We’ve learned a lot in 2017. Employers are really beginning to understand the importance of offering a variety of different benefit options to their employees. Not only does it improve worker productivity it also helps them retain their employees. Employees learned the benefits of having voluntary coverage as a 3-6 month safety net in the event of an emergency, considering it is a fact that most individuals don’t even have $1,000 in savings. Lastly, insurance producers are starting to grasp the value in properly educating clients about their benefits and what is being offered.

That being said, we can expect not only the continuation of certain trends but also the adoption of benefits programs that a staggering amount of employers don’t provide yet.

Take education benefits for example. According to the Society For Human Resource Management only 48% of employers were offering some sort of financial counseling or instruction even though a large portion of employees are interested in going to school. In 2018 we can expect for those numbers to greatly increase as more business owners begin to realize the advantages of supplying these tools. A decline in mental health, attendance, and productivity are all side effects from the stress of pursuing a degree. Supplying informative resources will prove beneficial to all parties.

Alongside college is usually a substantial amount of debt. Often overwhelmed with the amount owed, employees are now turning to their employers for help. Anticipate company owners to adopt a variety of different programs that will help alleviate their working students of some of the financial burdens caused by schooling. Refinancing student loans is just an example of some of the strategies employers can look to endorse to address these common worries.

Another trend we can expect to see on the rise in 2018 is the financial education of future generations. Employee Benefits News highlights in one of their most recent articles, a Chik-fil-A sponsored program that teaches over 30,000 middle school students a year the importance of money and having financial solutions for real life problems. The Junior Achievement Chick-fil-A Foundation Discovery Center is based in Atlanta, GA where business leaders gather to give helpful insights to each student through various practices and curriculum.

As 2017 fades to black and 2018 springs to life both small and large business owners should bear in mind the growing trends of the industry. As supplemental demand continues to skyrocket the introduction of additional financial benefits can not only spark the interest of qualified new hires, it will also help retain their most valued employees.