A survey from WTW, has found that employers are prioritising key employee pressure points around emotional and financial wellbeing and family benefits as well as maintaining their focus on core health and retirement benefits. However there remains a disconnect between employer offerings and employee expectations.
The 2025 Benefit Trends Survey found the greatest challenges in implementing employee benefit strategies to be health benefits (40 per cent) and wellbeing (28 per cent). However, most are already implementing solutions to address these priority areas. For health benefits, this includes enhancing coverage and reviewing plan designs, with greater choice and flexibility. To address wellbeing, employers are leveraging and enhancing employee assistance programmes and reviewing wellbeing benefits and providing more comprehensive support. For financial wellbeing, they’re providing financial education and training and improving communication on available support.
Employers are also taking action to address pressure points like family, women’s health and leave policies. Notably, 69 per cent have enhanced maternity or primary caregiver leave and 17 per cent are planning or considering doing so. 37 per cent already offer adoption, fostering, and surrogacy support and 18 per cent plan to do so. Two-thirds (62 per cent) provide medical benefits that support women’s health including menopause, and 13 per cent offer fertility treatments, with a further 24 per cent planning to do so.
While employers focus on health benefits, and wellbeing, another recent survey – the Global Benefits Attitudes Survey – reveals employees seek more support in the areas of flexible work arrangements, retirement benefits and leave policies. Remote work policies are in particularly high demand among employees, with around half wanting more, but one in five employers are looking to reduce them.
“The survey findings underscore the need for employers to evolve their benefit strategies to better meet the changing needs of their workforce,” said Andy Leighton, Health & Benefits, WTW. “As financial pressures increase, wellbeing plays a big role in employees’ lives. Providing resources to address mental health issues and more flexibility when it comes to benefits can be real differentiators. This strategy will foster a more engaged and productive workforce.”
