HR Tip: Trends in perks

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducts an annual survey on employee benefits. This year's survey included trends from 2013 to 2017:

Trending upwards:

• Free coffee
• Meal reimbursement for business travel
• Health savings accounts (HSAs)
• Financial advice
• Meal flex (allowing employees to make up time for longer meal breaks or leave early due to shorter meal breaks)
• Standing desks
• Onsite lactation/mother's room
• Employer contribution to HSAs
• Sign-on bonus (executive positions)
• 401(k) fund conversion into Roth 401(k)
• Accelerated death benefit for terminal illness
• Wholesale generic drug program for injectable drugs
• Sign-on bonus (non executive positions)
• Shift flexibility (allowing employees to coordinate with co-workers to adjust their schedules)

Benefits on the decline

• Medical flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Defined contribution plan hardship withdrawals
• Service anniversary awards
• Undergraduate educational assistance
• Graduate educational assistance
• Defined contribution plan loans
• Reimbursement for personal calls on business travel
• Shift premiums
• Compressed workweek
• Automobile subsidy for business use of personal vehicle
• Long-term care insurance
• Credit union membership
• Onsite cafeteria subsidized by employer
• Paid travel expenses for spouse