A total reward statement is a per-employee summary of everything the employer provides, expressed as one figure alongside its parts: salary, employer pension contributions, the employer-paid cost of insured benefits, and whatever else is funded.
It is a visibility document. It tells someone what is being spent on them, which most people substantially underestimate. That is the whole of its job, and it is worth doing for that reason alone.
There is no standard, so the contents are a decision. Common components:
What matters more than the exact list is that the same list is used every time. A figure that moves because the method moved is not a figure anyone can act on.
It will not retain someone who wants to leave. A statement is information, and there is no evidence base that would let anyone put a retention number on it. Treat it as making existing spend visible rather than as an intervention.
It is not a payslip and not a tax document. Some of what it shows is taxable and reportable and some is not, and the treatment depends on the arrangement. It should say so on its face, or it will be read as a statement about take-home pay.
It does not settle whether the package is competitive. That is a benchmarking question against comparable employers, and it is a different exercise with different data.
The failure modes are predictable, and all of them are avoidable:
It does not describe any particular software, including ours. Whether a given system generates statements in one action, reads live payroll, automates benefit-in-kind reporting or connects to an HR system varies by system and configuration, and nothing here should be read as a claim about any of that.
It does not tell you the tax treatment of your arrangements. HMRC guidance is linked below and the treatment of a particular arrangement depends on its terms.
A per-employee summary of everything an employer provides, shown as one figure alongside its components: salary, employer pension contributions, the employer-paid cost of insured benefits, and other funded items. Its purpose is visibility, because most people substantially underestimate what is spent on them beyond salary.
There is no standard, so it is a decision. Most include base pay, bonus, employer pension contributions, the employer cost of each insured benefit, and funded allowances. Some include the value of annual leave. What matters more than the exact list is using the same list every time, because a figure that moves because the method moved cannot be acted on.
There is no evidence base that supports putting a retention figure on them. A statement makes existing spend visible, which is worth doing on its own terms. Treating it as a retention intervention promises something nobody can demonstrate.
No. Some of what it shows is taxable and reportable and some is not, and the treatment depends on the arrangement. A statement should say so on its face, otherwise it is read as a statement about take-home pay. HMRC publishes the employer guidance on expenses and benefits.
This guide is general information about a type of employee benefit. It is not a recommendation, not advice about whether any product is suitable for you or your employees, and not a description of any particular insurer's policy. Cover, eligibility, exclusions, limits and price vary between policies and between employers. Whatever you are considering, the terms that apply are the ones in the policy document, and the people who can confirm them are the provider or your broker.
| GOV.UK (HMRC) | Expenses and benefits for employers Supports: that some benefits are reportable and taxable and others are not, which is why a total reward figure is not the same as taxable pay Published or updated: current guidance as published. Retrieved: 15 August 2026. Limitation: general guidance. The treatment of a particular arrangement depends on its terms, and salary sacrifice is treated differently. |
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| Alltoogether | How this page was written Supports: the boundary above and the decision to describe categories rather than any particular policy Published or updated: set 15 August 2026. Retrieved: 15 August 2026. Limitation: this row records the method, not a fact about any scheme. |
Each benefit explained the same way: what it is, what it can and cannot usually do, and what to ask before you buy, renew or communicate it. No insurer recommended and no policy terms invented.
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