Over the past decade, the employer-employee relationship has been tested by relentless external pressures — and it’s buckling under the weight. Pandemic-era upheaval, rapid policy shifts, and technological disruption have driven both employers and employees into survival mode.

In that churn, trust has eroded. A 2024 Gallup study found only 19% of employees strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization, a 20% decrease from 2019.¹

Benefits teams are at the center of this tension, tasked with providing solutions that deliver competitive support for employees while managing rising costs. But, when done well, benefits are more than a checkbox. They become a clear statement of partnership: the bridge between employers and their employees.

Even during times of economic uncertainty, employees who report positive benefits experiences are twice as likely to trust their employer,² leading to a more engaged, productive workforce. With 164.7 million people in the United States on an employer-sponsored health plan as of March 2023,³ health care benefits are an essential building block of the relationship.

So how can benefits teams design thoughtful programs that deliver value for employers and show employees that their health, stability, and growth are priorities for their organization?

Here are ways to think strategically about benefits packages that deliver offerings that are useful, fair, and human — and, ultimately, restore trust.

1.      Benefits are personal. They should be personalized, too.

Every employee population is different, with their own needs and expectations. When benefits packages are designed with this in mind, employees are more likely to feel cared for and connected with the organization’s purpose, improving loyalty and retention.⁴

Furthermore, it’s essential that benefits meet employees where they are. Employers should ask themselves questions like these when considering how to personalize benefits offerings:

What stage of life are my employees in?
Younger employees place greater value on flexible care options, work/life integration, and mental health support,⁵ while older generations may be more likely to seek caregiver support and robust health care options. Voluntary offerings and add-ons — extra benefits for hearing aids, caregiver and reproductive health support, and care for children with autism are already popular among employers⁶ — allow employees to customize their coverage for a more personalized experience that meets their individual needs.

What kind of health care do my employees need?
A health plan that covers the essentials, like preventive care, emergency care, and pharmacy coverage, is the baseline. Do your employees also need access to care for chronic conditions? Voluntary specialized programs provide access to care that may meet their individual needs. Do they face higher injury risks? Consider benefits like integrated telemedicine solutions to help quickly diagnose and manage workplace injuries.

How do my employees prefer to engage with their care?
Digital tools like telemedicine and online scheduling can make care easier to access, but some employee populations may be less likely to take advantage of tech-enabled care. Providing multiple ways to connect to needed care is essential.

2.      Make guidance, navigation, and awareness a priority.

Giving employees options is great. Overwhelming them isn’t. As networks, provider systems, and benefits grow increasingly complex, finding the right care becomes an added burden for the employee. Condition-specific navigation and innovative shopping tools empower employees to manage their own care and lighten employers’ and HR teams’ operational loads.

Health plans that incorporate member data to offer personalized guidance early in their health care journey can be a differentiator for employers looking to build trust. By engaging employees at key points and guiding them through these complex systems and decisions, plans offering integrated navigation support can reduce friction, boost satisfaction, and improve outcomes.

Educational content — about health, care, and benefits — that reaches employees at important moments and in the places where they spend their time drives awareness and adoption. Consider health plans with clear, concise onboarding communications supplemented by multi-channel reminders throughout the year.

3.      Well-being support has never been more important.

Employees have more on their plates than ever. An increasing percentage of the workforce is part of the sandwich generation: caring for both aging loved ones and young children, often in the same home. Caught between these responsibilities and technology-driven, always-on work norms, employees are feeling it from all sides, and it’s affecting their productivity in the workplace.⁷

Health care and benefits are about more than medical claims and networks. We’ve seen notable increases in demand for mental health care and caregiver support. A holistic benefits package is no longer viewed as a bonus. Today’s employees expect it.⁸

Employers and benefits teams must acknowledge the complexities of the issues faced by employees and deliver holistic solutions that support all aspects of their well-being: physical, mental, and financial.

4.      Help employees go from passive to active, informed purchasers.

When employees have relevant benefits packages that signal thoughtful investment in their well-being, they’re more than twice as likely to be engaged.⁹ That’s because they want to be the decision-makers that choose how they’re going to spend their (and their employers’) dollars on care and support.

Empowering them to be active purchasers of care can reduce costs for employees and employers and drive better outcomes. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Turn up the transparency with tools that make it easy to shop around for services and see costs upfront, like Smartshopper®, Healthcare Bluebook^TM, and MyMedicalShopper^TM.
• Provide flexible financial support, such as health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements.
• Offer easy-to-understand payment plans like pay-over-time models that reduce financial barriers.

Crossing the bridge: looking forward

The right benefit offerings — ones that are designed with empathy and that empower employees to make informed choices — can be the lever for rebuilding trust. When they’re accessible, relevant, and clear, benefits deliver an important message to employees: that their employer values them as whole people, not just contributors to the bottom line.

The future of health care is about personalization, flexibility, and trust. We must build programs and solutions that adapt to how people live and work.

Of course, cost pressures won’t disappear overnight and employers must still make prudent choices. But cost, choice, and transparency are inextricably linked, and the right benefits don’t have to come with an untenable price tag.

The payoff won’t just be healthier employees. It will be a healthier workplace relationship between employer and employee; one that energizes employees and instills a deeper commitment to and trust in your organization.