Employees do not know enough what happens to their benefits when they leave a company, according to a financial advisory company.

Workers think they have to leave a pension with the company when it is actually their personal plan, Foster Denovo says.

According to the company, when two organisations merge, flexible benefit schemes can address the issues surrounding employee rewards.

Graham Tinney, senior partner at Foster Denovo, said employees are not aware they can replicate their benefits independently if they exit a company.

"If you are leaving with a private medical scheme you can take out your own private medical contract individually," he added.

According to a survey, one in three employees expected a cut in their benefits package in 2008, but 95 per cent of employers had no plans to do this.

One in ten employees feared there would be a cut to their pension but only two out of 300 human resource professionals thought this would happen.