Canada (EN)
The arrival of each new year brings a fresh beginning and the opportunity to start anew. As individuals, we may set our sights on improving our physical and emotional health, spending more time with loved ones, strengthening our financial situation or dedicating ourselves to a new or rediscovered hobby. Meanwhile, employers renew their commitments to help the workforce achieve their goals by providing them with the benefits, resources and support they need to get them there.
Just a couple of generations ago, employers didn’t know much about employees’ lives outside of work. Frankly, they didn’t want to know. That had been gradually changing when COVID struck. Suddenly, colleagues, managers and sometimes even clients had a bird’s eye view into people’s personal lives and homes. Partners, kids, pets and hobbies were all on display. What initially may have been something to hide became a conversation starter and a source of pride. It also helped employers recognize the need to treat employees as whole people. They began investing more heavily in caregiving, paid family leave, mental health and other benefits as a result.
Flexibility and personalization lie at the heart of a successful benefits strategy. These days, people are quick to think of flexibility in terms of when and where employees work. While some companies have embraced remote work for decades, this is largely a remnant of the pandemic when companies quickly pivoted to such arrangements to keep the business up and running. While the number of employees primarily working remotely continues to decline (from a high of 43% in July of 2020 to just 25% in 2025, according to the Alight 2025 Employee Mindset Study), many companies are evolving beyond binary “remote vs. onsite” debates and layering in elements of choice where possible. (For a deeper dive into considerations involved in making return to office policy decisions, read Laine Thomas Conway’s E-Suite byline.)
One size does not fit all: evaluating the considerations around return to office
By Laine Thomas Conway
Just like in working arrangements, “flexibility” in the benefits realm is all about giving employees the choice they need and desire. For example, allowing workers to allocate benefits dollars to what they value most, rather than a one-size-fits-all benefits program. Or earned wage access, an option that allows employees to receive part of their paycheck before their scheduled payday, without incurring interest or loan fees. Such a program empowers employees to better manage their expenses, both unexpected and routine, without tapping into their retirement fund, withdrawing money from their emergency savings or turning to predatory payday loan companies that will leave them in even worse financial shape.
What does the workforce want in a benefits package?
For employers seeking to ensure their benefits offerings are in line with expectations, 2025 Mindset Study findings provide valuable insights into what the workforce really wants. While traditional wellbeing offerings like heart health; exercise/physical fitness; and nutrition, healthy eating and/or weight management classes or programs are valued by the greatest number of employees (71%, 71% and 70%, respectively), interest in non-traditional, personalized benefits is strong. These include:
- Personalized health management (68%)
- Mental/emotional health apps (68%)
- Personalized financial management (68%)
- Personalized support for navigating the health system and costs (67%)
- Women’s health/menopause support (67%)
- Telephonic, virtual or online visit with a mental health professional (66%)
- Caregiver support/resources (63%)
Increasingly, employers are relying on a combination of high-tech and human touch to deliver these benefits and ensure that employees not only understand what’s available to them, but also have the tools, resources and guidance to navigate the benefits ecosystem and make informed decisions that will best serve their needs and those of their family.
An AI-enabled benefits platform makes information more accessible so employees can more easily get their questions answered, address conflicts and concerns and receive helpful guidance when they absolutely need it. It’s in those moments that matter when employees value the ability to interact with a human the most. Whether someone is facing a life-altering medical diagnosis or mapping out a plan to dig themselves out of debt, human empathy and compassion goes a long way. (For a closer look at how AI is transforming the benefits experience, read Deepika Duggirala’s E-Suite byline.)
Above all else, employees want to feel seen and supported. They want to know, without a doubt, that their employer truly values them as an actual person—someone with a life outside of work that requires their care and attention. Increasingly, employers are embracing a holistic benefits strategy that recognizes all components of wellbeing—physical, mental/emotional, financial, social and career—are interwoven and must be addressed equally. Leveraging a high-tech, human touch approach, they’re able to meet employees where they are with the kind of personalized experience they’ve come to expect in every other area of their lives.
THE FUTURE IS HERE
