A 2022 study in the UK, conducted by Remote confirms mental health is top of the agenda for UK employees. They favor time off as a key wellness benefit. Global HR and payroll company Remote surveyed 10,000 full-time employees across the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the US. The study revealed the most desirable employee benefits across genders, job roles, industries, and parental status.
What are the top five employee wellness benefits in the UK, USA, France, Germany, and the Netherlands?
|
Most important employee wellness benefits by country |
France |
Germany |
Netherlands |
UK |
USA |
|
Hours off every month specifically for mental health improvement |
65.55% |
57.75% |
58.15% |
61.55% |
62.10% |
|
Confidential paid therapy or coaching |
53.35% |
46.00% |
55.55% |
55.10% |
55.10% |
|
Healthy food in the office, home deliveries, or meal stipends |
70.15% |
62.95% |
66.55% |
52.75% |
52.75% |
|
Virtual mindfulness sessions |
42.55% |
30.80% |
38.30% |
47.25% |
43.85% |
|
Gym memberships |
57.45% |
49.50% |
53.75% |
44.10% |
46.00% |
Other highlights from the research
-
Private health insurance is the most important employee benefit in the USA
-
Remote work options are most valued by employees in the Netherlands
-
63% of all employees want contributions from their employer for their home office setup.
Remote Unveils New Study of Most Popular Employee Benefits
The most desirable employee benefits across genders, job roles, industries, and parental status include:
-
Flexible working hours are the most important benefit to employees in 2022
-
Private health insurance is the most important employee benefit in the USA
-
Remote work options are most valued by employees in the Netherlands
-
63% of all employees want contributions from their employer for their home office setup.
The rise of remote work has created new opportunities for global talent to work for anyone from anywhere. As a result, companies are facing a greater demand to offer robust, equitable, and compliant benefit packages to attract and retain the best talent around the world.
Three most wanted benefits
Whether an employer’s primary aim is to attract top talent or retain it, flexible working hours, company-sponsored retirement plans or pensions, and early finishes on Fridays are the top three perks to consider included in their benefits packages.
|
Most important employee benefits when considering a job move in 2022 |
Percentage of employees that agree |
Percentage of employees that disagree |
|
Flexible work hours |
76.54% |
6.25% |
|
Company-sponsored retirement plan or pension |
74.93% |
6.24% |
|
Early finish on Fridays |
63.86% |
10.99% |
|
4-day working week |
63.36% |
10.62% |
|
Family Health Insurance |
62.29% |
12.05% |
|
Private health insurance |
62.18% |
11.67% |
|
Healthcare cost reimbursements |
61.12% |
12.32% |
|
Paid self-care days or time off for mental health |
58.90% |
13.21% |
|
Miscarriage leave |
58.63% |
14.48% |
|
Private Dental Insurance |
57.67% |
13.87% |
It is crucial for employers who wish to attract diverse global talent to develop customized benefits packages based on what is most valued in each country where they wish to hire.
Paid time off
Employees in the US in particular see paid time off for self-care and mental health as very important, as well as private and family health insurance. This is because the healthcare industry is mostly privatized in the US, and the cost of insurance and medical care can be exorbitant.
Flexible hours & a 4-day working week are the most desirable employee benefits
Employees who currently have flexible work are less likely to switch to a company without it. Additionally, those who do not have flexible work opportunities at their current job are more likely to be attracted to jobs that do offer this benefit.
The survey shows that flexible work hours and a 4-day work week are more essential to employees who identify as female than those who identify as male. This reinforces the need for employers to offer more flexible options that actively empower their female workforce and support their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
|
To what extent do you agree the following should be provided by your workplace? |
Percentage of male employees |
Percentage of female employees |
|
Flexible work hours |
74.15% |
78.79% |
|
4-day working week |
59.55% |
66.96% |
|
Private health insurance |
59.22% |
64.98% |
|
Family Health Insurance |
58.00% |
66.34% |
|
Remote work from anywhere policy |
55.86% |
57.61% |
|
Private Life Insurance |
54.79% |
57.88% |
|
Paid self-care days or time off for mental health |
54.46% |
63.09% |
|
Private Dental Insurance |
54.46% |
60.70% |
|
Miscarriage leave |
53.26% |
63.69% |
|
Childcare assistance (employees can pay care expenses for children with pre-tax money) |
52.40% |
61.38% |
The state of remote and flexible working status in 2022
The importance of remote and flexible working is undeniable, but which employees value these benefits most?
Employees with and without children both value flexible work hours
ViDI Studio/Shutterstock
Flexible working is the most important benefit to both parents and non-parents, highlighting the importance of allowing all employees the freedom to work in a way that best suits their individual needs.
|
To what extent do you agree the following should be provided by your workplace? |
Percentage of employees who are parents |
Percentage of employees with no children |
|
Flexible work hours |
77.97% |
75.05% |
|
Company-sponsored retirement plan or pension |
75.37% |
74.47% |
|
Family Health Insurance |
67.56% |
56.78% |
|
Early finish on Fridays |
65.70% |
61.93% |
|
Childcare assistance (employees can pay care expenses for children with pre-tax money) |
65.11% |
48.56% |
|
4-day working week |
65.08% |
61.57% |
|
Private health insurance |
64.25% |
60.01% |
|
Healthcare cost reimbursements |
63.31% |
58.83% |
|
Miscarriage leave |
63.00% |
54.06% |
|
Paid self-care days or time off for mental health |
61.26% |
56.43% |
Employees in almost every job function want flexible work hours, with HR and IT employees wanting this the most
Flexible working is seen as the most critical benefit for employees in every job function except production and other roles, with 78.74% of HR professionals and 78.07% of IT professionals seeing the benefit as important.
|
Employee Job Function |
Percentage of employees that agree flexible work hours should be provided in the workplace |
|
HR |
78.74% |
|
IT |
78.07% |
|
Finance and Accounts |
77.55% |
|
Sales |
76.88% |
|
Production |
73.48% |
|
Marketing |
73.30% |
|
Advertising |
68.02% |
Employees in the Netherlands value remote work the most
Dutch employers are more used to their staff adopting a fully-remote or hybrid working model. Even before the pandemic, the Netherlands maintained a highly flexible working culture. The U.K., Germany, and the U.S. follow behind the Netherlands. Remote work is seen as less significant to employees in France, whether offered partially or all of the time.
|
Country |
The percentage of employees that agree it is important to work for a company that allows full-time remote working |
The percentage of employees that disagree it is important to work for a company that allows full-time remote working |
|
Netherlands |
53.35% |
17.80% |
|
UK |
46.65% |
26.85% |
|
USA |
45.60% |
25.00% |
|
Germany |
44.70% |
24.15% |
|
France |
32.90% |
33.95% |
Best wellness benefits for employees across Europe and the US
Across all the 10,000 employees we surveyed, healthy food in the office, meal deliveries, and meal stipends, as well as time off work each month for mental health improvement, were seen as the most significant wellness benefits.
References
Remote, the leader in global hiring and payroll, has conducted research to discover which benefits are most valued by employees in 2022. To see the full research, please visit https://remote.com/future-
