Employee Benefits in 2026 "play a bigger role than ever in shaping the day-to-day employee experience,"¹ keeping existing employees engaged and productive, while helping employers attract new talent.

According to one study, “almost three-quarters of American workers say benefits matter as much as—or more than—their pay."² Similarly, when hiring new talent, Robert Half reports that "A 6-figure offer can get someone’s attention—but in 2026, it’s the perks and benefits that close the deal."³

Employers seeking to mitigate risk and manage rising healthcare costs should be mindful of the need to strengthen their social contract with their workforce. That’s going to make it critical to step up their game with voluntary benefits: the more effectively they harness the power of their employee benefits data to get there, the better it’ll serve everyone’s interests.

Smarter use of analytics can help you design and offer health plans tailored to which employee groups they best suit – from low-wage earners to executives. Given the abundance of new benefits products and vendors, using employee benefits analytics is also a great way to clear the mud so you can focus on products that are the best fit for employees with unique needs.

For a third consecutive year, The NEEBC community gathered to connect and learn about ever-developing innovations making a difference for the workforce.  NEEBC’s January 23^rd sold-out conference – Innovation in Employee Benefits: Changing the Game – provided an exciting window into the future of employee benefits, discussing cutting-edge developments in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR, leave management, and health benefits. Here’s a summary of the key topics and insights shared throughout the event.

1. AI-volution in Employee Benefits
Mike Brennan, Partner of HR Digital Transformation Services at Mercer, led an engaging discussion on the transformative impact of AI in the employee benefits space. Brennan outlined how AI can drive productivity and enhance employee value. The future of work, he suggested, will shift from routine tasks (HANDS work) to more strategic thinking (HEADS work) and eventually towards work that fosters human connection (HEARTS work).