Employers see value in outsourcing administration and feel confident they are optimising the benefit of their EBT

• 90% of senior executives say their company is using its Employee Benefit Trust to its full potential, study shows

• 78% of those surveyed predict their company’s use of external support on employee incentive plans will increase over the next two years 

Most senior executives and employee reward and benefit leaders across privately-owned and publicly listed UK-based companies are already making good use of employee benefit trusts (EBT), reveals new research* from Ocorian, the specialist global provider of services to corporates – but the majority believe they will need additional external support for employee incentive plans in the near future.

Nine in ten (90%) of senior executives and employee reward and benefit leaders feel that their company is using its EBT effectively, compared to just one in ten who say they aren’t.

The study from Ocorian reveals which particular benefits of EBTs employers are using most. More than nine in ten (93%) respondents say their company uses EBTs to hedge their future commitments to deliver shares to employees, and 95% say they’re being used effectively to manage the administration and costs of major vesting events.

When it comes to using their EBT for off-market purchases, over half (58%) of senior executives and employee reward and benefit leaders say they already do this. The remaining 42% say they have considered doing so.

However, Ocorian’s UK study reveals that companies are looking for extra support when it comes to managing their employee incentive plans. Almost three quarters (72%) of senior executives and employee reward and benefit leaders admit that their company currently outsources all administration support for their employee incentive plans externally, compared to around a quarter (26%) who manage this internally.

But this is set to grow with over three quarters (78%) of respondents predicting that their company’s use of external support will increase over the next two years, including 25% saying there will be a dramatic increase. This compares to 18% who say it will stay the same and just 3% predicting less use of external support.

The main reason for using external support to operate their company’s employee incentive plan is to improve the service levels for participants in the plan. Keeping costs down, and the additional functionality of providing a portal for participants were the second and third reasons. The fourth benefit given was that for many organisations, the sheer size of the plan means that external support is necessary in order to effectively manage and run the plan.

Brendan Dowling, Head of Employee Incentive Services, Ocorian said: “Our new research indicates that senior executives and HR leaders are clearly getting it right when it comes to maximising the potential that employee benefit trusts can bring, but are seeking extra professional support and advice when it comes to employee incentive plans. They understand the benefits that these programs can bring, but operating them in an efficient, resource-effective way can be challenging for in-house teams. At Ocorian, we have a dedicated team with a depth of knowledge and technical expertise that can ease the burden of administering employee incentive schemes.”

Ocorian provides entity management, fiduciary and corporate services to thousands of businesses around the world, offering a broad range of corporate services to establish, administer and give substance to a wide range of legal structures.

Ocorian’s employee incentive services team support a range of clients – including FTSE 100 companies, multinational corporations, leading financial institutions and private companies, including privately equity-owned portfolio companies – to reward, retain and motivate their staff. With over 25 years’ experience in the sector, Ocorian’s dedicated team have in-depth knowledge and technical expertise, working with structures holding a range of assets.

*In October 2025 Ocorian commissioned independent research company PureProfile to interview 100 senior executives whose role covers employee benefits and rewards working across both privately-owned and listed UK companies, with an average annual revenue of £275 million. Sectors include automotive, banking and finance, technology, healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, retail and logistics.

About Ocorian

Ocorian is a global leader in fund services, corporate and trust services, capital markets, and regulatory and compliance support.

Unlocking new value for its clients across jurisdictions and service lines is Ocorian’s priority; it manages over 20,000 structures on behalf of 9,000+ clients including financial institutions, large-scale international organisations, and high-net-worth individuals.

Ocorian provides fully compliant, tailored solutions that are individual to clients’ needs, no matter where in the world they hold financial interests, or however they are structured.

The group offers a full suite of corporate, fund and private client services across a network of offices spanning all the world’s financial hubs. Locations include Bermuda, BVI, Cayman, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, UAE, the UK, and the US.

To find out more about Ocorian and its services, including regulatory information, visit www.ocorian.com