A Passion For Pensions

Pensions don’t trend. They don’t win awards or make it into social feeds. But they are the foundation of a good life, and it’s time we started treating them that way.

Because the cost of living isn’t just creeping. It is racing ahead. Rents are at record highs. Groceries feel like luxury items. Energy bills read like warnings. Meanwhile, wages and savings are lagging behind.

The average UK pension pot at retirement sits at just over £107,000. That gives someone roughly £400 a month to live on. The full state pension is currently £221.20 per week. Combined, that is not enough. Not for a life of dignity after four decades or more of work.

At Lateish, we do not think that is just outdated. We think it is broken.

So from day one - we want to draw a line.

Our P&L was built on a 10 percent minimum employer pension contribution because we believe business should do better for people. A pension is not a perk. It is part of your pay. It is protection. It is the long-term result of short-term choices.

Let’s be honest. Yes, this may take us longer. Our margins will be tighter. Our growth may not spike overnight. And yes, we are thankful for the brands who have offered a cheerful “good luck” while sticking with the norm. But we are not here to sprint. We are here to build slowly, thoughtfully and sustainably. The way we want our people to live.

Because our first investment will always be in our team. People’s futures are not a trend. They are an insurance. And we are in this for the long run.

We know this might sound a little holier than thou. That is not our intention. We just believe this is something more businesses could afford to do. It is not about extravagance. It is about priorities. It is about treating your people as part of your future, not just your payroll.

Simon Sinek once said, “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” We believe employees love a company when they trust it. And trust is built in the quiet things: the benefits, the policies, the long-term thinking.

Over 77 percent of UK savers believe they will not have enough to retire comfortably, according to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association. Research from Aviva shows that even a modest increase in employer contributions can dramatically improve someone’s financial future. A 10 percent contribution versus the legal minimum of 3 percent changes everything.

Still, most companies stick to that 3 percent. It is easy. It is accepted. But accepted is not the same as acceptable.

We are not trying to be perfect. We are a work in progress. But progress requires choices. And this is ours. To choose the harder path because we believe it leads somewhere better. To choose something less shiny and more solid. To make a decision now that our future selves will thank us for.

A good pension says we care. Not just about how someone performs this quarter, but about whether they can breathe easy in 30 years. It says we value people not just for what they produce, but for who they are and the life they hope to live.

This is what we mean when we say business is an act. An act of care. An act of responsibility. An act of protection that stretches well beyond the next round of funding.

The brands that last will not just be the ones with the best products or the boldest ads. They will be the ones who treated people well when no one was watching.

And when our team looks back in 20, 30, or 40 years, we want them to say: they had our back. Not just in the moment, but for the moments that came after.