It’s the time of year when employers are putting together new benefit packages and employees are electing benefits for the coming year. For the month of October, we polled people in our Wondering Wednesday series on LinkedIn to learn more about the benefits employees prioritize when considering potential employers. Employers, take note: some of these results may surprise you.

Mental Health Benefits

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to employers that mental health benefits are an important consideration. The 2023 American Psychological Association Work in America survey found that 92% of workers said it’s important to them to work for an organization that provides support for employee mental health, but 57% are unsatisfied with the mental health and well-being support offered by their employer. In other words: employers can do better.

There are many ways employers can support employee mental health, but our results show that workers prefer an allowance they can use as they choose rather than a limited selection of specific services (e.g., mindfulness apps, Employee Assistance Programs, online therapy). Wellness allowances or stipends allow employees to choose how to allocate monthly mental health funds provided by their employer; they may choose to use these funds for things such as the aforementioned mindfulness apps or online therapy, but their mental health may also benefit from gym memberships, wellness retreats, nutritionist visits, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and more.

Flexibility, Flexibility, Flexibility

As we found in last month’s Wondering Wednesday roundup, employees overwhelmingly prioritize flexibility over high-caliber benefit packages — and this month’s results again leave no room for doubt that having options makes employers attractive to workers.

In recent years, we’ve seen more businesses embracing the potential for a four-day workweek, whether it’s year-round or only over the summer. We’ve written before about the importance of flexible schedules in helping to mitigate employee burnout, which can have serious consequences such as clinical depression and heart disease. Shortened workweeks may not be feasible for all companies or positions, but they are definitely worth exploring for employers looking to increase employee retention and satisfaction. You may be surprised by the types of companies that have successfully integrated four-day workweeks for eligible positions, including well-known businesses like Microsoft and Lamborghini. 

Another option growing in popularity is sabbatical leave, an extended break from work that allows employees to focus on personal growth, study, or travel. Sabbatical leaves can be paid or unpaid and typically last from one month to one year, depending on the business or industry. Whether paid or unpaid, the guaranteed reinstatement at the end of the leave of absence makes sabbaticals an attractive benefit. Although once reserved for professors at universities, sabbaticals have become more common in a variety of industries from medicine to finance.

Fringe Benefits

Many employers are focused on unique fringe benefits such as pet insurance or legal services, but overwhelmingly, our survey found that what employees really want is assistance with managing their everyday responsibilities. If you’re looking for a perk that will set your company’s benefit package apart from others, consider offering your employees house-cleaning services.

One option for offering cleaning services is for employers to contract with a chosen cleaning agency to provide services at a flat rate and to give employees “cleaning credits” they can use with allocated funds for weekly to monthly cleaning services. Perks like this can increase employee satisfaction and engagement, in addition to being a powerful recruiting tool.

Pre-Tax Benefits

Finally, as most companies have found, when it comes to pre-tax benefits, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are the clear winner. Do employees still want Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)? Absolutely. But more than twice as many people prefer to put their pre-tax dollars toward a savings account not only aimed toward offsetting healthcare costs but also with funds that will roll over into the next year. The uncertainty of knowing how much to set aside for an FSA (which is typically a “use it or lose it” account) makes an HSA that much more appealing, and with workers now being advised to save close to $170,000 for medical expenses in retirement, an HSA starts to feel more like a necessity than a perk. Keep in mind, though, that employers need to offer, and employees need to elect, a high-deductible plan in order to be able to use an HSA.

Want to participate in the conversation or see the results for yourself? Head on over to the HR Solutions At Work LinkedIn page, where we post a new poll every Wednesday!