As America flirts with full employment, companies have to work a bit harder to attract workers. That’s why we’re finally seeing wages starting to increase, and a new survey shows that companies are also becoming more generous with their benefits packages.
A survey from the Society of Human Resource Management shows that a third of companies are increasing their benefit packages, with the most popular increases coming in their health and wellness offerings.
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Here are a few of the benefits that saw the biggest increases last year:
- A standing desk. As the long-term health risks of prolonged sitting — which has been linked to increased obesity and cardiovascular disease — become more wisely known, a growing number of companies are making them available to their employees. Last year, 44 percent of companies offered standing desks to workers, up from just 13 percent in 2013, making this the fastest-growing benefit of the 300 tracked in the survey.
- HSAs. Health savings accounts, which allow employees to save tax-free money for current and future out-of-pocket health costs, have grown as more companies shift to high-deductible plans for their employees. HSAs were the most common strategy organizations used to control health care costs last year. In 2016, 55 percent of employers offered them, up from 42 percent in 2013.
- Financial guidance. Companies are realizing that financially stressed workers are less engaged and productive when they’re on the job. Nearly half (49 percent) of employers now offer financial advice benefits to their employees, up from 37 percent in 2013.
