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Gen Z employees are here, bringing new ideas and perspectives to the workplace—but are you ready to attract these young adults to your company?
Recent studies focusing on Generation Z’s workplace expectations reveal that traditional benefits like health insurance and retirement plans are no longer sufficient to attract and retain young talent. While previous generations prioritized physical well-being, a study by New York Life Group Benefit Solutions indicates that 42% of Gen Z workers prioritize mental health support, a higher percentage than older employees.
Employers should consider offering benefits that support holistic wellness, including mental health resources such as teletherapy and mental health apps, to address these concerns and appeal to Gen Z.
Read on to discover what a modern employee benefits package designed for today’s workforce should include!
What Are Wellness Benefits?
Gen Z, which will make up a third of the U.S. workforce by 2030, has a different perspective on health.
According to MetLife’s 2025 Employee Benefit Trends Study, only 31% of Gen Z employees feel holistically healthy, a decline from previous years and notably lower than other generations.
How are HR departments adapting? They’re building flexible and varied benefits packages. They’re also broadening their scope, offering perks in more areas than ever.
The goal is to offer a personalized experience – so that each employee can pick and choose the perks that make sense for their unique wellness journey.
Besides improving satisfaction, this approach allows employees to opt in and retain control of their contributions to their benefits package. Because Gen Z employees typically hold entry-level positions, it is important to let them balance free perks and contributions.
Employee needs are also likely to change over time. As young adults progress in their careers, they’ll appreciate having access to more perks to add to their customized package.
Employee Wellness and Vision Benefits
Did you know that less than a third of workers in private industries have vision benefits? Vision perks will immediately make you stand out as an employer in the eyes of Gen Zers (who are adept at comparing compensation and benefits).
Vision benefits are a key element of holistic health for young adults:
- Many of them are experiencing eye strain. Getting nine hours of screen time a day is the norm!
- Eye health professionals also worry about limited exposure to sunlight in young generations. This puts young adults at risk of developing myopia.
With remote employees making up a significant portion of the modern workforce, wellness programs can’t afford to overlook vision care.
You need to make vision health more accessible without reducing the entry-level wages of your young employees. You also need to offer the flexibility Gen Zers expect from their benefits package.
Pre-paid vision plans are an ideal solution:
- They cost less than traditional vision insurance premiums.
- Employees get negotiated savings on key services for monitoring their eye health, such as annual exams.
- Eye exams can detect a wide range of other health issues – aligning with Gen Z’s approach to holistic health.
- Savings on eyewear improve employee satisfaction.
- The entire experience is transparent and easy to navigate. Employees know exactly how much they’re saving, making them more likely to use this benefit.
More Gen Z Benefits: Building a Modern Employee Benefits Package
As you develop a benefits package emphasizing health and wellness, consider the following options.
Work-Like Balance
For 58% of recent graduates, a good work-life balance matters. A healthy work-life balance can involve flexible hours or company-wide rules limiting communications in the evenings and weekends.
In addition to reducing stress and improving employee engagement, prioritizing your employees’ work-life balance gives them more control over their screen time, which helps reduce eye strain.
Health Insurance Plans
Health insurance is no longer the only benefit young adults expect – but it’s still a major one. For Gen Z employees, a good health plan should include digital features such as telehealth and be easy to use. Coverage for preventive care is also a big plus!
Personalized health benefits will truly make your employment offer stand out. For instance, you could look into workplace diabetes management solutions to offer customized monitoring and management for those at risk or with diabetes.
Mental Health and Employee Assistance Programs
Employee assistance programs with free or discounted counseling are on the rise. With two out of five Gen Zers going to therapy regularly, this new generation is likely to recognize mental health struggles and seek help. Some companies are even offering mental health days!
Mental health support is a valuable benefit for attracting talent and giving employees better tools to navigate interpersonal challenges at work.
Nutrition Benefits
A healthy diet can prevent various health issues, improve vision, and help employees be more energetic and productive at work. Meeting with a nutritionist can be an interesting perk, but you can also offer savings on meal delivery services or provide healthy snacks at work.
How to Attract Gen Z Talent With More Benefits
Remember: The key is to offer a diverse selection of perks and employee benefits so employees can create a customized bundle.
Here are more ideas to consider to attract young talent and boost employee retention:
- Help employees take care of themselves with a gym membership.
- A financial literacy program or access to financial planning services is a great way to support their goals and help them thrive.
- Employee discounts on things like retail, restaurants, or travel can add value to your benefits package.
- Invest in your employees’ future by helping them develop new skills with tuition reimbursement. Alternatively, mentorship programs can offer similar benefits.
- Since 86% of Gen Z employees want a job with a purpose, a work volunteer program can make you stand out from other employees.
- As Gen Zers age, perks like childcare and extended parental leave will become increasingly attractive.
Listen to your new hires and current employees! Find out which perks stood out to them and what kind of employee benefits they’d like you to add in the future.
Build a Better Employee Benefits Package With VCD
A modern employee benefits package should be holistic, flexible, and customizable. If you’re not currently offering vision benefits, adding a pre-paid plan is a quick and easy way to appeal to young talent.
Pre-paid vision plans are a great match for Gen Z employees who value flexibility – and other age groups will also appreciate this benefit.
We offer plans regardless of your business size. Thanks to our local model, we give your employees access to negotiated savings on eye health services from optometrists in their area.
Learn more about our vision benefits.
Summary: Gen Zers are entering the workforce. HR departments need to adapt and rethink the benefits bundle they offer. Let’s take a closer look at the kind of benefits young adults want.
