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Workplace benefits play a crucial role in employee retention – while perks such as a gym discount or entertainment can be attractive, our research shows that most employees would prefer financial benefits such as a robust 401(k) offering or company stock plan, according to the Morgan Stanley at Work "State of the Workplace Financial Benefits Study." This may be partly why equity compensation continues to grow in popularity, with three in four HR leaders (76%) reporting that their companies are offering some form of equity compensation – up four percentage points year-over-year, and 11% since 2021.
However, equity can be complex. Without proper support, what should be a driver of satisfaction can become a pain point for both employers and employees. New findings shed light on this disconnect: Our research shows that only 38% of employees say they are aware that their company offers equity compensation, and less than half (45%) of both employees and HR leaders say their company's participant education program is very effective.
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