Do you have a strategy to adapt to these 7 changes?
What’s in this blog?
- #1: More employers are shifting toward a voluntary benefits model
- #2: Sharpened focus on managing high-cost healthcare claims
- #3: Benefits face heavier scrutiny
- #4: Improving access to behavioral health services
- #5: Greater emphasis on total rewards package
- #6: More flexibility in benefit design
- #7: Increased demand for financial wellness offerings
Employee benefits are evolving quickly amid rising costs—like a projected 9% spike in employer healthcare expenses—as well as shifting employee expectations. In 2026, forward-thinking employers will reimagine their benefits strategies not only to control expenses, but to create more flexible and supportive workplaces where employees can thrive.
To help you adapt, here’s a look at the top 2026 employee benefit trends that will shape the landscape in the year ahead.
Top 2026 Employee Benefit Trends to Know
Trend #1: More employers are shifting toward a voluntary benefits model
Employers are bracing for the biggest projected increase to healthcare costs in 15 years—as we mentioned above, a whopping 9% if all benefits remain the same. In light of this, many organizations are planning shifts to their benefit strategy.
According to a survey of more than 1,700 U.S. employers, 59% of organizations will make cost-cutting changes to their healthcare offerings in 2026. That’s up from 48% in 2025 and 44% in 2024. Measures that share the increased expenses with employees, like higher deductibles and co-pays, are among the most anticipated plan changes.
Voluntary benefits models are also on the rise. These plans let employees choose from a menu of optional services like dental, vision, life, and pet insurance, in addition to their core benefits offerings. It’s a way to give employees more choices and flexibility, and since workers typically pay the premiums for these optional services themselves, there’s no cost increase for companies. One in three employers plan to expand their voluntary benefit offerings by 2027.
Trend #2: Sharpened focus on managing high-cost healthcare claims
When employers were asked to name their biggest healthcare priorities for the coming years, managing high-cost claims was one of the top responses. Finding proactive ways to prevent expensive claims can be a strategic way to keep companies’ costs down without making care more expensive for workers.
Some tactics for doing this include offering diagnostic screenings to assess for and address chronic health risks early, using data to identify high-risk populations and target them for preventative care, and offering lower-cost alternatives like telemedicine and voluntary benefits to offset the costs of traditional care.
Trend #3: Benefits face heavier scrutiny
This brings us to another trend driven by employers’ need to keep a lid on costs: increased monitoring of program ROI. Thanks to advances in technology like artificial intelligence, companies can conduct powerful data analysis to get a comprehensive understanding of the dollar-for-dollar value of their programs.
If select benefits aren’t delivering the expected value or are consistently underutilized by the workforce, employers–especially large ones–are being more ruthless about scrapping them.
What we define as ROI itself is also evolving when it comes to employee benefits. As the landscape has shifted from a job seeker’s market to an employer’s market, attracting top talent is no longer one of the highest priorities when designing benefits packages.
Instead, we’re seeing companies focus more heavily on financially-driven outcomes like managing expenses, boosting productivity, and reducing high-cost claims, which makes sense in the current environment of climbing healthcare costs.
Trend #4: Improving access to behavioral health services
If there was one upside to the global pandemic, it’s that it brought increased attention to mental health and the need for comprehensive benefits.
Employers have made notable progress since 2020, and the trend is expected to continue. Two-thirds of large employers say they plan to prioritize making behavioral healthcare more accessible in 2026.
Employer-sponsored behavioral health benefits can take several forms, from self-service tools like mindfulness and meditation apps to professional support in individual and group therapy and more. Thirty-five percent of employers plan to offer onsite counseling services in 2026, up from 29% in 2025. More than three-quarters will offer digital resources to help employees manage stress and increase resilience.
Trend #5: Greater emphasis on total rewards package
In the past, employers could feel good about their benefits package if they offered the “big three”—health insurance, a retirement plan, and paid time off (PTO). Today, many employees consider those benefits the bare minimum, and they’re looking for more when choosing where to work.
We’ve seen a growing emphasis on total rewards—the combination of compensation and benefits that goes beyond “the big three”. A total rewards package includes financial offerings, like tuition reimbursement and student loan assistance, as well as non-financial benefits, like flexible work policies and employee development opportunities. Company culture and employee recognition also factor into total rewards.
The most successful organizations are taking a more holistic approach to creating great workplaces rather than just checking the boxes for the must-have benefits.
Trend #6: More flexibility in benefit design
There’s a reason buffet-style restaurants are so popular—it’s appealing to pick what you like and leave what you don’t. At a time when flexibility is one of the most important qualities to employees, it’s no surprise that so-called “cafeteria benefits” that allow employees to choose the programs they’ll opt into are on the rise.
Flexible healthcare benefits like healthcare spending accounts (HSAs) allow employees to pay for health-related services that aren’t covered by their insurance, like laser eye surgery or hearing aids, with pre-tax dollars. Forty-seven percent of private industry workers had access to HSAs in 2024, up from 40% in 2015.
Dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) are another growing benefit. These accounts let employees use pre-tax earnings to cover expenses like childcare or adult daycare. Their availability in the private sector is up from 38% in 2015 to 43% in 2024.
Giving workers access to flexible programs that fit their lifestyle can help retain top talent and demonstrate a commitment to employee well-being.
Trend #7: Increased demand for financial wellness offerings
Many Americans feel a sense of financial uncertainty right now, with 69% saying they’re very concerned about the cost of housing and 70% saying the same about the cost of food and consumer goods. More and more, people are looking to employers to lighten the burden.
Financial wellness benefits like mortgage/rent aid, credit counseling programs, student loan repayment assistance, and emergency saving funds are expected to be offered by 40 to 60% of employers by the end of 2026. Educational programs that help employees become more financially literate are also popular.
Meet Evolving Benefit Demands with Flexible Wellness Programs from Agile Telehealth
As 2026 approaches, one thing is clear: a one-size-fits-all approach to employee benefits is no longer sufficient. Control costs, respond to shifting needs, and fill gaps in your benefits strategy with flexible wellness programs.
Agile Telehealth makes it easy to give your team members access to in-demand services and improve health outcomes at little to no cost to the organization. Our engaging, affordable offerings include:
- Weight Loss
- HRT/TRT
- Hair Loss
- Anti-Aging
- Mental Health
- Sexual Health
- Urgent Care
Position your company for wellness success in 2026. Learn more about our programs and complete a form to learn how you can offer it to your employees in as little as a few weeks!
