{"id":24842,"date":"2026-02-24T22:18:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T22:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=24842"},"modified":"2026-02-24T22:18:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T22:18:50","slug":"the-workplace-benefit-95-of-workers-want-but-arent-satisfied-with-is-a-pretty-basic-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=24842","title":{"rendered":"The workplace benefit 95% of workers want but aren’t satisfied with is a pretty basic one"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

When a loved one dies, a pregnancy is lost, or a serious diagnosis lands, most employees uncover the true value of their workplace benefits\u2014not in the enrollment brochure, but during the worst week of their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Increasingly, they\u2019re finding those benefits don\u2019t measure up.<\/p>\n

Research from Empathy\u2019s 2026 Workplace Benefits Report, shared exclusively with Fortune<\/em>, underscores a \u201cclear gap\u201d between what workers need during major life disruptions and what employers actually provide. Their study shows 95% of employees say bereavement-related benefits are valuable to them, but fewer employers plan to expand that support this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur new research shows workplace benefits are falling short during life\u2019s most disruptive moments,\u201d Ron Gura, cofounder and CEO of Empathy, told Fortune<\/em>. \u201cIt spotlights a critical shift: Benefits success is now defined by support during major life events, with bereavement support as the clearest, most urgent opportunity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Empathy, a workplace benefits tech company, surveyed more than 5,500 employees and benefits decision-makers in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.<\/p>\n

The vast majority of employees now say they expect their companies to show up when life falls apart, and not just in routine ways like offering gym benefits or standard health insurance. Yet, many benefits packages are still built for what companies deem as a standard lifestyle, the study shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor decades, benefits have been designed around work and life as if they were not interconnected,\u201d Gura said. \u201cEmployers offered health insurance, retirement plans, and well-being benefits\u2014tools meant to address predictable needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

But now employees want to get down to the nitty-gritty: They want benefits addressing family support, financial stability, and emotional health, according to the study. This trend is evident in a recent example of how an employee called for their workplace to offer a benefit they could actually use in their everyday life, but would make a real difference in their mental health and family life.<\/p>\n

Christina Le, the head of marketing at social media content creation platform Slate, had posted generally on LinkedIn about mental health, burnout, and work-life balance, and offered a suggestion for a workplace benefit employees could actually use: home-cleaning services.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf companies are refreshing benefits this year, here\u2019s a free idea: Add a cleaning service stipend,\u201d she wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The next day, human resources at her company heeded her call. The company now offers employees a $200 home-cleaning benefit once per month, and the funds are added to a Ramp card for them to use, or employees can request reimbursement for the expense.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMany wellness benefits are framed as adding more to your schedule\u2014go to the gym, book a class, make time for therapy,\u201d Le told Fortune<\/em>. \u201cThose things matter, but they don\u2019t remove the everyday mental load people are carrying. Your house is still messy. Dinner still needs to happen. Childcare logistics don\u2019t disappear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you take something off people\u2019s plates, you give them real breathing room,\u201d Le added.<\/p>\n

A new employee-employer compact on benefits<\/h2>\n

Expectations for life-event support are rising, with nearly half of employees expecting formal employer support during major disruptions. But despite the nearly unanimous percentage of employees saying they value bereavement-related benefits, the study says not nearly enough employers are planning to expand that support in the coming year.<\/p>\n

And the need is growing: Empathy finds a 50% increase in employees globally who have experienced a major life disruption in the past two years, while MetLife data shows one in four employees each year are dealing with an immediate loss.<\/p>\n

Gura suggests it would take more than offering a few days off to satisfy employees with bereavement benefits. Rather, it would include adequate time off, access to emotional and logistical support, supportive managers, and policies that recognize diverse family structures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And while about 80% of employers expect benefits budgets to increase this year, incremental investment won\u2019t resolve the underlying problem that employees aren\u2019t satisfied with their workplace benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also been a push from employees to make bereavement policies more inclusive\u2014recognizing chosen family, nontraditional relationships, and different cultural practices around mourning. That inclusivity reflects a broader shift in how companies think about benefits: less as a static menu of perks, and more as a dynamic expression of care that evolves with employees\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cBereavement care should not be thought about as a splurge or a perk,\u201d Gura said. \u201cIt is an important tool for improving employee well-being and supporting employees at work.\u201d<\/p>\n

By actually boosting benefits where employees need them most, employers can improve employee engagement, retention, and overall performance, Gura added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But to get there, it will also take clearer, more accessible policies and processes. The Empathy study shows ultilization and understanding of benefits remain a challenge, with about one-fourth of employees citing difficulty understanding benefits, accessing information, and navigating benefits complexity. This shows \u201cwhere benefits often fail at the moment of need,\u201d according to the study.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#workplace #benefit #workers #arent #satisfied #pretty #basic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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