Americans are unhappy about their benefits. A report, “Future of Family Friendly 2024: Benefits That Mater,” from Ovia Health by Labcorp reveals nearly three quarters of employees would leave their jobs for better family benefits.
The survey revealed:
- Widespread dissatisfaction: 62% of employees do not view their employer as family-friendly, with 43% rating their benefits “C” or lower.
- The “Great Benefits Exodus”: Nearly three-quarters (73%) would leave their current job for better family benefits.
- Menopause support is dismal: 83% of women say perimenopause and menopause symptoms impact their ability to work; however, only 1% receives workplace support.
Other critical coverage gaps:
- Pregnancy loss support: Only 5% have access, despite 53% valuing it.
- Alternative family planning: Demand for adoption, surrogacy, and foster support (38% collectively) far exceed availability (14%, 5% and 7% respectively).
“This report indicates we are witnessing a shift in what employees seek in terms of family-friendly benefits, and they’re willing to change employers to find them,” said Jenny Carillo, Ph.D., President of Ovia. “As a leader in addressing women’s and family health and fostering a family-friendly workplace, we published ‘The Future of Family Friendly’ report to provide employers with important insights into the evolving expectations of today’s contemporary workforce, and to empower decision-makers with data to inform their benefits strategies to better meet the needs of their employees.”
The report amplifies a significant shift in employee sentiment toward their benefits. More than 6 in 10 employees (62%) report they do not consider their employer family-friendly, an increase from 4 in 10 in 2023. Additionally, 43% of employees give their existing benefits a grade of “C” or lower. Almost 73% would leave their current role for a lateral move to another company with better benefits.
Overall, the survey showed that out of all employee benefits 72% said family benefits are extremely important while another 22% said important. And of those benefits, 82% felt longer parental leave was most important followed by a close second of flexible scheduling at 81%.