What benefits employers are offering

For the report, IFEBP surveyed 625 organizations across almost 20 industries, ranging in size from fewer than 50 employees to over 10,000 employees. Among the respondents, 61 employers were healthcare organizations.

According to the report, most healthcare benefits have remained stable year-over-year. When it comes to telemedicine, 78% of employers offer the service, similar to 2022. The five most popular types of telemedicine services offered were general medicine, mental health, behavioral healthcare, primary care, and dermatology. 

Other types of healthcare benefits offered include mental health benefits, chiropractic services, contraception, and vision benefits.

Employers are also offering fertility benefits, which include medications, in vitro fertilization, genetic testing, egg harvesting or freezing services, and more. In 2024, 42% of U.S. organizations said they offered fertility benefits, up from 30% who said the same in 2020. 

When it comes to work-life balance benefits, employers are offering different dependent care/services and flexible work options. Among employers, 69.4% said they offered dependent-care flexible spending accounts, and 68.8% said they offered hybrid work arrangements. 

Employers also offered miscellaneous benefits in several categories, including wellness benefits, at-work perks, insurances, education, events/entertainment, and financial/retirement planning. 

Fertility benefits could boost retention

According to Julie Stich, VP of content at IFEBP, more employers are increasing access to fertility benefits due to their high value to employees, regardless of gender identity or relationship status.

"The increasing number of plan sponsors offering family-forming benefits indicates that they are a highly-valued benefit by employees," Stich said. Additionally, she noted that "these benefits are a positive way to create a more inclusive workplace."

Other data has also suggested that reproductive health benefits can help increase retention. In a survey of 1,200 HR leaders and 3,000 full-time employees from Maven Clinic, 75% of employers said reproductive health benefits are important for employee retention, and 57% of employees said they have taken or might take a job because it offered family or reproductive health benefits.

A separate survey from Harris Poll and HR Brew also found that many Americans are supportive of fertility benefits, with 63% of respondents saying companies should offer them. Among millennial and Gen Z respondents, support increased to 73%.

"While not a lot of employers offer it yet, you see a lot of signals in the market that there's consideration and thoughtfulness about how to offer it in the future, to signal that they're kind of a future-ready company that has their values aligned with next generational talent," said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at Harris Poll.

Advisory Board's workforce resources

For more insight into workforce issues, check out these Advisory Board resources:

This expert insight describes five ongoing challenges of the workforce crisis, as well as what leaders can do to address them. Similarly, this expert commentary explains how workforce challenges continue to be a top issue for executives and offers four steps on how to mitigate them.

This guide will help self-funded employers understand their top health benefits strategies and priorities, from navigating the booming market of high-cost drugs to integrating virtual health offerings. In addition, this expert insight will dissect the factors increasing employer-sponsored insurance costs and offers five care navigation strategies to rein in healthcare spend.

We also ran a survey of nursing leaders, combined with additional research and external literature, to develop recommendations on how to stabilize the nursing workforce. This Daily Briefing article, which includes expert commentary, also outlines three ways to successfully reduce clinician turnover.

You can also read our take on how technology can help solve the workforce crisis by reducing burnout, turnover, and understaffing — and ultimately leading to long-term sustainability. In addition, this expert insight aimed at vendors offers three strategies on how to engage providers tackling a workforce crisis.

Finally, these ready-to-use slides detail the current trends and major priorities in the employer-sponsored insurance market, which can be used to guide conversations about evolving market trends. (Medici, The Business Journals, 9/4; Shumway, Healthcare Dive, 8/27; McMullin, IFEBP, 8/22; IFEBP report, accessed 9/9)