Trends in Employee Benefits

Employees don’t care about company swag, happy hours, or discounted gym memberships like you think they do. Those are great to have. But those are just perks. Here’s what people actually care about: ☑ Fair pay. Getting what they're worth. ☑ Transparency from the top. No misleading. ☑ Flexible schedules. Work-life balance matters. ☑ Managers who help them grow. ☑ Work that means something. ☑ Basic respect. Treated like humans, not machines. Leaders, take note. Happy teams don't come from fancy perks. They come from meeting real needs. What else would you add to the list? Share ♻ with others if this resonates. And follow me for more posts like this.

HR doesn’t need more dashboards. It needs better listening. Most people teams measure what’s easy…like engagement scores or turnover. But the best teams? They build feedback loops that help them predict problems, not just react to them. This post gives you 11 of the most useful, often-overlooked loops you can implement across the employee lifecycle: 🟢 Week 2 new hire check-ins (capture early impressions) 🟠 Post-interview surveys (from both sides) 🔵 Onboarding reviews (day 90 is your goldmine) 🟡 Skip-level 1:1s (cross-level truth-telling) 🟣 Quarterly team health check-ins (lightweight, manager-led) …and 7 more. 📌 Save this if: • You’re building a modern HR function • You want fewer “We should’ve seen this coming” moments • You believe listening is strategy Which feedback loop is missing in your company?

❓ Is it time to ban the annual engagement survey? I see so many companies that make a big hoo-ha annual engagement survey, wait months to analyse results and make action plans and talk about it with employees, then often by the time they're ready to act on the data guess what, it's time for next year's survey! And round and round we go on the endless cycle. Each year fewer employees complete the survey because they don’t see the point. Nothing changes. What's the alternative? It’s time to move away from “let’s listen once a year” to “let’s listen regularly”. Here are some practical ways you can do this: ➡️ Pulse checks: Short, frequent surveys to check for employee understanding and sentiment ➡️ Social listening: Pay attention to what employees are talking about in your internal comms channels ➡️ Focus groups: Facilitated conversations with employees to gather deep, rich insights on a particular topic ➡️ Mobile-first feedback: Meet frontline workers where they are with surveys designed for phones, not desk computers The trick is to be intentional and to build listening into your everyday employee experience, not treating it as an annual event. Smart companies are moving beyond the "survey them once and hope for the best" approach. Tools like Employee Insights by Workvivo by Zoom are designed to make continuous listening part of your regular employee engagement strategy, with surveys that appear naturally in employees' daily workflow. Is it time to ban the annual engagement survey? Tell me in the comments 👇

2025 made one thing very clear: Telemedicine didn’t fail because of technology. It struggled because it misunderstood how healthcare actually begins in India. Most platforms assumed: • People download an app when sick • Patients want the fastest available doctor • Healthcare works like food delivery or ride-hailing Reality is very different. 👉 In India, nearly 80% of people don’t start care on an app or hospital. They walk into a neighbourhood medical store, talk to someone they trust, and ask “kuch de do”. What didn’t work in 2025: • Pure app-based telemedicine with heavy onboarding • Treating doctors as interchangeable supply • One-off consultations with no context or continuity • AI used for diagnosis instead of reassurance, follow-ups, and admin • Expecting trust to be built inside a UI flow What did work: • Telemedicine embedded inside existing trusted offline touchpoints • Video consultations where the patient doesn’t feel alone • Prescription + medicine fulfilment in the same place • Multilingual support to remove communication anxiety • Continuity - not speed - as the core metric That’s why we built telemedicine inside medical stores, not as another standalone app. Our approach: • A physical telemedicine device at the pharmacy • Instant video consults with multi-specialty doctors • Real-time AI translation for local languages • Digital prescriptions fulfilled at the same store • Familiar environment → lower friction → higher trust No app downloads. No account fatigue. No “what happens next?” anxiety. The future of telemedicine in India (and similar markets) isn’t horizontal or app-first. It’s embedded, offline-first, trust-led, and longitudinal. Healthcare doesn’t scale by making consultations faster. It scales by making care feel familiar. Would love to hear from others building in this space - what have you seen work in 2025? Bharat TeleClinic

10 Pharma & Digital Health Partnerships from September That You Need to Remember (See Infographic) >> 💊Eli Lilly and Company has launched TuneLab, a $1B AI platform that opens its drug discovery models to startups, creating a shared ecosystem of innovation. Early partners like Circle Pharma, Inc. and insitro will use Lilly’s research-trained models to accelerate new therapies while feeding insights back into the system 💊Eli Lilly and Company has partnered with Lila Biologics to apply AI-driven protein design to radioligand cancer therapies. Lila will develop tumor-targeting proteins, while Lilly drives preclinical and global trials 💊Merck has expanded its partnership with Variational AI in a deal, using its generative AI platform Enki to design small-molecule drug candidates for tough targets. The collaboration gives Merck exclusive rights to develop and commercialize resulting compounds, part of its broader AI push across discovery and development 💊Novo Nordisk has teamed up with smartpatient to launch a digital obesity care model in Germany, blending treatment support, coaching, and gamification to drive lasting health routines. The partnership leverages Novo’s obesity expertise and Smartpatient’s MyTherapy platform, with plans to expand into other chronic conditions 💊Novo Nordisk and 카카오헬스케어 - kakaohealthcare are expanding their partnership into obesity in Korea, adding Novo’s Fit Care program to Kakao’s AI-driven Pasta app for weight tracking, coaching, and lifestyle support. The move builds on their diabetes collaboration and bolsters wraparound services for Novo’s obesity drugs 💊Merck Healthcare and Siemens are deepening their partnership to connect discovery, development, and manufacturing with AI-driven digital workflows. The goal: cut complexity, speed decisions, and bring new therapies to patients faster 💊Novartis has partnered with Dawn Health to launch Nelia, a digital companion app for rare kidney diseases such as C3G and IgA nephropathy. The app helps patients track health data, manage medications, and access resources 💊Takeda and EnsoData are partnering to use AI-powered sleep study analysis to speed up diagnosis of narcolepsy type 1, a condition that can take over a decade to identify. The collaboration aims to secure regulatory clearance for new sleep test algorithms, enabling earlier detection and treatment 💊Takeda has partnered with Mitsubishi Corporation to apply AI and blockchain across its Japan portfolio, slashing drug waste and improving supply chain transparency. The collaboration also extends to sustainability, with digital tools at Takeda’s Osaka site cutting water use and costs 👇Links to all partnerships below in comments #DigitalHealth #AI #Pharma

The largest purchaser of healthcare in America isn't Medicare. It isn't Medicaid. It's employers — and they are more motivated than ever to join the fight for more affordable healthcare. In the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM Group), Zirui Song and I discuss the evolving role of employers in US healthcare. America's companies provide healthcare coverage for well over half of Americans. (Howard Schultz famously said that Starbucks pays more for healthcare than it does for coffee beans.) Over the last 20 years, employer-sponsored health insurance costs grew by more than 300% — driven by price inflation, service use, and most recently, prescription drugs. How have employers traditionally handled these rising costs? 💲By shifting these costs onto workers in the form of higher premiums, higher cost sharing, and slower wage growth. ❗Data shows that suppressed wage growth from higher healthcare costs disproportionately hurts low-income and minority workers. But employers are increasingly taking a more active stance. We highlight several strategies that start with taking control of their own claims data (h/t Stacey Richter), ranging from collective bargaining to demanding transparent contracts that prohibit arbitrage, esp with PBMs (h/t Mark Cuban), where ERISA & fiduciary concerns are mounting. We call employers the sleeping giant of healthcare affordability. This was true in the past. Now, they're waking up.

I’ve been following the recent reporting on rising health-care premiums, and one thing is becoming increasingly clear: we are in an affordability crisis touching nearly every corner of the system, especially for the 165 million Americans who get coverage through their employers.   The article highlights something we don’t talk about enough: workers with employer-sponsored insurance are facing premium increases of 6–7% this year, on top of last year’s jump. That means families are paying more for the same coverage while wages rise far more slowly. While at the same time, employers themselves are seeing the biggest cost surge in 15 years — driven by rising hospital prices, prescription drug inflation, consolidation, and new economic pressures across the delivery system.   What concerns me most is the broader ripple effect. When costs spike, workers end up with higher deductibles, higher copays, and less usable coverage. The politics right now are appropriately focused on Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, but the lived experience for most Americans is happening in the employer market. If we’re serious about affordability, Congress and our industry can’t ignore the largest segment of the insured population. Transparency, competition, payment reform, and real accountability for underlying costs must be part of the conversation.   People don’t care about the technical distinctions between markets. They care about whether they can afford to take their kids to the doctor, and right now, too many families are finding that answer slipping out of reach. We can fix this, but only if we start addressing the root causes driving these costs skyward. #accesstocare #costofcare #healthcare #employercoverage https://lnkd.in/gxDrB7cV

Standard Chartered has partnered with WHOOP to launch a new health and wellness proposition for affluent clients across Asia, signalling a deeper convergence between wealth, wellbeing and performance 💰 🤝 👩⚕️ 👉 The partnership integrates WHOOP’s wearable technology and personalised health insights into Standard Chartered’s wealth management offering, giving Priority and Private Banking clients access to real-time data, coaching and curated wellbeing experiences rather than traditional financial perks alone. 👉 Alongside insurance partner Bupa Global, the proposition is positioned around prevention, longevity and proactive health management, reframing “wealth” as a long-term outcome driven by physical and mental performance as much as financial returns. 👉 The rollout initially targets Hong Kong, Singapore and India, markets where demand for personalised health, performance and longevity solutions is accelerating rapidly among high-net-worth audiences. 👉 Notably, the collaboration does not involve a sports team or league, underlining WHOOP’s standalone brand strength while also highlighting how performance-led propositions are moving beyond pure sport into financial services and insurance. Why It Matters 🤔 What was striking to me here was the absence of a sports organisation. However, while WHOOP doesn’t need one, other wealth managers and insurers might. Clubs that can credibly translate elite performance environments into premium wellbeing experiences have an opportunity to move partnerships (particularly in the b2b space) beyond matchday hospitality and towards year-round health-led value. Juventus Football Club is a strong reference point here. With J|Medical embedded within the Allianz Stadium, the club already operates a world-class healthcare and rehabilitation facility designed to professional athlete standards. That kind of infrastructure positions the club as a platform for wellness, prevention and performance, which are exactly the pillars financial and insurance partners are now prioritising. I would expect wellbeing experiences and health offerings to become a core pillar of future partnerships, sitting alongside, or even in some cases replacing, traditional hospitality as brands look for deeper, more meaningful ways to engage high-value audiences that are increasingly health-conscious 📈

Under the latest funding proposal, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services telehealth flexibilities are on track to be extended through December 31, 2027, and the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program could be secured for nearly five more years, through September 30, 2030. After months of regulatory uncertainty, with the waiver expiring and causing deep disruptions in care, then being revived with short-term patches. This multi-year extension brings much-needed stability for providers, patients, and the startup ecosystem alike. It’s rare to see this kind of bipartisan alignment in Washington, but it reflects how foundational these models have become. Here’s why this matters: • Care delivered where people feel most comfortable: Hospital-at-home isn’t just convenient; CMS data show positive outcomes and strong patient experiences. • Better quality, often at lower cost: Studies have linked hospital-at-home care to reduced costs, fewer hospital-acquired conditions, falls, and a sharp decrease in readmission rates. • Telehealth continues to expand access: Keeping these flexibilities in place supports ongoing virtual care adoption, especially for rural and underserved populations. AND this stability will encourage further model innovation and investments by healthcare systems and health tech companies. In an era where so much divides us politically, it’s heartening to see policy that unites around improved patient care, stronger outcomes, and smarter spending. Looking forward to seeing this through! #HealthPolicy #Telehealth #HospitalAtHome #ValueBasedCare #Medicare #HealthcareInnovation #ClinicalInformatics Link: https://lnkd.in/gcFD37ej

🔍 𝟱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘆 Salary matters. But salary alone answers only one question: 👉 “𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?” A meaningful benefits structure answers a much bigger one: ❤️ “𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴?” And this is where the real difference begins - whether a reward strategy simply compensates or truly connects. 1️⃣ 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 A company pays market salaries but keeps losing employees when they start families. ➡️ Childcare support & remote-work flexibility introduced → retention & satisfaction rise measurably. 2️⃣ 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 & 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 The team is performing well, but sick leave keeps climbing. ➡️ Confidential mental-health services & “No-Meeting Fridays” introduced → fewer absences, stronger team energy. 3️⃣ 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 Employees with caregiving responsibilities resign or significantly reduce hours. ➡️ Elder-care support benefits + additional special leave → loyalty increases and turnover risk drops. 4️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 A company hires global talent, but local healthcare abroad is uncertain. ➡️ International health benefits introduced → faster hiring for critical roles & reduced attrition. 5️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 - 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 Inflation, rising living costs, insecurity. ➡️ Financial-wellbeing programs & hassle-free salary advance options → visible reduction in stress & resignation intentions. ✨ 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 People don’t stay where they are simply 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 - they stay where they feel 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱, and 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻. A strong reward strategy isn’t built by spending 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆, but by spending it 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆. When HR asks: 👉 “What will this benefit cost us?” Leadership should also ask: 💬 “What will it cost us 𝗶𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁?” 💙 Do you know of any other examples? I’m curious to hear your stories in the comments. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 👋 Hi, I’m Andreas von Hagen I help organizations build transparent, efficient, and globally scalable employee benefits programs that attract and retain top talent. 💬 If you’re interested in: 🔹 Global Employee Benefits News & Trends 🔹 Benchmark Insights from around the world 🔹 Smart cost-saving strategies with more employee impact 👉 Follow me for regular insights and updates 👉 Join my group: International Employee Benefits Group 👉 Subscribe to my newsletter: Global Employee Benefits News 📌 All links are available in the comments or on my profile. #employeebenefits #globalbenefits #totalrewards #rewardstrategy #compensationandbenefits