Pearl Lemon Consulting has worked with enough UK businesses to know exactly what happens behind closed doors:
You’re paying through the nose for health plans, pensions, EAPs, life cover, and every other bolt-on the broker “recommends,” but no one can show you whether it’s keeping staff, reducing absenteeism, or even getting used.
It’s costing you cash, time, and talent.
And yet, you’re told it’s “industry standard.” That phrase is poison. It’s the excuse lazy brokers use when they don’t want to do the work.
We’re not here to play nice with insurance reps. We’re here to save you from wasting another quarter on benefits your employees barely understand, let alone value.
Our Services: What We Actually Do
We don’t slap together brochures and call it “consulting.” We audit, build, rework, negotiate, and—when necessary—burn your benefits program to the ground and rebuild from scratch.
Here’s what that looks like:
Benefits Audit & Cost Analysis
You’d be shocked at what’s hiding in your P11Ds and carrier reports.
We break down per-employee cost, participation rates, dead weight perks, shadow expenses in admin and claims support, and vendor commissions.
We cross-reference current spend against sector benchmarks (NHS, private sector, education, logistics, etc.) to expose inflated margins and underperforming plan design.
Problem it solves: Uncovers unnecessary spend, low-uptake perks, and fraud-prone items. Gives finance actual numbers to work with—not fuzzy “employee value” talk.
Employee Benefits Redesign
We rebuild your scheme based on actual usage, workforce demographics, tax exposure, and future workforce needs. That means mapping incentives across pay bands, tenure groups, and high-churn roles.
We use plan modeling to simulate uptake and cost scenarios across voluntary benefits, cash allowances, and flexible benefit points-based systems.
Problem it solves: Prevents over-insuring, reduces NI liabilities, and aligns perks to retention, not vanity.
Broker Management & Carrier Renegotiation
We get between you and the middlemen. That’s where savings hide.
We review broker agreements, commission disclosures, and kickback structures. Then we take those contracts back to the table and cut the fat.
Problem it solves: You stop paying brokers to do nothing while your costs go up. Simple.
Compliance Risk Mitigation (UK + EU)
Auto-enrolment isn’t optional. Neither is GDPR when your employee data is floating across five benefit platforms.
We map your current benefits against HMRC, Pensions Regulator, FCA, and GDPR exposure. We handle corrections, documentation, audit prep, and mitigate whistleblower risk.
Problem it solves: Stops penalties before they hit. Keeps auditors, regulators, and internal HR from spinning out.
SME & High-Churn Staff Schemes
High attrition? High temps? Remote teams? We build stripped-back, flexible schemes with cash-friendly components that still look good on a job ad.
We build plans around BIK exemptions, mental health coverage, digital GP access, and tiered perks to control cost-per-head without damaging perceived value.
Problem it solves: Makes benefits work for part-time, hybrid, and short-tenure employees without tanking ROI.
Voluntary & Salary Sacrifice Scheme Implementation
We implement tech-enabled salary sacrifice options across pensions, EV leasing, cycle-to-work, and more, fully HMRC-compliant.
Our payroll integration ensures net-pay arrangements don’t get screwed up mid-month, while comms templates support take-up.
Problem it solves: Cuts NI for employer and staff. Attract benefit usage without extra spend. Reduces taxable income and increase engagement.
Total Rewards Communication Plans
We translate your benefits into plain English and branded staff comms. Not just a PDF at open enrollment—ongoing content, segmented by employee group, in video, email, and in-app formats.
Problem it solves: Employees finally understand and use their benefits. HR stops wasting time answering the same 11 questions every week.
Benefits Data & Reporting Infrastructure
We build a reporting framework around your scheme: plan usage, claim rejection trends, cost-per-hire vs benefits value, and vendor SLAs.
Delivered monthly. Clean. Executable. Not some dashboard no one logs into.
Problem it solves: You stop guessing. You start making benefits decisions with the same rigour as your P&L.
Why Work With Us?
- We work across sectors—logistics, tech, retail, financial services—with proven cost-reduction tactics that apply to UK legislation and tax law.
- We cut through inflated broker commissions and hidden admin fees that most HR teams never even question.
- Our team includes FCA-regulated benefits specialists, pensions experts, and workplace psychologists.
- We don’t work on carrier commissions. We work on outcomes.
And most importantly, we have nothing to lose by telling you the truth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a benefits audit take?
Typically, 3–4 weeks from receipt of data. We fast-track urgent projects with a 7-day express option for high-priority decisions.
Do you work with internal HR or replace them?
We collaborate with your HR. We’re not here to take over—just give them the tools and data they need to do their jobs better.
Are you FCA-authorised?
Yes. We are registered to consult on insurance, group schemes, and pension products. No grey areas. No compliance gaps.
Can you integrate with existing platforms (e.g., Reward Gateway, Ben, Zest)?
Yes. We work across all major UK benefits tech platforms and can manage integration, configuration, and vendor communications.
What if I already have a broker?
We’ll audit their work and pricing, advise you on negotiation tactics, or represent you directly in discussions. We do not replace unless you ask us to.
What’s the typical ROI?
Average cost savings fall between 18–31% within the first 12 months. Most clients also see measurable drops in churn, absenteeism, and plan complaints.
How are your fees structured?
Flat project rates or retainer—never commission-based. You pay us to work for you, not to sell you policies.
Let’s Stop the Leak.
Every month you delay is another payroll cycle where your budget’s getting shredded from the inside.
Book a call. One session. No hard sell. Just a sharp, honest look at what’s wrong—and how to fix it.
