Health care continues to lead the pack when it comes to employee benefits, according to the 2025 SHRM Employee Benefits Survey. Nearly 9 in 10 employers say health-related benefits are “extremely” or “very” important to their workforce – outranking retirement savings and leave benefits, which each earned 81% (see chart).
Health-related benefits have remained a top priority for employers since the pandemic, with consistent ratings between 88–90% – a notable jump from 75% in the pre-COVID year of 2019.
Other key findings:
- 97% of organizations offer some type of health coverage.
- 27% currently offer a self-funded health plan.
- Health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) are the most commonly offered health-related spending options, provided by 61% and 60% of employers, respectively.
- Dental insurance (99%) and vision insurance (96%) remain near-universal benefits.
If you’re a SHRM member, you can also take advantage of the association’s interactive benchmarking tool, which allows organizations to compare their benefits offerings with survey data.