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Plans to ban employers from encouraging staff to opt-out of their pension schemes have met with mixed reactions from advisers.

The move was mooted by pensions reform minister Mike O'Brien as a possible amendment to the Pensions Bill and would come into effect along with auto enrolment in 2012.

It would be enforced by the Pensions Regulator and aim to stop bosses offering inducements like pay rises and one-off bonuses as a bribe to employees and from threatening or ordering them to opt out.

David Marlow, marketing director of Alexander Forbes Financial Services, backed the proposals.

"I think there is a danger that finance directors could see a vested interest in discouraging people from joining the pension scheme and of course we would not be in favour of that," he said.

"We fully endorse the fact that active employer participation is a good thing so we welcome any move along those lines. We are backing the DWP on this."

Karena Woodall, a pensions consultant with Mattioli Woods in Leicester, warned the devil would be in the final details of the legislation, which she felt was likely to change significantly.

But she argued employees who wanted to opt-out of their schemes could lose out if this went ahead.

She added: "There will be various people opting out for the right reasons. And you have to look at whether, if they happen to get a pay rise afterwards, is the government going to say 'that is a payoff'?"

And Pearson Jones IFA James Jones Tinsley also questioned the fairness of the plans, saying: "If there is justification for people not to save in a pension, and exercise their opt-out, is it not unreasonable for them to ask their employer for the 3 per cent contribution in some other form?"

Mr O’Brien said: "It is very important that people are allowed to meet their retirement expectations by building up the savings they need.

"Decisions on whether or not to save in a workplace pension need to be taken free of any unfair pressure. That is why we want to prevent employers from trying to pressurise staff or tempt them with live for today inducements into opting out of pension saving.

"While it may seem attractive in the short term to accept an inducement to opt-out, when people reach retirement with a lower pension, they are likely to regret taking the easy option."