15 companies leading the way in employee benefits

A ping-pong table and free snacks won’t earn you a “best companies to work for” badge anymore. As the healthcare landscape changes, so do expectations when it comes to employee benefits. In fact, a 2024 Maven survey showed that more than half of employees say they would consider switching to a different company for better benefits. Data also tells us that more than 90% of all workers think their employers should care for their well-being, which encompasses everything from physical to financial. Your benefits package is one of the most effective tools in your arsenal when it comes to showing your employees you care.

But what does a great benefits package actually look like? Let’s take a look at some companies who are taking employee benefits innovation to the next level and talk tips for raising the bar on your own benefits strategy.

Companies with the best healthcare benefits

Most workers consider health insurance to be the most important benefit. But when you consider that 86% of private-sector employees have access to an employer-sponsored health plan, it’s no surprise that healthcare benefits are considered the standard. Beyond that, employees are looking for companies who go beyond the traditional medical benefits—they want to work for organizations that care for the full scope of physical and mental wellness. When it comes to healthcare benefits, these companies exceed expectations:

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: This philanthropic organization not only offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for their employees, their spouses or domestic partners, and children, but they cover 100% of the insurance premiums, as well.
• Starbucks: The coffee giant provides mental health benefits to its employees and their families, including 20 free therapy sessions per year.

Companies with the best PTO benefits

No matter how great your company's culture is, your employees still want (and need) to have time away from their desks. Here are some good examples of companies with great time-off policies:

• CHANI: The creators of this popular astrology app truly prioritize their team’s wellbeing through their PTO policies. The company offers 7 weeks of paid office closures per year — not to mention a 4-day work week and a vacation stipend.
• Salesforce: When it comes to time off categories, Salesforce covers the spectrum. Beyond offering employees flexible PTO (often referred to as “unlimited”), they also provide 7 days of Volunteer Time.
• Autodesk: After four years of continuous service, Autodesk employees are eligible for a 6-week sabbatical program, allowing ample time away to rest and rejuvenate.

Companies with the best professional development benefits

More than 90% of employees think it’s important for their company to offer professional development opportunities. These companies do it best:

• Amazon: This behemoth’s Career Choice education benefit program covers up to 95% of tuition fees for an eligible certificate or diploma in a high-demand area of study.
• Google: The search giant offers extensive internal training through its Googlers-to-Googlers (g2g) program, where internal employees train others to spread the knowledge around.

Companies with the best benefits for families

It takes a village—and some decent employee perks—to raise a family. About half of all working moms experience burnout, but these benefits can help prevent that:

• Patagonia: The outdoor company sets the standard when it comes to benefits for families. They offer company-paid health insurance for the entire family, generous paid maternity and paternity leave, and perhaps one of the most innovative family-centered benefits we’ve seen: access to childcare at the company’s headquarters.
• Spotify: New parents at Spotify are able to take 6 months of fully paid leave, regardless of gender or how employee became a parent — birth, adoption, and surrogacy are all eligible for the same amount of leave.
• American Express: The credit card company has started putting a big emphasis on support for adoptive parents, offering up to $35,000 for adoption expenses and 20 weeks of paid leave for all new parents, including adoptive parents.

Companies with the best financial wellness benefits

One-fifth of Americans over 50 are concerned that they’re financially unprepared for retirement. Companies can help resolve this by providing generous financial wellness benefits. Look to these companies for some inspiration:

• Southwest Airlines: A 401(k) match isn’t unheard of, but one this big is. Southwest Airlines offers employees a 401(k) contribution match of up to 9.3% of eligible earnings.
• SoFi: This financial technology company is another example of how you can take advantage of your own offerings to improve your benefits. Through its SoFi at Work program, employees are eligible for free one-on-one financial coaching with a SoFi specialist.

Companies with benefits that just make us smile

Although regular benefits are great, some employee perks are the chef’s kiss. While many of these may seem like small gestures, they can really go a long way toward improving your company's culture and employees' wellness.

Here are some companies that prove that sometimes it’s the small things that count:

• LinkedIn: As the leader of career advancement, LinkedIn doesn’t want its employees to fall behind. Through its InDay initiative, employees are allowed to take one Friday off per month to focus on professional development without worrying about their day-to-day duties.
• REI: As one of the largest sports and outdoors companies in the world, REI wants its employees to get outside. All employees are allowed to take two “Yay Days” per year to enjoy outdoor activities. Perfectly on-brand!
• Nava Benefits: That’s us! We offer a quarterly wellness stipend of $2,000 for employees to use for fun team-wide or cross-functional wellness events. Let your employees lead the way!

How to build your employee benefits strategy

Feeling inspired by these companies with great benefits? Excellent! But before you start adopting office dogs or setting up an unlimited PTO policy, let’s talk about your strategy.

Follow these steps to build a benefits package that will make your employees swoon:

1. Start with employee benchmarking: Knowing your competition will help you understand how you stack up against the rest. This isn’t about being nosy, but about staying competitive.
2. Survey your employees: An employee benefits survey can help you understand what your employees really want. Their answers might surprise you! Doing this early can help you save time and money, as you won’t need to invest in benefits your team doesn’t want.
3. Look at your demographics: A team of fresh grads will have drastically different priorities from someone who’s been in the industry for decades.
4. Set your budget: Be realistic about what you can afford, but don’t forget that some of the best benefits don’t cost much.
5. Review and adjust regularly: Your employees’ needs will change over time. Your benefits package should, too.

Now that you’re ready to level up your benefits package, don’t feel like you have to do it all on your own. The Nava Benefits team can help you create a package that truly resonates with your employees.