Each year since 1996, SHRM has surveyed employee benefits to help HR leaders navigate a critical aspect of organizational success.
The 2026 Employee Benefits Survey covers 230 unique benefits from paid time off and wellness to GLP-1 coverage and flexible working options. The latest EN:Insights Forum unpacked these trends with Cal Engstrom, senior researcher for workplace technology and AI at SHRM.
The results show that while some workplace benefits are nonnegotiable, others are moving in noteworthy directions, reflecting an ever-evolving landscape that HR leaders must navigate.
Here are three key insights from the research.
Research Insight No. 1: Mental health coverage is declining
The report found that mental health coverage has declined by 6% since last year, and by 9% since 2022. For a benefit that has been an essential offering each year since the COVID-19 pandemic, these results signal that organizations may be shifting how they budget and prioritize the benefit.
Engstrom explained that while this result is potentially alarming, it’s also an opportunity to pay attention to see if these results are just a short-term deviation from the norm.
“When a core benefit like this slides quickly, it's worth asking whether it's a one-year correction or the start of some longer trend,” he said.
Engstrom also offered a few possible explanations for this decline based on his conversations with subject matter experts.
“Cost pressure, shifting priorities, and changes in how coverage is categorized or delivered [continue to be a challenge], while in-network access is starting to decline,” he explained.
Research Insight No. 2: New benefits for parental leave are increasing
The percentage of employers who offer benefits for new parents has increased across the board since 2025.
Key data points:
Paid parental leave increased from 39% to 46%.
Paid maternity leave increased from 38% to 44%.
Unpaid parental leave beyond legal requirements increased from 36% to 40%.
Paid paternity leave increased from 31% to 34%.
Paid prenatal leave beyond legal requirements increased from 10% to 18%.
These results reflect a long-term trend, Engstrom explained.
“Employers are increasingly viewing parental leave not simply as a compliance-related issue, but as an important component of talent attraction, retention, and workforce well-being,” he said.
Engstrom advised employers ensure they’re benchmarking their policies against the market, which is becoming competitive when it comes to family care.
One way HR leaders can do this is to access the SHRM Benefits Survey Benchmarking Tool within the report to explore up to five years’ worth of employer data and compare plans based on industry, organization size, and location.
Research Insight No. 3: Leadership coaching and mentoring programs are increasing
Organizations investing in executive or leadership coaching has increased from 47% to 55%, according to the report. This finding reflects similar data from this year’s CHRO Priorities and Perspectives report: 46% of CHROs said that leadership and management development was a top priority for 2026.
While organizations aren’t necessarily cutting back on development, they’re changing how development happens in the workplace, according to Engstrom, citing more direct access to upper-level mentors and tutors.
“[Successful] organizations continue to view strong leadership as the traditional driver of employee engagement, performance success, and organizational success,” he said.
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