As you plan for the rest of the year, it’s the perfect time to reevaluate your employee benefits package to determine if your offerings still matter to your employees or if you need to explore new options. Beyond increased salary, workers are seeking additional benefits. What you offer will have an effect on someone’s decision to join your team and your current employees’ commitment to your organization.
Popular employee benefits for 2025 may vary between each organization. Several factors that can dictate what benefits matter most to your team include your employees’ age range, family life, health, career trajectory and financial wellness. Here are five benefits that employees are paying more attention to in 2025.
1. Health care affordability
When deciding to join an employer, one of the first things prospective employees look at after salary is the health care plan. The type of health care coverage you can provide carries a lot of weight with employees. As health costs rise across the country, employees are looking for plans that require less out-of-pocket spending on their end, for example lower premiums or no copays. You can help offset such costs by finding plans that offer telemedicine access and wellness options that incentivize preventive care instead of reactive care. Finally, businesses can educate employees about the benefits of preventive care, as most screenings are fully or partially covered in the plan you provide them. Make sure your HR team is accessible to employees and can share information on their health care benefits.
2. Mental health benefits
Stress and burnout have increased exponentially over the past years. Many employees, especially among Generation Z, are seeking benefits from their employers to address growing anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Many organizations are seeing adverse effects when workers ignore mental health and find themselves absent from the workplace for prolonged periods of time. Employers should show support to their team. You can do this by creating a supportive workplace culture that places value over employees versus their output. Consider offering flexible working hours if your operations allow it or offer personal days if someone needs a last-minute mental health break. There are also several employee assistance programs that you can connect your team to so they can access confidential support for themselves and their families.
3. Professional development
Opportunities for career growth and professional development are also paramount for driving retention. Offering tools for employees to upskill their training shows you are invested in your employees and you want them to succeed in their field. Gen Z workers are especially looking for professional development opportunities to expand their skills beyond what they learned in the classroom.
Finally, professional development can have direct benefits to your organization. Employees can learn new skills and technologies that help your company remain on the progressive front of your industry, increase efficiency, and potentially expand in services or clientele.
4. Family support
The workplace in previous decades was steadfast in keeping our personal and business lives separate. The reality is that this mentality is not realistic, and our personal and business lives are more intertwined than ever. The majority of employees will find themselves in conflict between their employment and caring for their children or elderly relatives, which can lead to significant financial, emotional stress and occasionally time away from work. You can show your support by exploring and offering family-friendly benefits that can provide some reprieve with workers’ time, finances and mental health. There are a variety of offerings to consider, such as paid leave for critical life events, pre-tax Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts for daycare, and support for family planning and fertility care.
5. Financial security
Financial wellness benefits are becoming increasingly popular among employers. Retirement contributions through plans like a 401(k) are often expected, but additional benefits that support employees’ current financial wellness are catching the eyes of job seekers. These include providing access to financial education workshops and personalized financial counseling. With money being tighter these days for most working Americans, consider assistance to offset their everyday spending, especially if they’re work-related expenses, such as partially paying for phone and internet bills for remote workers, transportation costs, occasional meals at the office and supplies for home office setups.
Student loan repayment assistance programs will also help you stand out from competing organizations. It shows you support your employees’ immediate well-being and also their long-term stability.
This coming year, employers will witness a growing demand for employee benefit offerings. If you want to create a stable team and positive workplace, additional benefits can show your employees that you support them professionally and personally and that you value them as people with real lives outside the workplace.
If you need help exploring unique employee benefits to attract new talent and retain your current workforce, contact CanopyNation today and we can customize a selection of offerings that fit their needs and your budget.