As employers plan for 2023, attracting and retaining talent is top of mind amid a competitive U.S. labor market. That's led to over two-thirds of companies planning to enhance employee health and benefit offerings next year, according to survey results from Mercer published July 6.
The survey was conducted April 26 to May 13. In total, 708 organizations participated, from all industries and of all sizes ranging from fewer than 500 employees to more than 5,000.
Nine things to know:
- Among large employers, 70 percent are planning to enhance health and benefit offerings in 2023.
- Among all employers, 61 percent are conducting surveys on employee benefit preferences.
- Among large employers, 41 percent currently provide a plan option with a low deductible or none at all, and 11 percent are considering it.
- Over half of employees say no remote or hybrid work is a deal breaker when considering to join or stay with an organization. Among all employers, 78 percent now allow employees to work from home regularly, compared to 26 percent in 2021.
- Among large employers, 52 percent will offer virtual behavioral healthcare in 2023, and 40 percent will offer a virtual primary care physician network or service.
- Though 64 percent of employers are not prioritizing a single employee group for benefit enhancements, 35 percent say they are focusing on hourly and low-wage employees.
- Nearly one-third of employers will offer benefits such as fertility treatment coverage and adoption and surrogacy benefits by 2023, and almost another third are considering it.
- Among all employers, 70 percent currently offer or plan to offer paid parental leave in 2023.
- Among all employers, 75 percent offer or plan to offer tuition reimbursement in 2023.