Common Employee Benefits
Here is a list of popular employee benefits in the U.S.:
- Paid time off such as PTO, sick days, and vacation days
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Retirement benefits or accounts
- Healthcare spending or reimbursement accounts, such as HSAs, FSAs, HRPs, and HRAs
- Long term disability insurance
- Short term disability insurance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Childcare benefits
- Gym memberships or discounts
- Wellness programs
- Relocation assistance
- Commuting/travel assistance
- Telecommuting options
- Workplace perks such as recreation activities, food and coffee, and flexible work schedules
Benefits: What's Hot and What's Not
From 2013 through 2017, SHRM members offered several new benefits to their employees—and they took some away, as well. Here are the benefits that were the most changed over this period.
Benefits
|
Benefits
|
Free coffee |
Medical flexible spending accounts (FSAs) |
Meal reimbursement for business travel |
Defined contribution plan hardship withdrawals |
Health savings accounts (HSAs) |
Service anniversary awards |
Financial advice |
Undergraduate educational assistance |
Meal flex* |
Graduate educational assistance |
Standing desks |
Defined contribution plan loans |
Onsite lactation/mother's room |
Reimbursement for personal calls on business travel |
Telecommuting on an ad hoc basis |
Shift premiums |
Employer contributions to HSAs |
Compressed workweek*** |
Sign-on bonus (executive positions) |
Automobile subsidy for business use of personal vehicle |
401(k) fund conversion into Roth 401(k) |
Long-term care insurance |
Accelerated death benefits for terminal illnesses |
Credit union membership |
Wholesale generic drug program for injectable drugs |
Onsite cafeteria subsidized by employer |
Sign-on bonus (nonexecutive positions) |
Educational scholarship for members of employees' families |
Shift flexibility** |
Paid travel expenses for spouse |
*Allowing employees to make up time during the day due to a longer meal break or leave early due to a shorter meal break. |
***Allowing employees to work longer days in exchange for subsequent shorter days or a day off within a pay period. |
Benefits that at least 5% of SHRM members plan to introduce in 2017:
|
Wellness programs, general |
Health fairs |
Wellness tips/information provided at least quarterly (newsletter, column, e-mail, tweets, etc.) |
Rewards for completing health/wellness programs |
Annual health risk assessment |
Mentoring program |
Executive or leadership coaching |
Cross-training to develop skills not directly related to the job |
Source: Society for Human Resource Management, 2017 Employee Benefits survey report.