Five Employee Benefits That Are Gaining Momentum in 2026
Over the past few months, we've published several articles about the strategy behind a strong employee benefits package. How do you create a clear Benefits Philosophy? What message does your employee benefits package communicate? And which benefits form the foundation of a truly distinctive package?
In this article, we'd like to take a more practical approach.
Based on both our consultancy projects and the data within Total Benefits, we've identified a number of employee benefits that are appearing more and more frequently. Some are already being implemented by employers, while others are high on the optimization agenda.
This is therefore not a list of the "best" employee benefits. Instead, it's an overview of the benefits that we believe will play an increasingly important role in the years ahead.
1. Flexible Public Holidays
Flexible public holidays have been gaining popularity for some time, but the discussion surrounding Keti Koti has brought the topic back into the spotlight.
Rather than introducing additional official public holidays, more and more employers are allowing employees to exchange one public holiday for another. This creates greater flexibility without increasing the total number of leave days.
We see the same trend reflected in our own data. Employers are generally not expanding the number of public holidays; instead, they're providing employees with more freedom of choice within their existing leave arrangements.
This benefit also aligns perfectly with themes such as Diversity & Inclusion and Flexible Benefits.
2. Extended Bereavement Leave
Bereavement leave continues to receive considerable attention.
Many employers feel that traditional bereavement policies don't provide employees with sufficient time to properly process a loss. In practice, managers often apply a degree of flexibility, particularly following the loss of a partner or child.
For larger organizations, however, relying on individual discretion becomes increasingly difficult. As a result, many employers are choosing to formally extend their bereavement leave policies.
This is also a topic that frequently emerges during employee focus groups we conduct with our clients. Not because employees expect to use the benefit often, but because it reflects how an organization cares for its people during life's most difficult moments.
3. Military Reservist Policy
Unfortunately, this benefit has become increasingly relevant due to growing geopolitical uncertainty.
We're seeing more large employers establish agreements with the Ministry of Defence, allowing employees to serve as military reservists alongside their regular employment.
In practice, these policies often provide additional leave for training or deployment. Some employers even offer financial compensation when employees take leave to fulfil their reservist duties.
A few years ago, this type of policy was relatively rare. Today, it is clearly gaining momentum.
4. Workation
The workation is no longer a trend—it has become a serious consideration for many employers.
Within Total Benefits, we regularly see workations appear on organizations' optimization roadmaps.
Our benchmark data, based on 10,000 employees, shows the following averages:
- Maximum duration: 24.4 days
- Frequency: Once per year
Geographical restrictions vary considerably. Some employers limit workations to European countries, while others allow employees to work anywhere in the world, provided local legislation and tax regulations permit it.
5. Generational Pact
Supporting employees in remaining healthy and engaged until retirement continues to be an important topic.
One of the most common initiatives in this area—particularly within industries involving physically demanding work—is the Generational Pact.
Our benchmark data, based on 5,000 employees, shows the following averages:
- Minimum working percentage: 74.3%
- Salary continuation: 87.5%
- Pension accrual: 98.9%
This combination makes the Generational Pact particularly attractive. Employees can gradually reduce their working hours while largely preserving both their income and pension accrual.
In Closing
Employee benefits continue to evolve. Some gradually disappear from the spotlight, while others rapidly gain attention.
What stands out is that all five benefits discussed in this article are closely linked to broader societal developments. Diversity and inclusion, bereavement and wellbeing, geopolitical developments, flexible working and sustainable employability are themes that are likely to become even more important in the years ahead.
That doesn't necessarily mean every employer should implement these benefits immediately.
Ultimately, the same question always remains:
Does this employee benefit fit your organization's strategy, culture and workforce?
