Organizations Get Serious About Flexible Work Options Heading Into 2023.
Brookfield, Wis.—As the dust of the pandemic settles, over half of employers will maintain remote work options as 2023 approaches, according to a new report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
“The Employee Benefits Survey results show the popularity of flexible work arrangements and decline of at-work perks, further solidifying the shift in workplaces we’ve all been observing since the start of the pandemic,” said Julie Stich, CEBS, VP of Content at the International Foundation.
According to the report:
- 74% of employers offer hybrid work arrangements
- 57% offer flexible work hours
- 55% offer remote work arrangements (100% from home)
- 20% offer flexible work schedules for religious observances
- 19% offer compressed workweeks (full 40-hour weeks, condensed into four days)
- 17% offer summer hours.
With fewer employees in the office, at-work perks like coffee service, casual dress codes and nap rooms are declining in popularity.
- Coffee service—Down to 54% from 64% in 2020
- Take Your Child to Work Day—Down to 11% from 20%
- Flu shot programs—Down to 63% from 72%
- Health risk assessments/screenings—Down to 48% from 55%
- Walking/exercise programs—Down to 27% from 34%
- Weight management programs—Down to 32% from 37%
- Service award programs—Down to 51% from 60%
Benefits on the rise include identity theft insurance (34%), estate planning services (17%) and paid leave to vote (38%) as well as more family-friendly offerings like paid adoption leave (34%), paid leave related to a miscarriage (15%) and paid maternity leave (above and beyond legal requirements) (43%). Sneaker fans unite—Casual dress codes jumped to 45%, up from 31% in 2020.
More emerging benefit offerings include:
- Reimbursement for subscription workout apps (e.g., Peloton, Glo, Apple Fitness+)—13%
- Reimbursement for subscription mental health apps (e.g., Calm, Talkspace)—7%
- Vaccination programs—18%
- Lifestyle spending accounts—3%
- Travel/vacation stipends—1%.
For more information and access to the full survey report, visit www.ifebp.org/ebs2022.
