Reward and benefits predictions for 2026 and beyond
The most successful employers in delivering rewards and benefits that resonate are those that simplify their approach, and make people feel recognised and supported all year round, not just at peak moments.
Personalisation with purpose
Employees are increasingly looking for benefits that reflect their life stage, financial reality and personal preferences, rather than a one-size-fits-all package.
In response, many businesses are moving from standardised benefits to more selectable options, giving people genuine choice over what will make the biggest difference to them and their families.
At the same time, HR teams are consolidating tech stacks while broadening flexibility, aiming to serve a multi-generational workforce with very different expectations without adding complexity or noise.
The focus is shifting towards everyday values, ensuring benefits are easy to find, easy to use and clearly relevant, rather than just impressive on paper.
Recognition rooted in values
There is a clear move away from purely transactional “thank yous” towards recognition that reinforces what an organisation stands for. Reward and recognition strategies are increasingly being designed to spotlight behaviours that reflect company values, not just output or hitting hard metrics.
This shift from transactional recognition to values-based reward programmes helps build cultures where appreciation feels authentic, inclusive and continuous.
Instead of saving praise for big, infrequent milestones, more organisations are experimenting with smaller, frequent and meaningful moments that capture events as they happen and sustain motivation across the year.
Benefits as a boardroom metric
This year, measuring the impact of benefits will continue to be a board level conversation, not just an HR concern.
Leaders are looking for stronger links between benefits usage and outcomes such as retention, engagement, productivity and wellbeing. The importance of being able to clearly demonstrate ROI with clear data will only intensify, and we’re seeing this across the market, with employers evaluating the volume of employee savings vs the cost of providing a discounts scheme, for example.
That means moving away from viewing benefits as a static cost line towards treating them as a measurable workforce investment.
Organisations that shape their reward and benefits programme around the needs of their workforce and use data responsibly to refine, personalise and clearly communicate their offering will be better placed to demonstrate tangible value to both employees and the business.
Financial resilience, not fleeting perks
With persistent economic pressures and ongoing cost-of-living concerns, employees are prioritising benefits that help them make their money go further. There is growing demand for support such as everyday discounts, financial coaching, earned-wage access, clearer pension visibility and debt-management tools that build long-term financial resilience.
As a result, business leaders are likely to pull back from flashy, infrequent reward moments in favour of practical, day-to-day cost savings and meaningful recognition.
The organisations that stand out will be those that help people feel both financially supported and personally appreciated throughout the year, not only during bonus rounds or annual reviews.
Supporting real lives
Finally, support for the realities of modern life is set to expand, with increasing focus on areas such as menopause support, fertility benefits, neurodiversity assistance and eldercare resources.
Employees expect employers to recognise the complexity of their lives beyond work and to provide meaningful, accessible help at key moments in their lives.
Against this backdrop, integrated tech and always-on engagement will be critical to making sure people actually know what’s available and can easily access it when they need it most.
Those employers that align personalised benefits, values-led recognition and robust financial and life-stage support will be best placed to build a resilient, engaged and future-ready workforce where individuals can thrive.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Boostworks
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