By Cheryl Clements, Head of Business Development, Tusker

Employers can no longer provide the bare minimum when it comes to employee benefits – unless they are happy to lose their best talent. In fact, research indicates that 56% of employees would switch roles for improved workplace benefits, while 47% consider a strong benefits package one of the most important factors when searching for a new role.

To truly attract, retain and engage your workforce, employees expect personalisation, enhanced wellbeing offers, transparency, financial assistance and flexibility. All these benefits support employee diversity and individual needs – no matter their economic circumstance or life stage.

For employers, this presents challenges, as well as opportunities. When executed strategically, benefit packages shouldn’t be a financial or administrative drain. Instead, they should help provide a great return on investment (ROI) through improved employer branding and enhanced engagement, productivity and retention.

So, which employee benefits should you focus on this year?

Meaningful flexibility which goes beyond hybrid working

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, hybrid working – particularly in office based professions – has become an expectation rather than a perk. In 2026, to truly embed flexible, attractive benefits, employees don’t just want a day working from home, they want more control, predictability and to be trusted.

This includes

• Predictable and fair hybrid working models
• Clear guidance on office attendance
• Flexibility over when work happens, not just where
• Trust-based performance models rather than presenteeism

In the UK, flexibility has become a day-one right, meaning employees can instantly ask for changes to the hours they work, which days they work and where they work – compared to the previous 26 week wait from employment. While employers can still refuse (based on legitimate business reasons), the change reinforces the need for consistency and clear frameworks to be put in place for staff from their first day of work. Mishandling requests may not only present a compliance problem, but also risks creating inequality, confusion and disengagement.

While complete flexibility may not be possible to meet business goals, demonstrating that you try to cater to employee requests and work-life balance will boost trust and loyalty – particularly with those who need it most, like carers, parents and neurodivergent workers.

Holistic wellbeing, including neurodiversity support

Smart and attractive employers in 2026 won’t just provide gym memberships and insurance, they will incorporate prevention, inclusion and sustainability throughout their package. Mental health remains a priority, but to truly engage all types of talent, organisations should support the different ways employees work, and try to understand where they struggle so they can support their success.

Enhanced wellbeing strategies include:

• Improved Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
• Mental health days 
• Access to digital therapy and wellbeing apps
• Physical wellbeing and preventive health support
• Resources to manage workload, burnout, and boundaries

Additionally, neurodiversity awareness is enhancing – with more than 235,000 people in the UK waiting for an autism diagnosis alone, as of June 2025. Diverse mindsets are growing across workforces, so it is important to cater to unique needs as well as acknowledge different ways of working. For example, this can be done by providing diagnosis assessments, coaching, quiet working options, and training managers to understand diversity. This helps boost the productivity of neurodiverse individuals, providing a psychologically safer workplace for all.

Financial support that makes a difference 

Rising cost of living and inflation is expected to continue placing stress on employees in 2026. And this isn’t just an employee problem, it’s a business problem – with some reports even suggesting up to 89% of employees believe financial anxiety has a direct impact on their workplace performance. With many employers struggling to afford wage increases, benefits have become a great alternative to support the financial security of workers.

Effective financial benefits include:

• Clear and predictable reward and bonus structures
• Financial education and coaching
• Savings and emergency support schemes
• Benefits that offer tangible tax and cost efficiencies

A great example of this is vehicle salary sacrifice schemes. This is where employees sacrifice a fixed, monthly portion of their pre-tax salary for a new vehicle that can be electric or hybrid, included with insurance, servicing, and maintenance. This provides significant tax and National Insurance savings for both employees and employers, whilst often advancing organisational sustainability. When communicated clearly, salary sacrifice benefits can deliver meaningful financial relief rather than perks that are ‘nice’ but offer no real value.

Personalisation across life stages

Traditional benefits didn’t provide the flexibility needed to cater for unique diversities and personal circumstances. As society has become more inclusive, personalisation has become the foundation of benefits – ensuring they cater to all needs.

Employees want benefits that adapt to different life stages and needs, including:

• Parenting and family support
• Eldercare and caregiving resources
• Personal development and learning
• Health and wellbeing for every life stage e.g. menopause support 
• Sabbaticals 

With advanced tech and AI platforms, employers now have more ability to allow employees to choose what matters most to them. With the right partners, this often means better perceived value without increasing costs.

How transparency and clarity help build trust

Employees increasingly expect transparency, openness and simplicity when it comes to the workplace – including in their benefits package. This is particularly true of Gen Z employees, who grew up as digital natives, becoming used to multiple sources of information. As a result, complex and poorly communicated benefits limit trust and reduce uptake even when your offering has potential.

Employees want:

• Simple, transparent pay structures
• Clearly explained bonus and reward schemes
• Honest communication about benefit eligibility
• Easy-to-understand benefit information

These will ensure fairness, promote trust and ultimately improve your relationship with your workforce.

Sustainability and ESG-driven benefits

Employees, particularly younger generations, are increasingly motivated by ethical and sustainable workplaces. In fact, research indicates that two-thirds of Gen Z professionals value company ethics as much as their pay.

Ways to incorporate sustainability into your benefits package include:

• Sustainable travel incentives and EV schemes
• Support for sustainable lifestyle choices
• Paid volunteering days
• Employee-led environmental initiatives

These benefits support ESG goals while strengthening engagement, retention and employer branding.

Integrated technology 

As benefits become more personalised and complex, technology plays a critical role in delivery. Advanced technology and automation improves how benefits are accessed, communicated and managed – ideally through a single integrated platform.

Effective benefits technology enables:

• Simple benefit selection and changes
• Clear communication of total reward value
• Personalised recommendations
• Better insights for HR teams

Poor user experience is a major barrier to benefit uptake. Employers who invest in accessible, inclusive platforms – designed with different learning styles and neurodivergency in mind – will see significantly better engagement.

To conclude

To create a truly successful benefits package this year, employers need to cater to the realities of their employees’ lives. Workers want benefits that are personalised to their circumstances, are transparent, support them financially and boost inclusion for all.

Want to start by innovating your benefits with a scheme that improves employee mobility, supports their finances and enhances your ESG? Start with Tusker’s car scheme.