unpaid compared to men. Major UK banks recently reported median gaps such as 26.3% (Bank of America UK, 2024) and 29% (HSBC). Legal sector gaps can exceed 30–40% median at top firms when partners are included. These gaps persist largely due to women leaving the firm before reaching top pay bands.¹⁰
Sector specific GPG
-32%
Gender Balance at the Top
Only about one third of UK senior management roles are held by women (and far less in some finance/tech firms), a ratio which has improved only slowly. A survey found motherhood drives a 32% drop in female held managerial roles and forces many women into lower-level roles for flexibility (a 44% increase in women held admin roles post-children). This "pipeline leak" is an ideal target for retention programmes.¹¹
6th April
GPG Compliance Pressure
All UK companies with 250+ employees must report their gender pay gap annually by 6 April. While there's no automatic fine for a large gap itself, companies face increasing pressure to demonstrate concrete action plans to close their gaps. Investors, boards, and regulators increasingly expect meaningful interventions – not just reporting. Companies reporting wide gaps without credible retention strategies risk reputational damage and talent flight with competitors who have stronger diversity credentials.¹²
THE TALENT SQUEEZE
Hiring is harder than ever
44 days
Hiring Difficulty & Time-to-Fill
It now takes 44 days on average to fill a vacancy in the UK. An all-time high, up from ~43 days in 2024. For specialised and senior roles it's typically 2–3 months. Professional services firms average 47 days to hire, and for investment banking some roles range 60+ days to hire. Nearly 76% of UK firms faced hiring difficulties in 2024. In short, replacing talent is harder than ever – making retention that much more business critical.¹³
34%
The UK average employee turnover rate is 34% per year in 2024 (of which 27.4% is voluntary), meaning more than one third of UK employees are leaving their jobs each year. One in four UK employees plan to quit in 2025, threatening to push attrition rates even higher.¹⁴
UK Turnover Rate
76–79%
Employer Brand Matters
Around 76–79% of candidates research a company's reputation or culture before applying. Furthermore, 86% of job seekers trust employee reviews and ratings (e.g. Glassdoor) when deciding where to apply. High-profile Gender Pay Gap issues or a reputation for poor work-life balance can therefore directly hurt recruitment. Conversely, being known as a supportive, family-friendly employer is a competitive advantage to attract talent.¹⁵
Retention
Retention as Competitive Advantage
Companies that invest in retention see tangible results. For example, leading UK employers with comprehensive retention programmes have roughly half the voluntary turnover of the national average. One accounting firm's analysis showed supportive cultures and development opportunities yield "one of the best returns on investment – building capabilities which form lasting competitive advantages". In short, lower churn = stronger teams and higher profitability.¹⁶
WHAT WORKS
Evidence-based solutions
Support
Strategic Retention Infrastructure
on the Rise
Facing the "Great Resignation" and talent wars, forward thinking firms are rolling out creative benefits that address the root causes of departures. Pioneering employers now recognise removing practical life barriers – not just offering discounted gym memberships – is key to retaining overworked high performers. Progressive organisations are investing in "life infrastructure": enhanced parental leave, backup childcare, proactive Home-Life support and services which reduce the constant conflict of juggling work and life. This shift shows retention strategies are evolving from perks to practical foundations.¹⁷
Family
Family-friendly policies are expanding. Nearly 3/4 of UK private employers now offer enhanced maternity pay beyond the statutory minimum. Some are equalising paternity leave: Deloitte UK, for instance, announced 26 weeks fully paid leave for all new parents (mothers and fathers) from 2025. These policies aim to improve return rates. Evidence shows offering better parental leave and reintegration support can significantly improve retention of women. (E.g., companies with robust programmes have maternity return rates upwards of 90% versus the ~75% national average.)¹⁸
Parental Leave Policies
and Retention
94%
Proven Impact of Retention
Programmes – Deloitte Results
When companies implement targeted retention interventions, results follow. Deloitte's working parent coaching led to a 10% increase in women staying post-maternity and 94% retention of senior women who participated in the programme. These metrics underscore that structured support at critical moments works – preventing early attrition and yielding a high return on investment in talent.¹⁹
50%
Proven Impact of Retention
Programmes – EY Results
Similarly, EY's maternity coaching initiative found over 50% of participants felt it increased their likelihood of remaining at the firm. Structured support at critical life-stage moments preventing the loss of key talent and yielding a measurably high return on investment in talent.²⁰
1 Pregnant Then Screwed/Women in Data Survey, October 2024; Working Families Research, 20232 Careers After Babies Report, 2023; Workplace Insight Analysis, 20233 Careers After Babies Report, 2023; PwC Women in Work Index, 20234 Fawcett Society/TUC Report, 2022-2024; Government Employment Pathways Research, 20195 Oxford Economics/CIPD Labour Market Research, 2024; Stribe/Circle HR Analysis, 20246 Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), 2023; Culture Amp UK Analysis, December 2024; Acuity Training Research, 20257 Gallup State of the Global Workplace, 2024; CIPD Benchmarking Research, June 20248 Gallup Cost Per Hire Research, 2024; Ballards LLP/CIPD Analysis, 20249 ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), October 202510 TUC Gender Pay Gap Analysis, February 2025; Statista/House of Commons Data, November 2024; Bank of America UK Gender Pay Report, 2024; Government Equalities Office GPG Reporting, 2024-2511 Grant Thornton Women in Business Report, 2024; Careers After Babies Report, 2023; Fawcett Society Research, 202412 Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Guidance, 2024; Government Equalities Office, 2024-25; PwC Gender Pay Gap Analysis, July 202513 REC/KPMG UK Report on Jobs, 2024; CIPD Labour Market Outlook, Spring 2024; UK Money Labour Market Analysis, January 202514 CIPD Labour Market Data, 2024; Culture Amp UK Attrition Forecast, December 2024; Rippl HR Analysis, September 202415 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends, 2024; Glassdoor Candidate Research, 202416 CIPD/Workday Retention Report, 2024; PwC Gender Pay Gap Analysis, July 202517 The Lawyer/Legal Business Compensation Surveys, 2024; CIPD Employee Benefits Survey, 202418 Deloitte UK Press Release, 2024; CIPD Employee Benefits Survey, 2024; Maternity Action Research, 202419 Deloitte Talent 2020 Study; Deloitte Global Women's Equity Report, 202320 EY Global Diversity & Inclusiveness Report, 2023; Harvard Business Review: The Economics of Well-Being at Work, 2023