We analysed 49,314 benefits interactions across UK law firms to show People and Reward leaders exactly where benefits spend is leaking, why your best associates are leaving, and the five fixes high-retention firms are using in 2026.
In 2025, 16 to 17% of UK associates walked away from their firms. Each exit costs around £790,000. Across the sector, that's £15 billion in benefits spend that isn't buying loyalty, productivity, or wellbeing.
Your lawyers are using 13% of what's on offer in your current benefits package. That's not a benefits problem: it's a visibility and relevance problem. Pizza Fridays and another wellbeing app won't fix it, and your people know the difference between a perk and actual support.
We pulled two years of interaction data from UK law firms on the Heka platform, layered in workforce research, and wrote the report we wish every People and Reward leader in legal had on their desk right now.
