Group risk advisers should take advantage of the "perfect" business opportunity created by auto-enrolment with the phase-in now underway, Canada life has said.
According to the insurer, only 4% of employees without a pension have had a discussion with their employer about the change; a third are still unaware.
Paul Avis, sales and marketing director at Canada Life Group Insurance, said: "It is disappointing that so many employers are not discussing auto-enrolment with their staff, particularly as those who do not currently have a pension are ideal candidates for the new scheme.
"It is also a fantastic opportunity for advisers to speak with their clients and review what other workplace benefits they might be able to offer.
"With auto-enrolment currently being phased in and workplace pensions soon to be a legal requirement, now is the ideal time to communicate with staff and discuss how they can start saving for their retirement."
He added that employers would soon be forced to make changes to pension provisions which provided advisers with the "perfect" opportunity.
Paul White, client director at Enrich Employee Benefits, said the firm had certainly seen success in benefits business on the back of pensions.
He added that the next two years would be a massive opportunity for advisers as the phase-in reached out beyond the large corporate and into the SME space.
"Employers are incredibly willing to talk about benefits on the back of auto-enrolment but the challenge for advisers is effectively balancing the books for employers," White said.
"These are times when they might be struggling to pay out for pensions so it may mean benefits could be attractive instead of low pay rises, for example."
He added group critical illness was still a peripheral matter but that there had been growth in the last few years driven by flex programmes.
The Canada Life research found 38% of workers thought auto-enrolment was a positive thing and only one in five planned to opt out.
A fifth said their employers would do the statutory minimum required by the government while 42% thought their employers will resist any changes to the company's existing pension scheme.
