2023 Employee Benefits and Perks Statistics

It's 2023 and employee benefits & perks are more influential than ever when it comes to hiring and employee retention.

It seems like we've been holding our breath for 3 solid years, waiting for things to get better. Instead, they've just gotten... weirder. First it was a global pandemic, then supply chain issues, then workforce shortages, then inflation. Believe it or not, all of these and more are impacting employee opinion on the benefits they want from their employers.

Luckily there are a lot of businesses searching for the same answers. They're asking important questions to the people who have the answers: employees throughout the U.S. and the world.

This page is for the raw data aggregated from professional studies and surveys published in 2023. Sometimes the statistics may disagree or even contradict each other. Each one links back to the original source, so we'll let you decide which is the most correct.

If you want Access' opinion on the most recent data available, you'll find it throughout this blog. We recommend these articles in which we discuss legislative changes impacting benefits, the power of lifestyle benefits, the best channels for promoting benefits and what to do when employees complain about benefits.

Or, simply jump to the section of interest below and peruse the data yourself.

2023 Benefits and Employee Engagement/Retention/Recruitment Stats
2023 Salary and Base Compensation Stats
2023 Healthcare and Wellness Benefits Stats
2023 Retirement Benefits Stats
2023 PTO and Time Off Stats
2023 Flexible Working Stats
2023 Benefits Management Stats
2023 Employee Perks, Lifestyle Benefits and Other Miscellaneous Benefits Stats

Need more? These and stats from recent years are all included in our Ultimate Collection of Employee Benefits database. We also maintain a huge collection of employee engagement and loyalty stats, to help you get a complete picture of what's happening in offices across the country.

We used to keep these statistics on our employee engagement and loyalty stats page, but we feel like benefits are complex enough to merit their own collection. Like each of our stat pages, we'll update this one on a weekly basis.

Have data you'd like to see on these pages? Drop us a link in the comments.

This page is brought to you courtesy of Access Perks, provider of America's best employee discount programs. Visit our site to learn more!

2023 Benefits and Employee Engagement/Retention/Recruitment Statistics

40% of employers believe workers leave their job to find employment that offers better benefits (Forbes, 2023)
54% of American workers are content with the benefits their current employer offers (Forbes, 2023)
1 in 10 workers would take a pay cut to have access to better benefits (Forbes, 2023)
According to HR professionals, the primary goal of a benefits program is: (Care.com, 2023)
- Increasing productivity (53%)
- Attracting and retaining employees (49%)
Employees who are satisfied with their pay and benefits are 13% more likely to continue working for their current employer for 3+ years (Qualtrics, 2023)
77% of organizations that offer supplemental insurance report these benefits help with recruitment, 80% report they help with retention (Aflac, 2023)
47% of organizations report that keeping a competitive total compensation package is one of their biggest challenges (Aflac, 2023)
83% of organizations believe their benefits package has a positive impact on worker productivity, 84% that it enables them to recruit top talent, the highest percentages ever reported (Aflac, 2023)
80% of organizations believe their employees are highly satisfied with their benefits, however only 58% of employees report high satisfaction (Aflac, 2023)
Employee satisfaction with benefits is at a 10-year low, reaching 61% in 2023, down from 64% in 2022 (Metlife, 2023)
83% of employers believe their employees are satisfied with their employee benefits, but only 60% of employees report satisfaction (Metlife, 2023)
36% of employees have left or considered leaving a job because of inadequate family benefits (Maven Clinic, 2023)
Among employers planning to cut back on employee benefits in 2023: (Care.com, 2023)
- 35% will eliminate adoption & fertility assistance
- 33% will eliminate commuter benefits
- 32% will eliminate financial education
- 32% will eliminate health and fitness discounts
- 31% will eliminate 401K match
- 31% will eliminate mental health support
- 28% will eliminate paid maternity and paternity leave
Small business owners believe their employees are quitting mainly because of: (Forbes, 2023)
- Higher pay (32%)
- Better benefits (26%)
- Better advancement opportunities (22%)
- Flexible work-from-home options (20%)

2023 Salary and Base Compensation Statistics

61% of employees believe they are paid fairly for what they do, down from 67% in 2022 (Qualtrics, 2023)
25% of employees know their own pay band (Lattice, 2023)
54% of companies only give HR and finance departments visibility into employee pay bands (Lattice, 2023)
67% of U.S. employees want more pay transparency (Lattice, 2023)
85% of companies acknowledge they need to improve pay equity, 39% that they need to improve a lot (Lattice, 2023)
59% of companies are investing in pay transparency (Lattice, 2023)
78% of companies are investing in pay equity (Lattice, 2023)
Globally, 57% of employees believe their pay is clearly linked to their performance (Qualtrics, 2023)
46% of employers are increasing wage adjustments (Maven Clinic, 2023)
46% of employees reported that pay/compensation to be the most important element demonstrating that their employer cares for them (Metlife, 2023)
When choosing the most important element that demonstrates their employer cares about them, Gen Z, Millennials, Black and Hispanic workers, workers with children and employees with disabilities were the most likely to choose something other than pay/compensation (Metlife, 2023)

2023 Healthcare and Wellness Benefits Statistics

80% of employers shifted costs to employees instead of cutting benefits due to the rising cost of healthcare (Aflac, 2023)
57% of American workers have high anxiety about health care costs beyond what their insurance covers (Aflac, 2023)
76% of employers think their employees understand their health care costs well, compared to only 52% of employees who report they do (Aflac, 2023)
43% of employees are confident they understand everything about their health insurance policies (Aflac, 2023)
71% of companies added or are planning to add employee benefits for reproductive health needs (Maven Clinic, 2023)
63% of employers plan to increase family health benefits in the next 2-3 years (Maven Clinic, 2023)
87% of U.S. employers (91% of global employers) believe family benefits are extremely important to prospective and current employees (Maven Clinic, 2023)
64% of employees have missed work in the past year because of their family health needs (Maven Clinic, 2023)
41% of employees feel their employer could better support their family and reproductive health needs (Maven Clinic, 2023)
When considering family benefits, employees want: (Maven Clinic, 2023)
- Financial support for building families (30%)
- Support for raising young children (28%)
- Support for giving birth and returning to work (26%)
85% of employers believe their employees are mentally healthy, only 65% of employees agree (Metlife, 2023)
87% of employers believe their employees are physically healthy, only 67% of employees agree (Metlife, 2023)
43% of HR professionals have personally used or considered using their company’s EAP or mental health benefits (Access Perks, 2023)
80% of employees older than 42 want jobs that include employer-covered healthcare (Forbes, 2023)
67% of employees and 68% of employers believe employer-covered healthcare to be the most important benefit (Forbes, 2023)
33% of employees and 23% of employers believe mental health assistance to be the most important benefit (Forbes, 2023)

2023 Retirement Benefits Statistics

34% of employees and 34% of employers believe pension and retirement plans to be the most important benefit (Forbes, 2023)
In 10 years, Social Security will only be able to pay 77% of scheduled benefits, 52% chose to participate (CRR, 2023)
69% of private industry workers had access to employer-provided retirement plans, 52% chose to participate (BLS, 2023)
92% of state and local government workers had access to a retirement plan, 82% chose to participate (BLS, 2023)
The average retiree started 2023 with $21,000 less than they had at the start of 2022 (Clever, 2023)
Only 12% of American retirees have at least the recommended $550,000 in retirement savings (Clever, 2023)
37% of retirees say they have nothing saved for retirement (Clever, 2023)
60% of retirees say their former employers did not do enough to help them prepare for retirement (Clever, 2023)
67% of older Americans have not met with a retirement advisor to create a financial plan (Retireable, 2023)
52% of retirees are considering taking on part-time jobs or are uncertain if they will have to (Retireable, 2023)
41% of near retirees are confident in their month-to-month spending in their current state and moving into retirement (Retireable, 2023)

2023 PTO, Vacation and Time Off Statistics

Among workers who planned blended (business and leisure) travel in the coming year, 24% did so for the cost savings because the employer would be covering some costs, 24% because they could travel to places that would be difficult to get to otherwise, 23% so they could bring loved ones along and 18% to preserve vacation time (Morning Consult, 2023)
29% of employees wish they could travel more for business with baby boomers (32%) and low income earners (34%) being the most likely to wish they could travel for business more (Morning Consult, 2023)
43% of employees plan to take a leisure-first blended (leisure and business) trip in the next year (Morning Consult, 2023)
35% of employees plan to take a business-first blended (leisure and business) trip in the next year (Morning Consult, 2023)
37% of employees expect to fully pay for transportation and accommodations when taking a blended (business and leisure) trip (Morning Consult, 2023)
Among businesses that made changes to business travel policies since the pandemic, 60% support fewer business trips overall and 56% send fewer employees on business trips (Morning Consult, 2023)
At businesses that have cut back on business travel, 40% of employees believe the reason is to save money and 20% believe it is because of the ability to meet virtually (Morning Consult, 2023)
46% of employees will travel less for company retreats than in pre-pandemic years (Morning Consult, 2023)
45% of employees will travel less for trade shows than in pre-pandemic years (Morning Consult, 2023)
41% of employees will travel less for client meetings than in pre-pandemic years (Morning Consult, 2023)
40% of 42-57 year-olds are most likely to want mandatory paid time off from their employer (Forbes, 2023)
31% of employees and a negligible percentage of employers believe mandatory paid time off to be the most important benefit (Forbes, 2023)

2023 Flexible Working Statistics

Over 50% of employees want flexible hours, but only 31% of employers believe it’s an important perk (Forbes, 2023)
50% of HR leaders expect to maintain a remote workforce of 50% or more in 2023 (Lattice, 2023)
23% of HR leaders expect to maintain a 90%-100% remote workforce in 2023 (Lattice, 2023)
42% of HR leaders reported that employees feel overlooked for promotions and raises because of reduced facetime due to remote work (Lattice, 2023)
45% of HR leaders reported that it’s hard to track productivity because of reduced facetime due to remote work (Lattice, 2023)
2 in 5 of employees with flexible scheduling arrangements plan to take advantage of this flexibility to travel mid-week during the coming year (Morning Consult, 2023)
44% of organizations want employees back in the office but are afraid to mandate because of the tight labor market (People Element, 2023)
67% of workers prefer a hybrid work arrangement with access to a physical work space (Future Forum, 2023)
Employees who have full schedule flexibility have 39% higher productivity and 64% greater ability to focus than employees with no ability to shift their schedules (Future Forum, 2023)
Employees with no ability to set their own hours report 4.6x worse work-related stress and anxiety (Future Forum, 2023)
Among desk workers globally, 49% have a hybrid arrangement, 35% work full-time in-office and 17% work fully remote (Future Forum, 2023)
81% of workers want flexibility in where they work (Future Forum, 2023)
93% of workers want flexibility in when they work (Future Forum, 2023)
42% of employers are considering a 4-day workweek for their employees (Achievers Workforce Institute, 2023)
If employees could gain extra free time from flexible arrangements, 70% of women and 53% of men would use that time to care for themselves and focus on their wellbeing. 61% of women and 53% of men would spend that time with family (Metlife, 2023)
64% of employees are interested in their employer offering four-day work weeks (Metlife, 2023)
10% of employees feel their employer offers no flexibility, 17% that they offer low levels of flexibility, 46% moderate levels of flexibility and 27% high levels of flexibility (Metlife, 2023)
26% of employees and 34% of employers believe work-provided equipment to be a top remote-work benefit (Forbes, 2023)
17% of employees and 20% of employers believe home office stipends to be a top remote-work benefit (Forbes, 2023)

2023 Benefits Management Statistics

Large companies of 1000+ full time employees average a ratio of 1 HR professional for every 145 full time employees (McLean, 2023)
54% of employees reported high levels of trust in their HR department (McLean, 2023)
90% of organizations are investing in linking compensation and performance (Lattice, 2023)
72% of organizations report they need to improve their approach to linking compensation and performance (Lattice, 2023)
High performing HR teams conduct reviews more frequently (33% review quarterly while 22% compare less frequently) and include more people in those reviews (4.5 participants vs. 2.9 participants) (Lattice, 2023)
27% of HR teams use software tools and platforms to identify bias in performance reviews (Lattice, 2023)
53% of companies have invested in manager training to reduce bias in performance reviews (Lattice, 2023)
The #1 reason that organizations invest in benefits is to show employees that they care (Metlife, 2023)
88% of companies and 82% of employees believe it’s important for employers to care for their workforce (Metlife, 2023)
87% of employers believe their organizations demonstrate care, while only 65% of employees agree (Metlife, 2023)
95% of HR professionals are recalibrating their company’s benefit strategies in 2023 (Care.com, 2023)
47% of HR professionals are trimming overall employee benefits in 2023 (Care.com, 2023)
9% of HR professionals plan to expand employee benefits in 2023 (Care.com, 2023)
94% of HR professionals pay attention to their competitors’ benefits packages (Care.com, 2023)
89% of employees choose the same benefits each year (Aflac, 2023)
65% of employees reported that working with a benefits advisor is important to them (Aflac, 2023)

2023 Employee Perks, Lifestyle Benefits and Other Miscellaneous Benefits Statistics

35% of HR professionals report that their organization provides growth paths and employees (Lattice, 2023) understand them, 33% report that paths exist but employees don’t understand them and 32% have few defined growth paths (Lattice, 2023)
58% of employees are satisfied with the professional growth and training opportunities offered by their employers (Metlife, 2023)
In 2023, 46% of HR professionals are prioritizing childcare more and 43% are prioritizing senior care more (Care.com, 2023)
If HR professionals could only offer one family care benefit: (Care.com, 2023)
- 22% would choose senior care services
- 12% would choose on-site child care
- 9% would choose paid membership to online platforms to find care
- 5% would choose new parent support
32% of HR professionals report that their employees are requesting senior care services and 30% requesting childcare benefits (Care.com, 2023)
81% of HR professionals say they are more tolerant for employees caring for family members in 2023 (Care.com, 2023)
42% of HR professionals believe care-related employee benefits should be funded by the government (Care.com, 2023)
83% of employers would offer childcare benefits if they had more government support (Care.com, 2023)
47% of employees report that family benefits offered by employers make them feel appreciated (Maven Clinic, 2023)
30% of 18-41 year-olds are most concerned with having pet insurance available as a benefit (Forbes, 2023)
45% of employees and 43% of employers believe life insurance to be the most important benefit (Forbes, 2023)
51% of employees and 47% of employers value work-life balance as the most important element of company culture (Forbes, 2023)
11% of employees and 8% of employers named camaraderie an important cultural benefit (Forbes, 2023)
24% of employees named employee discounts as an important perk for in-office work (Forbes, 2023)
20% of workers want employers to support their professional development (Forbes, 2023)
31% of employers believe it’s important to offer free drinks and 28% that it’s important to offer free food as a fringe benefit, but few employees agree (Forbes, 2023)

Got Employees of your Own?

Between the higher cost of healthcare and the higher cost of, well, everything else, employees everywhere are actively searching for money-saving discounts. Employers who provide discounts as an employee benefit are the heroes of 2023. We at Access Perks are dedicated to crafting well balanced and high-value discount programs for employees, employee perks, employee lifestyle benefits and the like. Watch a demo to see how employees could be enjoying B1G1 deals at local restaurants, deep discounts on travel bookings, mobile coupons to local retail locations and more. Or, contact us to learn about the largest private discount program in the nation, and how we’ve helped businesses of all sizes with employee acquisition and employee retention.