Scottish workers are more optimistic about their financial prospects than those across the rest of the UK, according to a survey conducted by Scottish Widows.

The latest Workplace Pensions Report from Scottish Widows found 44 per cent of employees in Scotland feel optimistic about their long-term financial future, compared to 40 per cent in England, 42 per cent in Northern Ireland, and 39 per cent in Wales.

The report also found that since the introduction of auto-enrolment within large and medium-sized businesses, 52 per cent of employees in medium-sized businesses are now saving adequately – up six percentage points in the past year.

The number of employees saving adequately in large businesses has increased from 53 per cent in 2013 to 66 per cent last year.

Six out of 10 workers in larger organisations said they will rely on a company pension for a reasonable standard of living in retirement, compared to 40 per cent for employees working for medium businesses and 32 per cent for small businesses.

The research found more than a third of medium to large business employees see workplace pension schemes as a major incentive when considering a career move.

The report suggests employers will therefore need to ensure their staff feel supported and understand the benefit of their workplace scheme in order to attract and retain talent.

Lynn Graves, corporate pensions expert at Scottish Widows, said: “Three years since the introduction of auto-enrolment, employees are really starting to reap the benefits of workplace pension savings.

“As workers begin to understand the positive impact of auto-enrolment, businesses need to ask themselves whether they are providing enough ongoing support to encourage staff to be more engaged with longer term savings.

“Our research is showing that providing a workplace pension alone is becoming insufficient and employees are increasingly looking to employers to provide additional support and financial education to ensure that their staff are not only aware of the mechanics of auto-enrolment, but also making the most of workplace saving to secure a more comfortable retirement.”

In the run-up to Pension Awareness Day on Tuesday, Scottish Widows will embark on a five-city tour sharing practical advice and tips to help workers understand the importance of saving for retirement.

The tour - which comes to Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London between 14-18 September - has been organised alongside Pension Geeks, in association with The People’s Pension.