Global Benefits Boosters - 27th February
Gethin Nadin
Award-Winning MBPsS Psychologist ? 2x Bestselling Author ? #7 HRs Most Influential Thinker ? Exec Fellow at King's Business School ? Author of the Year '24 ? Chief Innovation Officer, Benifex & Zellis ?
Welcome to the latest edition of the weekly Benefits Boosters newsletter, brining you the best news, research and data from the world of employee benefits, from Benifex and my own meandering weekly experience.
Earlier this week, in my capacity as Chair of The Policy Liaison Group on Workplace Wellbeing , the board and I met in Westminster to discuss our strategy for the months ahead.
Our roundtables in the coming months will convene UK employers with parliamentarians, wellbeing experts, charities and lobby groups. They include:
March: Roundtable on financial wellbeing and the cost of living crisis. The PLG will be joined by representatives of Nest Insight , Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) , Money and Mental Health , MoneyHelper and many more as we discuss ways for the UK government to better support the financial wellbeing of its people.
April: Roundtable will be focussed on employee mental health with guests from MHFA England? , The British Psychological Society , Royal Society for Public Health , 英国伦敦大学 - 伦敦国王学院 to talk about ways the UK government can encourage and incentivise employers to invest more in workplace wellbeing.
If you know of ways or have any ideas on how you think the UK government can better support employee benefits in the UK (whether that be tax breaks, incentives or something else) we have an open call for submissions where ANYONE can send us their ideas to put in front of parliamentarians (and we may likely even call on you to join us to present your ideas directly to government).
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?? 2025 Benefit Trends Emerging
Some interesting new data from Compt in the US shows us what employees may be valuing in the year ahead. Key findings in their new research show:
You can download their research at the bottom of this newsletter. But adds a lot of fuel to this idea that employees are continuing to see their benefit schemes as a way of supporting their wellbeing.
?? Benefits Boosters content this week
With employer NI costs rising, UK organisations are turning to salary sacrifice to save money. However, the word “sacrifice” can deter employees. How can employers reframe the conversation to drive better engagement? Catch up on our latest on demand webinar where myself and Georgia Rule, Group Head of Reward at The AA, share how smart communication strategies can help employees see the true value of salary sacrifice schemes. Watch on-demand.
With compliance deadlines for the EU Pay Transparency Directive approaching, HR and Reward leaders need clear strategies to navigate these regulatory changes. TRS is helping businesses drive transparency, engage employees, and stay ahead of regulations. Benifex EVP Global, Adam Mason, explains how. Find out more.
To meet rising employee expectations, organisations need a scalable, configurable benefits platform that provides a one-stop-shop for employees to access everything they need. But how do you choose the right solution? Our latest report breaks down the five key considerations you should be thinking about when selecting a global benefits platform. Download the report.
Something inspirational… In this Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) interview, Samantha Sergent , Director of International Benefits at 微软 , shares how her hospitality background shaped her approach to employee experience, how she tackled global benefits transformation, and why benefits are now a strategic pillar for attracting top talent. Read it here.
As Alter Domus expanded, they needed a scalable benefits platform to enhance employee experience and engagement. With OneHub, they’ve transformed how employees interact with their benefits, creating a seamless and rewarding experience. Book a demo to see how OneHub can elevate your benefits strategy.
Recognition isn’t just a “nice to have” – it’s a critical driver of wellbeing, culture, and performance. In a hybrid world, recognition must be effortless and accessible for all employees. That’s where OneHub Recognition comes in – a simple, digital way to celebrate achievements, reinforce company values, and connect teams, wherever they are. Book your demo to see it in action.
What will HR look like in 2050?
Reward, Benefit and Compensation teams form an increasingly critical part of people operations. Though with the future of HR hotly debated in recent weeks, how does the people operations function ensure its relevance and survival?
On the back of several large meetings with HR and Reward teams last year, I pulled together my thoughts for HRZone in the UK this week.
?? A hidden powerhouse?
Recently, Edelman surveyed 33,000 people in 28 countries. Almost half of those surveyed now rank employees as the group most important to the success of a company – the first time that has happened.
Globally, people believe that employees are now more vital to an organisation’s success than its shareholders and investors. While the employer remains the most trusted institution in the lives of 75% across the world, 2025 has seen the first-ever dip in this trust, signalling that HR needs to support the rebuilding of this trust. Add to this the fact that human skills are now in demand 50% more than digital skills, and we can see how people operations is gaining importance as a business function.
Last year, 89% of CEOs said that HR should have a more central role in their organisation, with 70% of the C Suite saying their HR department will be more important to them in the future. But for HR to ensure their relevance and impact is secured for 2050, we may have to change some common HR behaviours.??
?? Upcoming Benifex events
Ahead of International Women’s Day, Gemma Callaghan, Chief Commercial Officer at YorkTest, and Charlie Ward, Head of Sales & Marketing at James McKenzie, will join Benifexers Katie Lewis, Lead Partnerships Manager, and Laura Noyce, Partnerships Executive, for an engaging fireside chat titled International Women’s Day: Supporting women’s health, wealth & workplace success. On Friday, March 7th at 11:00 GMT, they will explore how innovative benefits and accessible services can support, engage, and empower women. Sign up here.
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?? Events you’ll catch me speaking at
I’ll be hosting a workshop at Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) Future of Health & Protection Summit 2025 on Thursday, March 13th alongside Rebecca Rann, Head of Health at Benifex. Join us to explore how a prevention-first approach is the key to improving employee health, controlling costs, and driving long-term value from benefits. Find out more here.
At the Silicon Valley Employers Forum Global Benefits Conference in San Jose, I’ll be partnering with Elaine O'Donnell , Director of Benefits & Reward Projects at Flutter Entertainment on Wednesday, May 14th for our session: Beyond Compensation: Employee Benefits as a High Performing Work System at 09:10 - 09:50 GMT. We’ll explore how a high-impact benefits architecture transforms benefits from being solely compensation-focused to becoming a high-performance work system. Learn more and register here.
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