Predicting workplace trends and new benefits

Navigating the return-to-work is top of mind for employers, as are safety precautions and questions over COVID vaccinations.

But employers are still finding time to support employees with dynamic workplaces and new benefit offerings. Glassdoor named their top places to work in 2021, and companies like Cleo and Goodly launched helpful benefits to help employees with the myriad of challenges still ahead.

The editors of Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser shared the top workplace predictions, trends and benefits from our January coverage:

2021 Trends and predictions:

Glassdoor names its top places to work for 2021
Employees want more than just a paycheck and health insurance. They are expecting employers to offer benefits that provide mental health resources, financial wellness and even support through their parental journey — from fertility to child care. The following is the top 50 of the 100 2021 Best Places to Work winners chosen by Glassdoor.

What does work look like in 2021? Workplace experts share their predictions
No one could have anticipated the total upheaval to the workplace in 2020 — the transition to remote work, a new reliance on technology, persistent pressures on employee mental health and well-being, child care concerns — the year was a roller coaster of crisis management for organizations and HR leaders. With the one-year mark since coronavirus engulfed the U.S., employers and employees are starting 2021 with one question: What will work be like this year?

PwC finds employees aren’t eager to return to the office post-COVID
There’s a disconnect between employers and employees when it comes to what the return to work may look like post-pandemic. Both agree that there will be some kind of hybrid model, where employees split their time between the home and office, according to PwC’s Remote Work Survey, conducted in December. However, how often employees will work remotely is disputed between the two groups.

New and improved benefits:

Working parents want a cohesive family benefits platform, says Cleo CEO
Employee programs that support families and working parents are in high demand during COVID-19. During COVID, Cleo launched a marketplace that offers a variety of programs for working parents, including virtual tutoring and child care services. They also expanded their Cleo Kids program to provide childcare for children up to 12 years old. The program was initially tailored to children up to 5 years of age. The platform saw a 167% increase in membership in 2020 as they forged partnerships with companies including Salesforce and Pinterest.

Employers can help employees save for college with Goodly 529 plans
Student loan benefit provider Goodly has added a new feature to its platform that will help employees manage the cost of higher education: a 529 plan. These accounts can go a long way to reducing debt for employees of every generational group: 45 million Americans have student loans, and borrowers between 50-61 years old owe $213 billion, according to the Department of Education. Those over the age of 62 hold more than $62 billion in student debt.

New benefit provides seniors with ‘grandkids on demand’
Papa, a digital elderly companionship and health platform, is now being offered as an employee benefit on a national scale, the company announced on Tuesday. The platform connects seniors with younger companions — called Papa Pals — who can help with everyday tasks like transportation, light household chores, navigating health benefits, doctors’ appointments, prescription refills and grocery delivery. But most importantly, the founder says, they provide friendship.

Digital tools can help employees struggling with addiction
As employees continue to grapple with mental health and substance abuse issues during COVID-19, digital tools can be a critical component in recovery, while reducing healthcare costs for employers. Quit Genius, seeks to destigmatize addiction and offers digital cognitive behavioral therapy, telemedicine options and access to clinical care teams to prescribe medications proven to assist in addiction recovery.

Bank of America benefits help employee adopt baby girl
Adopting a child is an incredibly personal decision that one might not necessarily consider involving their employer in. But Kenny Lehmann, vice president in Global Equities at Bank of America, did just that, utilizing his company’s extensive family planning benefit program that includes reimbursement of adoption expenses. Over the course of a year, Lehmann and his wife navigated the complex adoption process, relying on BofA’s benefit, which reimburses adoption expenses up to up to $20,000.

Workplace COVID response:

How to get employees vaccinated and back to work
Employers are eager to get workers vaccinated and back to the office this year, relying on mandates and other digital tools to ensure their workplace is healthy before their return. VaxAtlas, a vaccine management company, launched a digital platform to help users through the vaccination process from start to finish. The app connects employees to certified pharmacy networks to schedule vaccine appointments, sends alerts and reminders for their second vaccine dose, and provides QR-coded passes as proof of vaccination.

5 strategies employers can implement to help support COVID vaccine uptake
Even if a company is not in the healthcare space, it will likely need a strategy to deal with issues related to the COVID vaccines for its employees. Business leaders should look at this moment as an opportunity to play an important role in what will be considered one of history’s largest and most rapid inoculation efforts. A little preparation will go a long way and may make all the difference for your company and your employees.

About the Contributor

Alyssa Place

Alyssa Place is the executive editor of Employee Benefit News.

Predicting 2021 workplace trends and benefits

By Alyssa Place, January 28, 2021, 10:26 a.m. EST

About the Contributor