Based on BMI Threshold
+ Additional Requirements
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Key Workplace Benefit Trends 2026
Our Compensation & Benefits Solutions team surveyed employers across industries about their approach to certain top benefits trends, including GLP-1 medications for weight loss, family-building and reproductive health benefits, and leave strategies.
Watch time: 45:00
Goldman Sachs Ayco’s Compensation & Benefits Solutions team, including Jonathan A. Barber, Kris Battistoni, Maegan Wells, and Brandon Reilly discuss the findings of their Navigating the New Frontier of Total Rewards survey.
- Navigating the New Frontier of Total RewardsA Comprehensive Benefits Analysis of GLP-1s, Family-Building and Reproductive Health Benefits, and Modern Leave Strategies
Here are some of the key takeaways for benefits and compensation professionals.
“GLP-1 Plus” Approach to Eligibility for Weight Loss Coverage
The survey reveals a mixed response to GLP-1 benefits coverage for weight loss among employers.
While a slight majority (54%) of companies now offer this coverage, cost remains a significant factor in decision-making. Regardless of whether they currently offer the benefit, 64% of employers cite cost as their top concern.
Employers are adopting a "GLP-1 Plus" approach, combining BMI thresholds with additional clinical or behavioral requirements to promote healthier lifestyles (51%).
How Employers Are Determining Eligibility for Coverage
Multi-Factor Qualification
51%
Single-Factor Qualification
24%
BMI Threshold
Single-Factor Qualification
15%
Medical Necessity / Physician-Prescribed
Single-Factor Qualification
10%
Enrollment in Weight Loss or Nutrition Program
Data based on survey responses from 89 companies as of December 2025 and reflects information regarding benefit plan year 2026.
The Rise of ‘‘Suite Providers’’ for Specialized Benefits
For complex benefits like family-building and reproductive health services, employers have increasingly turned to suite providers—specialized vendors that offer comprehensive support, streamlining employee access to these important benefits.
The survey found that 48% of companies currently work with suite providers to administer these benefits. This shift indicates a desire to decouple these benefits from general healthcare providers in favor of more tailored solutions.
However, of those employers not currently working with suite providers, 60% remain "unsure" of whether they will adopt this trend in the future, signaling caution from the holdouts.
The shift toward suite providers indicates a desire to decouple specialized benefits from general healthcare providers in favor of more tailored solutions.
Employers Favor Monetary Limits on Family-Building Benefits to Combat Cost Volatility
The costs associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) / intrauterine insemination (IUI), adoption, egg freezing, and surrogacy can vary greatly depending on jurisdiction and economic factors (e.g., inflation). The majority of employers who offer these benefits implement monetary caps in an effort to provide much needed support while balancing budgetary constraints.
| IVF / IUI | Adoption | Egg Freezing | Surrogacy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Most Common Limit / Lifetime Maximum |
$15,000 (24%) |
$10,000 (28%) |
$20,000 (28%) |
$20,000 (17%) |
Data based on survey responses from 89 companies as of December 2025 and reflects information regarding benefit plan year 2026.
Wide Gap in Parental Leave Durations
Parental leave benefits have become nearly universal, with 95% of employers offering coverage for birthing, non-birthing, and adoptive parents.
However, the duration of leave varies significantly across parental classifications. Birthing parents receive the longest leave, with 26% of employers offering 9-12 weeks.
The survey also highlights a growing trend in leave for foster parents, now offered by 56% of employers, though leave durations remain significantly lower than that of birthing parents.
| Most Common Duration | |
|---|---|
Birthing Parent |
9–12 weeks (26%) |
Non-Birthing Parent |
5–8 weeks (32%) |
Adopting Parent |
5–8 weeks (33%) |
Foster Parent |
4 weeks or less (35%) |
Data based on survey responses from 89 companies as of December 2025 and reflects information regarding benefit plan year 2026.
Paid Time Off (PTO) Programs: Consistency Over Trendiness
Employers are approaching specialty PTO programs with caution. While floating holidays (56%) and volunteer time off (50%) are gaining traction, other benefits like unlimited PTO (26%) and sabbaticals (7%) remain niche.
The majority of employers (74%) stick to traditional PTO models, indicating hesitation to adopt more innovative approaches.
Data based on survey responses from 89 companies as of December 2025 and reflects information regarding benefit plan year 2026.
- Navigating the New Frontier of Total RewardsA Comprehensive Benefits Analysis of GLP-1s, Family-Building and Reproductive Health Benefits, and Modern Leave Strategies
About the Survey
Survey responses were completed by a total of 89 compensation and benefits professionals at a variety of public, private, and not-for-profit organizations between September 16 - December 31, 2025.
If you have questions about this survey or are interested in accessing additional benefits trends analysis, contact your Goldman Sachs Ayco representative.
Disclosures
This video document has been prepared by Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, L.P. (the “Adviser”), a registered investment adviser, affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC ("GS&Co."), and a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management, and financial services organization. Goldman Sachs Ayco is a brand of the Adviser, L.P. Brokerage services are offered through GS&Co. and Mercer Allied Company, L.P. (a limited purpose broker-dealer), both affiliates of the Adviser and members FINRA/[SIPC|https://www.sipc.org/].
The Adviser provides a variety of financial counseling, investment advisory, investment education, and other services. The Adviser’s counseling services may consist of, among other things, assisting the counseled individuals in developing a comprehensive program designed to maximize the benefits of their employers’ existing compensation and fringe benefit programs, to conserve the counseled individual’s assets, to manage income on a long-term basis, and/or to develop an individual retirement and estate plan.
The Adviser is not providing any financial, economic, legal, accounting, investment or tax advice or recommendations in this video document. This material is for your information only and is intended for educational purposes only to facilitate your discussions with The Adviser. This is not an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security. The material is based upon information which we consider reliable, but we do not represent that such information is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such. Opinions expressed are current opinions only.
This video document should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced, in whole or in part, or disclosed by any recipient to any other person.
Filmed on May 13, 2026.
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