LONDON, September 18, 2025 – As cost pressures mount, employers are seeking innovative solutions to enhance their benefit strategies, focusing on key areas that have long challenged companies. According to a new survey by leading global advisory, broking and solutions company WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), employers are prioritising key employee pressure points around emotional and financial wellbeing and family benefits as well as maintaining their focus on core health and retirement benefits. Still, the survey reveals a disconnect between employer offerings and employee expectations.
The 2025 Benefit Trends Survey found the greatest challenges in implementing employee benefit strategies to be health benefits (40%) and wellbeing (28%). However, most are already implementing solutions to address these priority areas. For health benefits, this includes enhancing coverage and reviewing plan designs, with greater choice and flexibility. To address wellbeing, employers are leveraging and enhancing employee assistance programmes and reviewing wellbeing benefits and providing more comprehensive support. For financial wellbeing, they’re providing financial education and training and improving communication on available support.
Employers are also taking action to address pressure points like family, women’s health and leave policies. Notably, 69% have enhanced maternity or primary caregiver leave and 17% are planning or considering doing so. 37% already offer adoption, fostering, and surrogacy support and 18% plan to do so. Two-thirds (62%) provide medical benefits that support women’s health including menopause, and 13% offer fertility treatments, with a further 24% planning to do so.
