Pay slips promoted by Italian workers but with only six and a half

If you ask Italian workers whether they are satisfied with their remuneration package, the answer in most cases is no. In fact, 78 per cent say that their remuneration package is inadequate. So much so that on a scale of 0 to 10 on average they receive a rating of 6.4. The biggest levers to compensate for wages that are considered too low are welfare packages and meal vouchers, especially now that with the upcoming Budget Law the exemption threshold could be raised to EUR 10.

Coverflex, the international platform dealing with flexible pay, surveyed a representative sample of 1,000 Italian employees, which revealed a much broader general picture of job dissatisfaction than in 2024, mainly due to pay issues. The Report confirms the centrality of corporate welfare as a decisive tool for attracting and retaining talent. Although the benefits package is the aspect with the lowest satisfaction rate (only 31% say they are satisfied), it is precisely in welfare that factors for potential improvement are identified.

"The figures for 2025 speak for themselves: in a market where basic pay is stalled, the real competition is played out on the ability of companies to offer perceived value, through flexibility and wellbeing," explains Andrea Guffanti, General Manager of Coverflex. "Welfare is no longer a cost, but a strategic investment that improves trust and productivity. Similarly, Artificial Intelligence must be integrated as an operational ally, guided by a corporate culture that always puts listening and valuing people at the centre. Only those who know how to adopt a human-first approach to technology and pay will be ready to navigate the work of the future.

To improve satisfaction, however, workers demand tailor-made packages. More than a third (37%) say that the offer is defined by management without direct involvement, while 21% of companies have never carried out any surveys on the needs of their employees. Workers, on the other hand, demand personalised and flexible choices, especially since welfare is considered the first way to supplement income, in a scenario of stagnating wages, where 60% of the remuneration packages have remained unchanged over the last two years.

Welfare meets with the favour of the majority of workers: 91% are in fact in favour of receiving rewards or increases in the form of goods and services, also because they perceive the net tax advantage. In this regard, the meal voucher is increasingly perceived and used as a shopping aid and is transformed from a lunch break benefit into a real family budget support tool: 83% of workers use it mainly at the supermarket, a fact that highlights how tangible benefits with an immediate impact on purchasing power are the most valued.