Employees continue to expect more from their employers in terms of benefits. Not only do employees want help with health care, but also lifestyle benefits. Jen Irwin, senior vice president of marketing and strategy at Alegeus, a leading provider of SaaS-based benefit funding and payment solutions, discusses how card-based lifestyle benefit programs might be the answer to this need.

Card-based lifestyle benefit programs are a great way for employers to support their teams on groceries, fitness/wellness expenses, health care costs, and more. How do these programs work?

We know that employers invest heavily in benefits, particularly health benefits. But economic factors – such as inflation, rising health care costs, and salary pressures – are putting significant strain on traditional benefits. Yet, in this competitive labor market, employers are highly focused on attracting and retaining top talent, differentiating and expanding benefits. Salary compensation is essential, yet transactional. Non-salary compensation reflects how employers address challenges and communicate values. Enter: lifestyle benefits, which allow employers to offer personalized, valuable financial benefits – without locking them into perpetual salary increases.