In 2025, the answers were sharper and more direct. Not because leaders lack intent — they don’t. Across hundreds of conversations, the commitment to employees is steady and sincere.

What’s changed is the level of constraint.

Budgets are tighter. Healthcare costs continue to rise. Teams are putting real effort into doing more with less. And many of the systems companies rely on to deliver benefits weren’t built for the level of complexity today’s workforce demands.

I’ve seen that the organizations making progress aren’t chasing new perks. They’re simplifying. Consolidating. And rebuilding benefits programs around what employees actually use, supported by infrastructure that doesn’t add more work to already stretched teams.

Our 2026 Annual Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report, grounded in real spending data from January through December 2025, shows how this shift is playing out across industries, company sizes, and geographies (including internationally). 

Below are the changes I expect to define the year ahead, backed by observations from my conversations with leaders that expand on what our peers should be paying attention to now.

1. Companies will consolidate perks and redirect budget into flexible LSAs.

When budgets were looser, it was easier to tolerate a patchwork of point solutions — each one solving a narrow problem, each one adding incremental overhead for HR and Finance.

That tolerance is fading.

In 2026, the companies moving forward will be the ones that stop trying to maintain everything at once. They’ll retire underused perks and redirect that spend into Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) that give employees meaningful choice without creating additional administrative work.

This isn’t about reducing support. It’s about preserving it in a way that scales. A single, flexible structure can replace multiple disconnected programs, reduce vendor sprawl, and allow employees to decide what support looks like in their own lives.

The data is clear: when programs are simpler and more flexible, participation and utilization rise — and benefits dollars go further.

2. AI enablement will become a core workforce capability.

AI isn’t a future-facing conversation anymore. It’s already reshaping how work gets done.

Employees aren’t waiting for formal training programs to catch up. They’re using professional development stipends to access AI tools, courses, and subscriptions on their own — because that’s where learning is actually happening.

I don’t love hype cycles. But I do believe in practical capability building. In 2026, companies that treat AI skill development as optional will struggle to keep pace. The ones that move faster will recognize AI enablement as foundational infrastructure, not a fringe benefit — something that supports productivity and long-term relevance.

Flexible professional development stipends, especially those that explicitly support AI tools and learning, are becoming one of the most effective ways to meet this need without forcing rigid programs employees don’t engage with.

3. Support for families and caregivers will expand across life stages.

Cost pressure is reshaping how employees experience work — and where benefits need to show up.

Across our data, employees are directing more of their lifestyle benefit dollars toward everyday realities: groceries, transportation, childcare, elder care, and other family and household expenses that have become harder to absorb.

We also expect broader employer support for life-stage and specialized health needs, including fertility care, menopause support, and out-of-pocket medical costs that traditional benefits may leave behind (think: GLP-1s for weight loss).

What matters most here is flexibility. Employees don’t move through life stages on a schedule, and point solutions rarely capture the full picture. LSAs and targeted stipends allow companies to offer support without making assumptions or forcing employees into narrow definitions of need.

4. Hybrid work, RTO policies, and global hiring will continue to reshape benefits design.

As expectations around where work happens keep shifting, employee needs shift with them.

Some days require a commute. Some require privacy. Some require better equipment. For many companies, their people’s day-to-day reality is a mix (not a fixed policy line). And that reality doesn’t always align with leadership’s assumptions about what work should look like.

At the same time, companies are rethinking how they build their teams. Growing friction around work-sponsored visas and cross-border mobility is pushing more organizations to hire globally rather than concentrate talent in a single market. As teams become more geographically distributed by design, differences in work norms, cost structures, and support expectations become harder to standardize.

Stipends remain one of the few benefit tools that can absorb this variability without requiring employers to design separate programs for every scenario. In 2026, more companies will rely on flexible benefits to support how work actually happens, across locations and life circumstances, rather than trying to enforce uniformity where it no longer fits.

5. Operational readiness will determine whether LSAs succeed.

Interest in LSAs isn’t the barrier anymore.

Execution is.

Too many programs struggle not because they’re poorly designed, but because they rely on manual workflows, disconnected systems, or tools that weren’t built to handle stipends at scale. HR teams don’t lack expertise — they lack bandwidth.

And in a market like this, the status quo often feels safer than a change that could create more work or unexpected tax issues with someone’s name attached to them.

The companies that succeed with flexible benefits in 2026 will be the ones that pair thoughtful program design with infrastructure that removes friction — especially platforms that integrate directly with payroll and handle compliance automatically.

At this point, the question isn’t whether LSAs work. It’s whether your systems can support them.

What this means for 2026

This is the year when good intentions won’t be enough.

Programs that look impressive but go unused won’t survive budget scrutiny. Perks added for the sake of keeping up won’t hold attention. And complexity without payoff will continue to slow teams down.

One final note: be cautious of anyone promising clean, universal benefits ROI. There are too many variables. What you can measure — and what Finance will respect — is participation, utilization, and whether a program reduces friction for the teams running it. That’s impact. And it’s measurable.

The organizations that make progress in 2026 will be the ones that:

• Consolidate what’s underperforming.
• Invest in benefits employees consistently use.
• Build systems that make flexibility operational, not aspirational.

Our 2026 Annual Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report breaks down exactly how companies are structuring, funding, and managing these programs today — grounded in real employee behavior, not assumptions, to help you lead with clarity and build with confidence.

If you want data you can actually act on, I invite you to download the report today.

And if you’re ready to speak with the Compt team, go ahead and request a demo. 

The post What HR and Finance Leaders Are Getting Right — and Wrong — About Benefits in 2026 appeared first on COMPT.

But when it comes to stipends and Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs), features built for Finance teams are just as critical. They’re thinking about budgets, compliance, audits, and cash flow.

Before I founded Compt, I served as a three-time CFO and two-time COO across several high-growth companies. I was the one fielding software requests, asking the tough questions around budgets, compliance, security, and scalability. And I built Compt to answer them. We’ve intentionally built our platform to meet Finance’s unique needs — so they don’t just tolerate a benefits platform, they prefer it.

Here are eight examples of how we’ve embedded Finance-first thinking into our functionality:

1. Cash Flow Planning with Engagement + Spend Timing Insights

What it is: On the dashboard, Finance can see not just how engaged employees are with stipends—but when they’re spending.

Why Finance loves it: This helps with cash flow planning by surfacing monthly, quarterly, and annual spend patterns. Finance can proactively manage outflows and avoid end-of-year budget chaos (like a $15M stipend budget being used all in December).

2. Download All Receipts Instantly (Perfect for Audits)

What it is: A single-click export of all past receipts, including audit-trail-ready detail on each spend.

Why Finance loves it: It eliminates the scramble during audits. Auditors (with dedicated permissions!) can self-serve, retrieve documentation, and validate every expense’s accuracy — without Finance needing to store, manage, or chase down files.

3. Built-in Budget Accrual and Use-It-Or-Lose-It Logic

What it is: Custom rules that define how and when funds accrue, with clear controls over spend timeframes.

Why Finance loves it: It allows for clear liability tracking and cash planning. For example, with quarterly accruals, Finance only exposes a portion of the annual budget at a time — and use-it-or-lose-it rules prevent liabilities from building up on the balance sheet.

How it works: Below are the three budget accrual options:

1. Upfront: Employees get the full stipend amount at the beginning of the cycle.
   
   Example: For a $300/quarter stipend, they would get $300 on the first day of the quarter. If a new employee joins in the middle of the quarter, they would still get $300.
   
2. Upfront with Prorating: New employees get a proportional amount if they join after the cycle starts. When launching this type of stipend, all existing, eligible employees will get the full amount of the stipend.
   
   Example 1: For a $300/quarter stipend starting on January 1st, all eligible employees will receive $300 on January 1st. An employee who joins on February 1st would get $200 for that quarter.
   
   Example 2: For a $1,200/year annual stipend starting on July 1st, all eligible employees will receive $600 on July 1st. An employee who joins on August 1st will receive $500.
   
3. Monthly Accrual: Employees accrue their stipend balance as each month passes.
   
   Example: For a $300/quarter stipend starting January 1st, they would get $100 on January 1st and then get an additional $100 added to their balance on February 1st and March 1st.

4. Group-Based Stipends with Country-Specific Currency Support

What it is: Segment employees into custom groups (by country, employment status, etc.) and set stipend values in local currencies.

Why Finance loves it: It removes messy manual conversions. For international teams, each group sees and spends in local currency — no surprise calculations.

5. Automatic Taxability + Limits

What it is: We auto-classify taxable vs. non-taxable benefits and enforce IRS thresholds.

Why Finance loves it: Finance doesn’t have to download reports, determine which items are taxable, or claw back payroll dollars later. For example, if an employee spends over the $5,250 allowed for education assistance, we automatically tax the overage.

6. Payroll Integration That Respects Individual Tax Rates

What it is: We integrate directly with payroll to manage reimbursements and taxability at the individual employee level.

Why Finance loves it: Every employee may have different withholdings, tax statuses, or exemptions. Compt provides a clear report of each employees spending amount and stipend taxability, so your payroll system can apply the appropriate tax treatment based on individual employee profiles. That means accurate W-2s without manual back-end corrections or guesswork.

7. Employees Can’t Overspend Their Budget

What it is: Compt enforces stipend limits.

Why Finance loves it: No surprises. No manual math. If an employee has $793 left and submits a $1,000 receipt, they’ll only be reimbursed for the amount they have left ($793). It’s built-in budget control, without awkward rejections.

8. Full Visibility into Approval Flows + Receipts

What it is: Employees must provide receipts, confirm details, and (optionally) provide additional documentation.

Why Finance loves it: Fraud prevention is built into the process — before money ever leaves the company. Plus, with receipt reviews, there’s always a clear record of what was spent, by whom, and why.

Bonus: Transparent Employee View = Fewer Questions for Payroll

What it is: Employees can track the status of every claim — knowing exactly where their submissions are in process from submitted from pending, processed, or rejection.

Why Finance loves it: Employees self-serve and know exactly where things stand, reducing interruptions and manual audits. Plus, less “Did you pay me yet?” questions.

Built for Finance and HR Teams

Behind every clean, intuitive front-end experience in Compt is a deep well of compliance, budget optimization, and risk-reduction features. This is about better lifestyle benefits for employees, in a platform that Finance can trust.

Schedule a demo of Compt today.

The post 8 Powerful Features We Built With Finance in Mind (That HR Also Loves) appeared first on COMPT.

As a people leader, you’re at a pivotal moment. Your employees are seeking flexibility in using their benefits, while you’re navigating budget constraints, rising premiums, and the need to support a diverse, growing workforce.

Here are the top employee benefits trends I see shaping 2025 (and beyond).

Employee Benefits Trend #1: Return-to-office mandates will spark benefits evolution

The corporate push for office returns is intensifying, with major players like JP Morgan, Amazon, and Walmart mandating five-day office weeks. While employees may comply, they’ll seek compensation for both the tangible costs (commuting, parking, increased childcare) and intangible toll (work-life balance, mental well-being) of office returns. Watch for companies to expand their benefits offerings as a counterbalance — though this may be a band-aid solution for a deeper cultural shift.

Employee Benefits Trend #2: Workplace inclusion takes new forms

While ‘DEI’ as terminology faces headwinds, forward-thinking companies recognize that inclusive workplaces drive business success. Early signals from market leaders, customers, and thought leaders suggest a shift in approach rather than priority — moving from broad initiatives to specific, measurable programs that support workforce needs. Expect this evolution to manifest particularly in areas like childcare assistance and flexible work arrangements, where companies can create tangible impact for their people.

Employee Benefits Trend #3: AI drives professional development renaissance

The rapid evolution of AI is transforming every role, making professional development not just a perk but a survival tool. I expect to see companies support their people to become the critical human component in the AI machine — those who can effectively manage and direct automated systems. We’ll see a surge in upskilling programs that help employees adapt to AI-augmented workplaces rather than being replaced by them.

Employee Benefits Trend #4: Childcare crisis demands creative solutions

The astronomical cost of childcare in the U.S. isn’t just a personal challenge — it’s becoming a major business concern. From my conversations with business and HR leaders, I believe companies will prioritize creating innovative ways to support working parents, whether through stipends, flexible scheduling, or direct assistance, will have a significant competitive advantage in retention and recruitment.

Employee Benefits Trend #5: Mental health support gets generational

One-size-fits-all mental health benefits are becoming obsolete as different generations face distinct challenges:

• Gen Z enters the workforce seeking more support and guidance
• Millennials grapple with unprecedented debt and delayed life milestones
• Gen X balances careers with eldercare responsibilities
• Boomers adapt to longer careers and delayed retirement

Successful companies will move away from blanket employee wellness programs toward flexible support systems that acknowledge these generational nuances.

Benefits in 2025 and beyond

2025 will demand more from benefits programs than ever before.

Companies that succeed will be those that recognize benefits are both a critical piece of compensation as well as employee support as teams navigate complex personal and professional challenges.

The future belongs to flexible, inclusive programs that adapt to individual needs while addressing broader workplace evolution.

Here’s to a successful 2025 and continued evolution of our workplaces.

Planning for 2026? Get the most updated info on employee benefits trends in the latest benchmark report:

The post 5 Employee Benefits Trends Shaping 2025 appeared first on COMPT.

In 2026, I expect to see HR and People teams navigate AI adoption, tightening budgets, renewed scrutiny on DEI, and yet another wave of workplace change. The leaders below are some of my favorite follows, people who are constantly experimenting, sharing what works (and what doesn’t), and helping the rest of us build a more human, resilient, and data-informed workplace.

No matter your industry, it’s a bit like a shortcut to success when you have the right models, mentors, or just people you can look up to.

So, without further ado, here’s my list of today’s top HR thought leaders and pioneers of impact:

1. Hebba Youssef

Maybe you’ve heard of Hebba Youssef as the Chief People Officer at Workweek or the founder of “I Hate It Here,” a platform dedicated to supporting HR and People Operations professionals through a newsletter, podcast, and community.

Over the last few years, especially, she’s become one of the most important voices in HR, especially for those on the front lines who are burnt out on corporate jargon and want honest, practical advice.

She’s built People Ops teams from the ground up and scaled companies, and she brings a wealth of experience to her daily LinkedIn content, which includes advice on:

• Creating a company culture employees love
• Developing leadership skills (including how to push back and say no)
• Fostering inclusive workplaces that go beyond optics
• Integrating technology and AI into your HR processes in a real, non-hypey way

You can also watch her“I Hate It Here” podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. It’s become a go-to source for HR pros who want to feel seen and supported.

2. Heather Doshay

Heather Doshay is a Partner and Head of Talent at SignalFire, bringing extensive experience in scaling teams and developing talent strategies in the tech and venture capital industries.
She’s an up-and-comer, but her CPOHQ membership, advisory role at PeopleTech Partners, and past involvement with the Forbes HR Council establish her as an authority in the space. And her wildly successful tenure as VP of People at Webflow (where she grew the department from 2 to 35 employees) proves her hands-on experience.

You can follow her for cutting-edge insights on people operations in high-growth environments.

3. Melanie Naranjo

Melanie Naranjo is the VP of People at Ethena, a modern compliance training platform, where she leverages over a decade of HR experience to build inclusive and ethical workplaces. Or, as one of her LinkedIn followers put it, “the epitome of relatable and knowledgeable on the modern People and employee experience.”

Her expertise is further recognized through her roles as an Advisor at TroopHR and CPO Council Member at Lattice, as well as a media presence in NBC, HR Brew, and Bloomberg.

In 2026, you’ll find her content especially relevant if you’re a leader trying to balance compliance, psychological safety, and performance. You can follow her for innovative insights on compliance training, team scaling, and executive coaching (so leaders can be better humans, not just better managers).

4. Jessica Zwaan

Jessica Zwaan is the current COO at Talentful, a London-based staffing agency. She advocates for applying product management principles to HR and people operations. Drawing from her experience as a startup and technology executive, her content focuses on developing people-centered ways of working and fostering a culture of continuous feedback and iteration. From my own comment thread:

“Her thoughts on People teams operating like Product teams and also structuring HR metrics like GTM ones (like employee LTV) are epic!! 🔥”

Follow her for insights on topics like hiring, employee experience, performance management, operational efficiency, AI in the workplace, and remote work.

5. Q Hamirani

Q Hamirani joined HighLevel as its Chief People Officer in July of this year. He’s also the founder of PeopleGPT, a global community of more than 500 people leaders and AI enthusiasts. Also from my own comments:

“Q Hamirani in general has some brilliant thoughts — in the past year he’s had particularly thought-provoking engagements related to gen AI usage in HR 💡”

In his content, he brings forth his firsthand experience across his own startups, venture growth, private equity, management consulting, and Fortune 100 companies across 25+ countries to discuss innovative approaches to people management, insights into building strong leadership frameworks, and his take on modern work trends like AI and digital nomadism.

6. Siobhán (shiv-awn) McHale

Siobhán McHale is a renowned change leader and author, recognized for her expertise in organizational transformation and culture change.

“Siobhán McHale makes it onto my list! A systems thinker that not only shares her knowledge but actually applies her thinking in practice.”

As an author of two bestselling books — “The Insider’s Guide to Culture Change”(2020) and “The Hive Mind at Work” (2024) — Siobhán’s contributions to the field have earned her accolades, including being named among Thinkers360’s 50 B2B Thought Leaders & Influencers and ranked as one of the Top 30 Culture Gurus.

7. Daniela (dani) Herrera

dani Herrera is a Talent and DEI Consultant at Kay & Partners. She shares insights on:

• Strategies for fostering inclusive workplaces
• Tips on recruitment best practices, employer branding, and attracting top talent
• Methods to enhance employee satisfaction, retention, and overall workplace culture
• Developing leadership skills and building effective teams

8. Alex Seiler

Alex Seiler is a People Operations exec-turned entrepreneur who’s currently building his HR consulting and advisory services biz, where he helps startup and growth stage companies grow their teams as they scale.

He posts valuable thoughts on and experiences with:

• His personal entrepreneurship journey
• HR advice for VC and private equity firms, fast-growing startups, and board members
• Talent acquisition and culture-enhancing best practices
• How CPOs can drive real organizational change

He also regularly appears on podcasts and interviews, which you’ll be the first to know about when he shares them in his feed.

9. Kim Rohrer

Kim Rohrer is someone whose firsthand experience speaks for itself — as a founder of PeakHR, Patchwork Portfolio, TendLab, and several other companies (plus a whole slew of corporate exec positions), she’s got a deep understanding of how to build thriving teams and company cultures. She now provides advisory, consulting, and content services to companies and individuals, including Compt. You might see some of her expertise on our blog.

Her content centers around innovative approaches to employee engagement, performance management, and organizational development. I especially love her takes on how to gather meaningful employee insights through better listening and translating employee feedback into actionable change initiatives.

On LinkedIn, she’ll also share her latest HR Confessions podcast episodes, which you can watch on Apple Podcasts.

10. Enrique Rubio

Over the past two decades, Enrique Rubio has worked at the intersection of HR and technology. Most recently, he’s the Head of Global Community at Transform and the founder of Hacking HR, a global learning community that brings together thousands of HR professionals, business leaders, and enthusiasts to collaborate on advancing the HR profession.

His content emphasizes AI, the digitization of the workplace, and the evolving role of HR in the tech‑driven future of work. Hacking HR has grown into one of the most active global HR communities, with events, micro‑learning, and collaborations that make it easier to stay ahead of trends without getting overwhelmed. If you want practical, forward‑looking conversations about the future of work (without losing the human side), he’s a non‑negotiable follow.

11. Tracie Sponenberg

Tracie Sponenberg is one of the top voices out there when it comes to hiring and workplace culture, and her new newsletter (Work. Community. Coffee.) exemplifies that. I love her unfiltered takes on what it takes to inspire organizational change as a CEO, founder, or HR pro.

Almost daily, she also posts on LinkedIn about her journey as a solopreneur growing her consulting biz, and her 30+ years of experience in Corporate America.

12. Mita Mallick

With more than 180,000 LinkedIn followers and growing, Mita Mallick is one of the most prolific voices in the HR space. If you aren’t following her already, her content is a must — through storytelling, she opens up about her challenges and triumphs with…

• Succeeding as a woman in the corporate world
• Leading with empathy and compassion
• Fostering meaningful relationships in your personal and professional life

What I love most about her content is she doesn’t just tell, she shows. All her content is based on her own experiences, so it’s relatable and actionable.

13. Christie Hoffman

Christie Hoffman is the expert on employee engagement. She’s the founder of Engagement Academy, where she hosts weekly live events, workshops, and courses on how to help founders and HR professionals fix culture issues and grow thriving teams.

On her socials, she gives actionable tips for every aspect of employee engagement — benefits, productivity tools, communication strategies, and so on — in bite-sized, easy-to-follow posts.

In addition to LinkedIn, you’ll find her on Insta andTikTok (@corporatechristie).

14. Jessica D. Winder

Jessica Winder uses her expertise to give advice to employees on everything from job applications and interviews to promotions at work and handling difficult coworkers. Her content is primarily focused on personal and professional development, with a few hiring, management, and employee benefits tips sprinkled in.

If you’re a leader in your company, I recommend reading her content as a way to get into the minds of your team (and its future members) and understand how to attract, support, and retain them.

15. Saná Walker

Saná Walker is a founder of HR Girlfriends — a networking community for women in HR. She’s an HR and DEI consultant, and she posts content related to compliance, HR technology, productivity, diversity, and mental health in the workplace.

Psst: Check out our “Getting Personal” episode with her: 300 Years Until Gender Equity?! Unacceptable.

16. Angela Jackson

Dr. Angela Jackson is a founder of Future Forward Strategies, lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and board member/advisor to numerous companies. She’s also a frequent keynote speaker and podcast guest, where she shares her firsthand experiences and expertise on topics like:

• The intersection of education and labor markets
• Trends and strategies related to the evolving workforce
• How to create equitable opportunities in education and employment
• Innovative approaches to workforce development, including initiatives like the Future of Work Grand Challenge

She’s one to bookmark if you’re a founder or People Ops leader who wants to keep a pulse on what’s next for HR and the workforce as a whole.

17. Christine Song

As a serial entrepreneur and the current CPO of a massive DTC brand (Knix), Christine Song brings a unique perspective on scaling teams, internal communication, talent management, and leadership development.

Her guiding belief is that you should ‘challenge people so they can use their passion to fuel their growth,’ after which their success will become yours. If you’re part of a startup or high-growth HR/People Ops team, her content is a must-read.

18. Adam Karpiak

No ‘HR influencer’ or ‘top HR thought leaders’ list is complete without the one and only Adam Karpiak. With more than half a million followers, he’s one of the most prolific faces in the HR space. He’s a seasoned recruiter and the President of Karpiak Consulting, which specializes in placing public accounting professionals in the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania markets.

For HR professionals, his insights into effective hiring practices and the ever‑changing nuances of the job market are invaluable. In a 2026 market that’s still weird and uneven, his posts offer a great reality check on what candidates are actually thinking and feeling. His guidance for job seekers (resume tips, interview prep, career strategy) also gives HR teams a window into candidate expectations — which is incredibly useful when you’re trying to refine your employer brand and hiring process.

In addition to LinkedIn, you can follow him on Instagram, X (Twitter), and his newsletter,Jobseeking is Hard.

19. Suzanne Lucas

Also known as the ‘Evil HR Lady,’ Suzanne Lucas brings 20+ years of experience in HR management to her social media content. She’s a fantastic resource for everything related to HR compliance, benefits and total comp, and creative, practical solutions to common workplace challenges.

20. Meghan M. Biro

When she’s not running her company (TalentCulture) or contributing to Forbes, Huffington Post, and other publications, Meghan M. Biro is posting helpful LinkedIn content and hosting the WorkTrends Podcast.

She covers topics like culture,employee well-being, empathetic leadership, remote and hybrid work, and the growing role of HR technology. What makes her especially valuable to follow in 2026 is the way she connects the dots between HR practitioners, vendors, and the broader future‑of‑work conversation. If you want a curated, big‑picture view of where HR is headed — and which ideas are worth your time — she’s a great person to keep on your radar.

21. Joel Lalgee

When it comes to talent acquisition strategy, few people have the same level of expertise as Joel Lalgee. Across LinkedIn, X, and TikTok, he posts some of the best content around candidate sourcing, interview techniques, recruitment technology, and employer branding.

What makes Lalgee great is his sense of humor. He’s always finding ways to inject levity into the often stressful world of HR, and his advice is actionable and backed by experience.

Did I miss any top HR thought leaders?

If so, I’d love to hear from you:

• Who should I follow right now?
• Who’s doing particularly cool, groundbreaking work in HR, people analytics, or AI?
• And who isn’t being heard enough but deserves a platform?

Tag them on my post here, and I’ll update this list.

Looking for more insight from the HR community?

I’d be missing a beat if I didn’t shout out our own Head of Brand & Comms, Lauren Schneider. A former journalist-turned-PR-Pro-turned-Marketing-mastermind, she hosts our podcast here at Compt, Getting Personal, and pens the accompanying newsletter. It drops every month and is packed with candid conversations about AI, culture, equity, and the realities of working in HR right now!

You can sign up to get it in your inbox and keep learning from leaders like you.

The post 20+ Top HR Thought Leaders to Follow appeared first on COMPT.

They didn’t just make building blocks. They give people an outlet for creativity — you can use LEGOs to create whatever your heart desires.

And fast forward to now? They’ve created a whole empire with limited edition sets, video games, movies, and amusement parks.

Now think about you, me, and everyone else as the building blocks of today’s society, and our families as the extension of our structure. And think about how many different things ‘family’ has come to mean.

Your historical nuclear family, defined in psychology as a “family unit consisting of an adult male and female and dependent children,” is still here. But it’s complemented by waves of new family makeups.

Take for example: 

• A notable rise in same-sex couple households (1.3M), with more than half of them (58%) married couples. What’s more, an estimated 2 million LGBT people are interested in adopting to expand their family.
• The desire to grow a family with children is still present: An estimated 1 in 8 women between the ages of 15 and 49 years old have received infertility services in their lifetime. 
• A growing ‘fur-baby’ population, a term popularized by millennials, with 66% of U.S. households owning at least one pet in 2023 (a 10% jump from 1988).

As an employer, your family benefits package needs to reflect that diversity.

Family-friendly benefits for all types of families

Modern families need modern benefits. Period.

Old-school benefits simply haven’t kept pace with the modern family. They aren’t inclusive of the different types of families we now see.

• A traditional nuclear family
• Single parents
• Employees struggling with infertility issues
• A same-sex couple looking to adopt or do IVF to start their own family
• Couples that are childless by choice
• A dog mom (or dad)

You also have to think about the age of your employees and how it relates to their stage of family life. Younger employees are just starting their family, while older ones might have grown children or be taking care of aging parents.

If your organization (like most) has a multigenerational workforce, your benefits package needs to be flexible enough to accommodate the different needs of your employees and their families, regardless of age or family structure.

Are your family-friendly benefits inclusive enough? 

Here’s a (not so) fun fact. The U.S. is one of just a handful of countries with zero national paid leave of any kind. This leaves a massive challenge for employers and employees — employers who want to do right by their people, and employees who are faced with decisions about whether they can afford unpaid leave or how to take time to address postpartum care.

Note: Under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), all public agencies and private organizations with 50+ employees must provide 12 full weeks of parental leave. However, this can be unpaid.

But beyond proper family leave, there are tons of benefits employers can offer to their people to make all stages of parenting and family building — for all types of families — less stressful and less of a financial burden. 

At Compt, 10% of our 25+ stipend category spends were on ‘Family,’ showing a need to support family-related expenses.

We’ve listed some of the top ideas below, but we encourage you to think creatively when it comes to how to support evolving families and their needs.

6 types of family-friendly benefits to offer

Families come in all shapes and forms, so standard benefits packages simply won’t work here. That’s why we believe in letting you piece together benefits that fit each family just right. You know, like LEGO blocks. 

To help get your wheels turning, we’ve organized family-friendly benefits you can offer your employees into six categories:

1. Fertility benefits
2. Adoption benefits
3. New parent benefits
4. Working parent benefits
5. Pet parent benefits
6. Childless families (by choice)

1. Fertility benefits

For those looking to start a family, there are countless options available. But with those options comes hefty costs, massive amounts of time spent, and (potentially) an emotional road. According to a study by the World Health Organization, 17.5% of the adult population — nearly 1 in 5 — experiences infertility. Most couples battle this problem through one of two methods: In vitro fertilization (IVF) and Intrauterine insemination (IUI).

The average cost of an IVF cycle is $14,000-20,000. IUI costs are much lower, $300-1,000 per cycle, but they’re three times less effective than IVF procedures. 

You can help those going through the fertility process by providing the following fertility benefits:

• Covering a portion of the fertility costs — Think creatively here. Could you offer a health and wellness stipend to cover a portion of some of their medical bills not covered by insurance? 
• Providing additional days off work for the person to go through the process. They’ll need to go through appointments, medicine, shots, retrieval, bloating, tests, transfers, and much more. Putting a flexible working policy in place or allotting days off for medical treatments outside of regular PTO can be a big help. 
• Mental health support. Trying to conceive can be a long, arduous process, and one that can be emotionally taxing, too, with 56% of women (and 32% of men) in one California study reporting significant symptoms of depression while undergoing infertility treatment. A health and wellness stipend could also cover co-pays for therapy, or you could offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for short-term counseling. 
• Fertility coaching. Maybe your employees are considering IVF, or you have someone right in the middle of their process. Working with a fertility coach can help employees navigate this challenging time and make sure they’re taking care of themselves holistically. If you use Compt to offer a health and wellness stipend, team members could use it for sessions with a fertility coach.

What about surrogacy?

Surrogacy is the process where a woman (the surrogate) agrees to and carries a child for another couple. It’s becoming increasingly common, too. In 2023, the CDC reported 413,776 ART cycles initiated nationwide. With all the legal and medical fees, the average costs jump to a whopping $100,000.

You can help the family that’s going through the surrogacy process by providing the following family-friendly benefits:

• Covering travel expenses 
• Providing fertility reimbursements 
• Prenatal care for the surrogate
• Healthy food for the surrogate
• Payment for surrogate services
• Legal fees

Consider this: Anything your employees pay for as part of the surrogacy process could be uploaded as a receipt through a stipend program. This could be any of what we’ve listed, or even things like flights or hotel accommodations as part of the process.

See fertility benefits in action: All Compt employees can access a $4,000 out-of-state care stipend. When our very own Senior Manager of Marketing Operations, Meghan Ferneau, joined us back in 2022, she used it to cover clinic fees, travel, and room and board when she visited her preferred IVF clinic in St. Louis, Missouri.

Psst: Get a demo of Compt with us to learn more about the various stipends you can offer to your people.

2. Adoption benefits

For those who may not want or can’t have a biological child, adoption is a great option to help children in need of a safe home.

Most of the adoption in the U.S. is divided into three categories:

• Domestic adoption
• Foster care adoption
• International adoption

More than 100,000 children are adopted each year in the U.S. Each route has unique steps, but they share one thing—high costs. Legal fees, home studies, counseling, and travel fees are just some of the expenses that can cost your employee up to $66,000.

To alleviate some of the expense, you can provide adoption assistance benefits, which are employer-sponsored financial benefits designed to offset the costs associated with adoption, which include a lot of the expenses we covered above. Your employees might also qualify for your state’s adoption subsidy, so it’s important to give them information about these programs. 

You can also take steps to support your adoptive parents by creating an adoption-friendly company culture. When you’re thinking of how to document your work schedule, PTO, and leave policies for parents, you need to make it clear this includes things like adoption-related leave.

No matter which parenting path someone chooses, they need leave time for different reasons. Beyond that, you should celebrate adoptive parents just like you would new biological parents with a celebratory note or a small congratulatory gift. One of our clients takes this to heart, with their inclusive spot bonus for new babies stating, “this gift is available to new parents, gestational birth or not.”

See adoption benefits in action: American Century Investments reimburses up to $10,000 of eligible adoption-related expenses and offers 10 weeks of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child. And American Express provides up to $35,000 in adoption benefits to employees.

3. Benefits for new parents

Welcoming a new child is just the start — then the 24/7 care begins. 

New parents face big changes fast, and if you provide them with the right support, it can make a world of difference. Here are three things you can do to help them out:

• PAID parental leave. We already covered this a little, but let’s make it crystal clear: We believe in paid parental leave! Take care of your people while they’re taking care of their new baby. It’s as simple as that. 
• Lactation support. Nursing employees have a right to a reasonable break time and lactation. Provide your lactating employees with a calm, discreet, and quiet place to lactate milk while they’re at work (if you have an office), or consider a health and wellness stipend that could cover some of the cost of a lactation consultant or breastfeeding supplies.
• Coaching. Whether it’s for foster, adoptive, or biological parents, paying for 2-3 sessions of parent coaching can make a world of difference for new parents. In these sessions, they’ll learn how to support their child’s development and establish healthy routines that work for both the parent and the baby.
• Childcare support. Etsy gives their employees $4,000 a year in childcare credits. Parents can use this either onsite or for at-home childcare options. 

See benefits for new parents in action: Our client, Jellyvision, has an inclusive spot bonus for new parents, gestational birth or not, to help adjust to life with a new baby. This benefit can be used for parenting support, health and wellness, food, or specific baby-related necessities. It’s a “well-loved gift” and is “highly utilized by new parents” at the company, the team says.

4. Working parents benefits

As kids grow, so do the demands on working parents. In fact, nearly 27% of mothers with their youngest child under six report working from home at some point during the week. Understanding what your working parents need day in and day out can help you evolve your family-friendly benefits over time.

Here are some examples of family-friendly benefits for working parents: 

• Flexible work option. A 4-10 working pattern, remote work, 9-80, or part-time job can help parents juggle their workload with the responsibility of being a parent.  AccumTech has Core Hours, where everyone must be available from 10 am to 3:30 pm, but employees decide where (and when) to finish the remaining working hours. This is especially helpful to single parents who do a two-people job alone (who are not a small proportion of working parents).
  
  According to The Annie E. Casey Foundation data from 2023, more than 23 million children are living in a single-parent households. That’s 34% of all households with children. 
• Personalized stipends to support household expenses. With each addition to the household, the expenses grow. Consider the cost of groceries, utility bills, nursery buildouts … how could a flexible stipend help? 
• 529 contribution. With this plan, a parent can contribute to their child’s K-12 education, apprenticeship programs, or college education.

And let’s not forget if you have millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), it’s very likely that they are a part of the ‘sandwich generation,’ a term coined to describe a growing number of adults who are caring for both children and aging parents.

Specific elder care benefits or support with financial costs associated with caregiving can be a huge help to these employees.

See benefits for working parents in action: S&P Globa, Inc. offers 26 weeks of paid parental leave to both primary and secondary caregivers, an emergency backup dependent care program, and subsidized dependent care.

5. Pet parents

You might laugh, but more than ¾ of Millennial respondents from a 2022 study said they consider their pet (mostly cats and dogs) their ‘fur baby.’ And these four-legged babies pack on the costs — the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average annual household spending on pets has increased from $460 in 2013 to $770 in 2021. 

Pets incur a wide variety of expenses, including: 

• Pet insurance
• Grooming costs
• Specialized dog food
• Dog walkers or doggy daycare

By making sure these furry friends are included in your overall family-friendly benefits package, you can help even your child-free employees help all members of their family. What’s more, many employers are even considering “pawternity” (paid pet) leave, to help new owners deal with separation anxiety and training needs that come from a new pet. 

See pet parent benefits in action: mParticle, a customer data platform headquartered in New York, offers two weeks of paid time off to employees who adopt an animal from a shelter. Kinship provides employees with an annual $750 pet care stipend, along with company-supported paid time off for welcoming a new pet or in the event of a pet’s passing.

6. Childless families

Remember that families include those that don’t have children or pets, and it’s important for employers to support them, too. Forty-seven percent of adults younger than 50 say they are unlikely to ever have kids, a figure that has risen by 10 percentage points from 2018 to 2023. 

The reasons are widespread, with nearly 40% saying ‘it just never happened,’ and others citing a lack of the right partner, focusing on other things in life, and affordability as major reasons they don’t have children.

Truly leading companies are making sure their benefits and stipend programs support all employees who may be dealing with hurdles and challenges of their own. Some ideas here include: 

• Financial support on elder care benefits if they are a caregiver
• Mental health support, which could include day-to-day stress relief or couples counseling co-pays
• All-around health and wellness financial help, such as medical co-pays, wellness massages, support with household expenses, etc.

See benefits for childless families in action: Voya Financial offers comprehensive support for working caregivers, regardless of their familial situation, through various programs and resources. This includes access to caregiving support services, flexible work arrangements, financial planning assistance tailored to caregivers’ needs, and a special EAP that connects employees and their families with experienced clinicians specializing in disabilities and caregiving.

An all-inclusive, family-friendly stipend can provide support where it truly matters

Shipping breast milk for working moms, covering formula as part of a grocery stipend, or having a health and wellness stipend that would give a massage, manicure, or pedicure as a treat to exhausting parents—these are all things that companies aren’t going to offer as a team-wide benefit but that a stipend could help cover. 

While the list of family-friendly benefits you can offer to your people is growing, it’s important to remember that the cost of care and need for those wanting to build (any kind) of family is endless, too. 

Request a demo to see how Compt can provide your employees with personalized family stipends to support the modern family. 

The post Family-Friendly Benefits: Inclusive Benefits for the New, Modern Family appeared first on COMPT.

• They’re tax-advantaged.
• Employers and employees can contribute.
• They stay with the employee, even if they leave the company.

Sounds good, right? But there’s a saying I’m pretty fond of:

What got us here won’t get us there.

And I think this is true of employers who are putting all their eggs in the more traditional benefits basket. They’re ignoring glaring realities:

• Employee demand from their employer to support them in all walks of life has changed. In fact, according to Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trends worth over $200,000.

  You have the option to invest your contributions.

  After reaching a certain balance, you can choose to invest a portion of your HSA funds for potential long-term growth. This makes them not just a short-term healthcare solution but also a long-term investment vehicle that can help fund healthcare in retirement.

  And it actually works — HSA investment assets grew 20% during the first half of 2023.

  There’s flexibility in how you use your funds.

  Once you turn 65, you can withdraw HSA funds for non-medical expenses without facing a penalty (though the withdrawal will be taxed like regular income). And, unlike 401(k)s or IRAs, HSAs do not require mandatory withdrawals at age 72.

  Where HSAs fall short

  While they’re a fantastic solution to the ever-increasing healthcare costs in the US (and they do offer some flexibility compared to alternatives), they aren’t accessible to everyone on your team.

  They also aren’t what your employees want for the kind of spending LSAs cover, like commuting, family care, and home office equipment.

  An HDHP is a prerequisite for enrollment.

  To open an HSA, you have to be enrolled in an HDHP, which requires you to pay a substantial amount out-of-pocket before your insurance kicks in. Employees on this plan can find healthcare costs more unpredictable and potentially unaffordable without significant savings or a high income.

  Managing them is complicated.

  Managing an HSA requires diligent record-keeping and an understanding of the IRS’s rules. You need to track your contributions, withdrawals, and receipts for eligible expenses to ensure compliance. Mistakes, like using funds for non-qualified expenses, can result in hefty penalties (20% before age 65) and taxes.

  Psst: Learn more about taxable vs. non-taxable reimbursements.

  They aren’t ideal for employees with chronic illnesses.

  Ongoing medical conditions that require frequent doctor visits or prescriptions are challenging with an HSA. Since you have to meet the high deductible first, those without enough money will struggle to cover necessary treatments. The structure leaves some users facing medical debt rather than reaping the tax benefits.

  Fees and account costs add up.

  Depending on the provider, some HSAs charge maintenance or transaction fees. While they might seem tiny, they can add up, especially for those who aren’t able to maintain higher balances.

  There are contribution limitations.

  Contribution limits are set by the IRS and they aren’t enough to cover high medical costs for employees with serious health issues. At 65, after enrolling in Medicare, you can’t contribute to your HSA anymore, either (though you can still use the funds for medical expenses).

  How LSAs fill in the gaps

  Unlike an HSA, an LSA doesn’t facilitate long-term savings. When one of your employees leaves your company, they lose access to the LSA funds. It also isn’t meant to replace or compete with benefits like health coverage or 401(k)s.

  

  LSAs are intentionally broader. Unlike HSAs, which are tied to healthcare expenses, they encompass things like gym memberships, financial coaching, daycare, pet care, and even home office equipment to address the varying needs of a diverse workforce.

  Check out Compt’s Resource Library for our comprehensive Stipend Guides!

  They meet employees where they are. Some of your team members might need access to mental health treatment, while financial resources or self-care make more sense for others. By allowing employees to choose how they use these funds, LSAs foster greater satisfaction and engagement at work​ . That’s why 85% of employees participate in LSA programs, on average.

  Cut the red tape with LSAs. Unlike an HSA, which you have to fund first and then use for eligible expenses, LSAs require no upfront funding. Employers choose how much budget is available for LSAs, and it’s not funded until employees access and spend their LSA balance. Because of this, LSAs are available immediately for employees to use.

  Provide meaningful benefits without dramatically increasing costs. Unlike salary raises or bonuses, LSA contributions are customizable and controllable. You can set annual spending caps, add or remove categories to accommodate your team’s changing needs, and even repurpose existing incentives/benefits to fund them.

  We can help: Ready to offer LSAs to your people? Get in touch with Compt today.

  Common misconceptions about LSAs (and the truth behind them)

  As more and more companies adopt this model to complement traditional benefits, we’ve seen a few misconceptions here and there.

  Let’s set the record straight.

  Myth #1: “Regulatory complexity makes LSAs a challenge.”

  LSAs are not automatically tax-advantaged in the way HSAs are (though there are still some components, like student loan repayment and commuter benefits, that aren’t taxable).

  These are considered taxable income, so both the employer and employee have to pay their normal taxes.

  It also means there’s actually far less red tape involved with implementation and management compared to other kinds of benefits.

  Your team members can access LSAs without committing to a high-deductible health plan or any other insurance plan. And they can use them to cover a broad range of expenses, like counseling, home workout equipment, or childcare costs.

  

  Myth #2: “Managing a budget for LSAs is complicated and risky.”

  The flexibility LSAs offer makes them easier to budget for because there are more opportunities for savings and cost reduction. Major enterprises or local small businesses can use LSAs to structure a lifestyle benefits plan to meet your budget and employee needs.

  Even without making room in your budget, you could…

  • Optimize your current benefits spending and fund LSAs with the savings. For example, by looking at rarely used benefits in categories that an LSA could easily cover. Or, by reallocating the budget from other perks that don’t align with your team’s preferences.
  • Repurpose your existing incentive programs. If you already have some sort of well-being incentive, you can incorporate that into an LSA model that offers broader options for health and wellness expenses.
  • Allow usage from other benefits. You might allow team members to exchange their unused PTO at the end of the year for LSA funds or use a portion of their bonus to contribute to their LSA balance.

  Whatever you do, proper planning and clear guidelines can effectively control LSA spending. By setting fixed stipend amounts and clearly defining eligible expenses, you can eliminate the risk of overspending (or spending on the wrong things).

  Myth #3: “LSA flexibility leads to a higher risk of misuse.”

  While it’s true employees can spend LSA money on a wide array of expenses, there are limitations.

  Through a software like Compt, employers can choose which categories or vendors to allow for spending, and they can apply controls like requiring itemized receipts for purchases.

  You can further mitigate the risk by clearly communicating what’s an acceptable use of funds with your employees.

  Myth #4: It is tough to make LSAs fair and equitable for all employees.

  LSAs are actually one of the most inclusive employee benefits out there. Each team member gets to use their stipend on what they value most, and there’s no prerequisite (e.g., an HDHP) to receive them.

  This means you can offer them to all your full-time employees, and they each get a personalized experience with the same budget. It also means you can better support diversity and inclusion goals by offering a range of benefits catering to their unique needs, regardless of demographics.

  ---

  Ready to offer LSAs? Now’s the time…

  Whether you have a global, local, or hybrid team, Compt’s stipend reimbursement platform makes it easy to set up a lifestyle spending account program that’s flexible enough to meet your team’s diverse needs but structured enough to align with your company’s goals and policies. Eliminate the ‘LSAs vs’ HSAs’ debate once and for all!

  It also integrates with your accounting system, so you can handle tax compliance, and finance teams don’t have to bear the burden of constantly tracking and reporting usage.

  

  The post LSAs vs. HSAs: Why Both are Key to Employee Benefits Success appeared first on COMPT.

  ]]> https://compt.io/blog/welcome-to-the-new-era-of-compt/ Thu, 22 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0000 https://compt.io/?p=9313 Just as HR practices and employee expectations have evolved, so have we. We're not the same Compt we were in 2018, and we know you're not the same people leader either.

  Our refreshed brand and experience is far more than a visual update—it's the culmination of years of insight into what truly matters in the world of employee benefits.

  The post Welcome to the New Era of Compt appeared first on COMPT.

  ]]> You may have noticed today that we look different. 

  Just as HR practices and employee expectations have evolved, so have we. We’re not the same Compt we were in 2018, and we know you’re not the same people leader either.

  Our refreshed brand and experience is far more than a visual update—it’s the culmination of years of insight into what truly matters in the world of employee benefits.

  Our Journey

  When we started seven years ago, our goal was simple: create lifestyle benefits at work that work. We set out to develop HR software that brings cohesion and efficiency to perks and benefits packages employees use, understand, and even talk about, regardless of their life stage, age, or location.

  Initially, customers turned to Compt to avoid the perks point-solution overload. Their goal was twofold: offer benefits that genuinely reflected their people’s needs and simplify the complex problem of managing multiple vendors, contracts, and programs.

  Our lifestyle benefits products rose to meet this challenge, offering a simple, streamlined, and flexible solution.

  Addressing New Challenges

  As the workplace landscape continues to shift, a new challenge is emerging: the significant gap between what health insurance covers and the diverse, real-world needs of employees today. A recent MetLife study found that employee satisfaction with benefits dropped to 61% in 2023—the lowest point in the past decade. 

  This gap isn’t just a minor inconvenience—it’s a fundamental challenge that affects workforce satisfaction, productivity, and overall well-being.

  Once again, our lifestyle benefits products stepped up, expanding to address these emerging needs and bridge the satisfaction gap.

  As workplaces become increasingly diverse across locations, generations, and cultures, new challenges (like the ones above) will continue to surface. Everyone’s needs are different, but our lifestyle benefits product is designed to address these needs for today’s workforce and future generations. 

  Our Evolution

  Since day one, we’ve been hyper-focused on building a best-in-class lifestyle benefits and rewards platform that meets the needs of employers and employees alike. 

  And we’re proud of what we’ve achieved:

  • A 4.8 rating on G2 with consistent feedback that we simplify benefits and save money
  • A 93% average program employee participation rate with 93% of employees saying they “agree” or “strongly agree” that the benefits offered through Compt are valuable and make them feel appreciated
  • A global reach that supports teams in all 50 states and over 70 countries across various industries

  Metrics aside, the stories people share are what we cherish most.

  Compt customers and their employees frequently tell us how their all-inclusive Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) and stipends improve their health, relationships, work, travel adventures, pets’ health, financial situations, and lives.

  Jared Littlejohn, a former Midaxo employee, shared that the best part about this benefit was that he was “able to buy a flight home to surprise [his] mom for her birthday. That’s priceless.”

  Another employee told us he could fix his water heater in the middle of a New England winter because of their company’s Compt benefit.

  A woman ran her first half marathon because her company’s Compt health and wellness stipend covered the cost.

  Someone used their stipend for an Ancestry.com account and reconnected with a long-lost family member.

  A woman finally became a mom after multiple rounds of IVF, with her bills significantly reduced by her company’s Compt fertility benefit.

  In conversations, conferences, and our lived experiences, these stories, among countless others, have shown us the profound impact of flexible lifestyle benefits on both employee satisfaction and company success.

  Today’s Compt is more than just a perk management system.

  We’ve grown into a comprehensive platform for lifestyle benefits, rewards, and recognition that truly impacts lives. Our evolution mirrors your own—adapting to the changing needs of your workforce, addressing new challenges, and continuously striving to elevate the employee experience.

  While our core mission has remained steadfast, our product has, and will, continuously evolve to meet the changing needs of modern workplaces. And now, our brand is catching up to reflect this growth and maturity.

  Our new look is more than just a cosmetic change—it’s a reflection of our deepened understanding of what truly matters to employees and employers alike. 

  Unveiling the New Compt Brand

  Welcome to Compt. Where companies empower employees to create personalized lifestyle benefits they’ll use, understand, and even talk about wherever they are in life. Over the years, our customers have shared countless stories of how Compt benefits have brought them genuine happiness and opened new opportunities. 

  Inspired by these experiences, we were driven to create a new brand to capture this essence, reflecting our commitment to helping everyone live their best lives with meaningful and personalized benefits.

  Fonts

  At the heart of our new brand identity lies a modern twist on the classic primary colors. We’ve reimagined red, blue, and yellow—the cornerstones of any color scheme—to reflect our innovative approach to lifestyle benefits.

  Why These Colors?

  Just as red, blue, and yellow form the basis of countless color combinations, our lifestyle benefits provide a foundational support system for your employees. But we didn’t stop at the basics. We’ve elevated these hues to create a palette that’s both contemporary and timeless.

  

  This new palette embodies the qualities of the best HR professionals—those who build on tried-and-true practices while constantly evolving to meet modern needs.

  By upgrading these fundamental colors, we’re symbolizing how Compt helps you offer essential benefits in an innovative yet simple way. It’s about honoring the basics while pushing boundaries—just like our approach to lifestyle benefits.

  From Circles to Squiggles and Doodles

  You might notice something new and playful in our brand refresh: the introduction of squiggles and doodles. 

  Far from random decorations, these elements embody the spirit of innovation and creativity that drives Compt.

  

  The meaning behind the squiggles

  These whimsical touches represent the ‘what if’ and ‘why not’ mentality that pushes boundaries and inspires transformational change. They’re visual reminders of our commitment to thinking outside the box when it comes to employee benefits. As one customer put it, “Our Compt wellness stipends challenge our idea of what well-being actually means for our people.”

  While our software remains simple, secure, and compliant at its core, these new elements reflect the creativity and fun we bring to organizations. 

  Our mission, visualized

  Every day, we strive to help companies offer lifestyle benefits that genuinely impact their employees’ lives. These squiggles and doodles are a metaphor for our philosophy: visionary yet pragmatic.

  With Compt, you’re building a workplace where:

  • Impact is quantified
  • Creativity is nurtured
  • Employee growth is supported and celebrated

  A nod to our roots

  Long-time Compt users will recognize our signature circles. Rest assured—they’re not going away. Instead, they’re getting an upgrade to complement our new visual elements, symbolizing our evolution while honoring our history.

  Together, these visual elements represent the Compt approach: innovative, supportive, and focused on helping you to make a tangible difference in the lives of your people through thoughtful benefits solutions.

  Photography

  

  Our photography is all about authenticity and vibrancy. It showcases real people living real moments—whether they’re working, enjoying life, or engaging in personal passions. 

  Each image tells a story of individuals not just surviving but thriving. It’s a visual testament to the power of supportive, flexible benefits and work environments. This visual style reflects our commitment to celebrating the diverse, dynamic lives of the people we serve. It’s a window into the day-to-day joys and successes that Compt’s solutions help foster, emphasizing our belief that work should be a part of a well-lived life, not apart from it.

  We’re Keeping Our Logo

  

  While refreshing our brand, we revisited a quote that resonates deeply with us: “What got you here won’t get you there.” This philosophy guided our rebranding process, encouraging us to evolve while honoring our roots.

  While we knew our brand needed a refresh, we found that our logo was still relevant to the mission. Our logo represents a lot of little things—pictures, people, lifestyle benefits claims, and magical moments—coming together to make something meaningful. 

  They represent the act of coming together, just like your people and your work combine to make your company exceptional.

  Final Thought

  As you experience our refreshed brand, we invite you to see what our customers and team members experience every day: a dedicated group of innovators who strike the perfect balance between visionary thinking and practical solutions. We’re not just about managing benefits; we’re about creating joy, fostering connections, and infusing meaning into every aspect of work life.

  To everyone who has believed in us and in the power of reimagined lifestyle benefits: your trust and support have been the cornerstone of our journey. You’ve championed a better way to care for your employees, and we’re honored to be your partners in this mission.

  As we step into this exciting new chapter, we’re more committed than ever to helping you build a lifestyle benefits program that’s as dynamic and adaptable as your workforce. Just like our playful squiggles, your benefits should flex, evolve, and sometimes even zig when others zag.

  Together, let’s create a workplace where benefits aren’t a checklist item but a powerful step to building a present and future where every employee feels supported, valued, and empowered to thrive – both in and out of the office.

  Welcome to the new Compt – where your people’s best lives and your company’s success go hand in hand.

  The post Welcome to the New Era of Compt appeared first on COMPT.

  ]]> https://compt.io/blog/best-human-resources-books/ Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:00:00 +0000 https://compt.io/best-hr-books/ For the best HR leaders out there, excellence means learning and improving daily. They listen to HR podcasts, grab knowledge from HR newsletters, attend HR conferences, and, of course, read books about human resource management (HRM). However, there’s no shortage of options when searching for the top HR books. Which ones truly deserve your time? […]

  The post 11 Best Human Resources Books to Read in 2024 appeared first on COMPT.

  ]]> For the best HR leaders out there, excellence means learning and improving daily. They listen to HR podcasts, grab knowledge from HR newsletters, attend HR conferences, and, of course, read books about human resource management (HRM).

  However, there’s no shortage of options when searching for the top HR books. Which ones truly deserve your time?

  We’ll share the eleven best books for HR professionals to save you from hours of googling. These reads made a huge impact on business founders and human resource managers who have recommended them.

  Best Human Resources Books to Level Up Your HRM Game

  The below must-reads will help you transform human resources management across all processes.

  Motivation-based Interviewing by Carol Quinn

  

  Subtitle: A Revolutionary Approach to Hiring the Best

  About the author: Carol Quinn is an Attitude Revolutionist.

  About the book

  How do you assess the candidate in the interview?

  Most likely, you focus on the skill level, right?

  That’s what most recruiters and HR professionals do during interviewing and hiring. But skills are worthless without the stimulus to apply them. And that’s what motivation-based interviewing (MBI) is about.

  Carol Quinn advises HRs to monitor the candidate’s three essential characteristics: skills, attitude, and passion. For that, she suggests a three-step framework:

  1. Understand high performers
  2. Identify high performers
  3. Hire high performers

  Part II contains MBI interview questions you can implement in your recruitment strategies for acquiring top talent.

  Why it’s the best book for HR (review)

  Max Wesman, Founder & COO of GoodHire:

  “By creating and then describing the MBI method in her book, Carol Quinn started the next evolution of interviewing, when hiring managers should become motivation-seekers. Self-motivation is the fuel that powers up employees. And without it, they are destined to fail.

  Motivation-based Interviewing is the crown of my collection of the best books for human resources recruitment because it taught me to distinguish between I can vs. I can’t mindsets and self-imposed limitations the second drags on.”

  The WorldatWork Handbook of Total Rewards

  

  Subtitle: A Comprehensive Guide to Compensation, Benefits, HR & Employee Engagement

  About the author: The book was compiled and edited by Dan Cafaro, the former director at WorldatWork, a nonprofit organization aiming at cultivating committed employees in rewarding workplaces.

  About the book

  A new wind of total rewards is blowing. Have you felt it already?

  In this handbook for HRM professionals and business leaders, WorldatWork suggests a broader definition of total rewards, aka total compensation. This concept comprises anything “rewarding” for employees.

  The total rewards model consists of the following elements:

  • Compensation
  • Well-being
  • An extended list of employee benefits
  • Development
  • Recognition

  This strategy embraces safety and security needs, aesthetic needs, esteem needs, identification with the group, cognitive needs, etc. The central points in it are pay equity and reward fairness.

  So, the formula is Strategy + Rewards + Equality = Culture.

  Why it’s the best book for HR (review)

  Jim Pendergast, Senior Vice President at altLINE Sobanco:

  “If the total compensation system at your company includes only salaries and a couple of essential benefits, this book will serve you as a wake-up call.

  It’s one of the best human resources books for employee success and business profitability. It proves that pay and benefits are no longer the core elements differentiating employers.

  With digital disruption and automation, the battle for talent has become even fiercer. That is why companies must offer various rewards, maintaining a healthy balance between monetary and non-monetary ones.”

  The Retention Revolution by Erica Keswin

  

  Subtitle: 7 Surprising (and Very Human!) Ways to Keep Employees Connected to Your Company

  About the author: Erica Keswin is a bestselling author and workplace strategist.

  About the book

  You probably know that people don’t quit their jobs; they leave their bad managers.

  Now consider this. The US saw the highest quit rates since the 60s and 70s.

  The moral?

  Employers and HRM specialists should grasp the importance of employee retention in the future of work.

  In The Retention Revolution, you can find the key driving forces of retaining employees. By opposing old ideas to new beginnings, Erica Keswin demonstrates innovative methods to retain talent wisely in the new work-from-home reality with digital technologies.

  You’ll also have a chance to peek into her interviews with numerous employers, such as:

  • Stax
  • Microsoft
  • General Mills
  • Chipotle
  • Jallyvision
  • Rackspace
  • Meetup and others

   Get more insights from Erica Keswin’s book, The Retention Revolution, or watch this LinkedIn Live conversation with the author, an episode of Getting Personal with Compt.

  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-xppZ_FYzo

  Why it’s the best book for HR (review)

  Stephan Baldwin, Founder of Assisted Living:

  “Not many HR management books can break down the essence of employee retention in today’s realities as they are more recruitment-oriented. But this one can. It virtually revolutionizes the way we perceive retention in the workplace.

  The first chapter reminded me of how people left companies in bulk amid the chaos provoked by the coronavirus and how we struggled to retain workers, particularly in the healthcare industry, back then.

  I couldn’t agree more with the author. The employee retention path starts with the relationship-building process when the hiring team sets the tone at the pre-onboarding stage. Then, it is enhanced through virtual meetings that can beat the feeling of isolation caused by remote work (the so-called remoteliness).

  Yet, the hammering and groundbreaking words lie in the epilogue: It’s not you, it’s not me, it’s us. We are all responsible for reshaping the workforce of the future.”

  Inclusive 360 by Bernadette Smith

  

  Subtitle: Proven Solutions for an Equitable Organization

  About the author: Bernadette Smith is the Founder of the Equality Institute.

  About the book

  As DEI finally becomes one of the top priorities in organizations, HR professionals should take an all-embracing and strategic approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  Let’s look inside each of these fundamental parts of DEI.

  Part #1. Diversity

  Did you know that a diverse workforce is an essential factor when evaluating a company for 86% of job seekers?

  According to Bernadette Smith, DEI begins with diverse and inclusive hiring strategies and takes the ARC form:

  • Ask
  • Respect
  • Connect

  Find out more about each element in the book.

  Part #2. Equity

  Here, the author dwells on the power of equality and gives you a roadmap to build an equitable system inside your company. In addition, you’ll learn how to promote racial justice and gender equity through equal pay and other influential factors.

  Part #3. Inclusion

  The last section is dedicated to workplace inclusion. It concerns everything, from inclusive employee benefits to conversations and random acts.

  Bernadette Smith also emphasizes the significance of allyship in the workplace and defining employees’ roles as allies.

  Why it’s the best book for HR (review)

  Linda Shaffer, Chief People Operations Officer at Checkr:

  “There are so many conscious and unconscious biases around that it makes us want to stop, close our eyes, make a wish, and turn 360 so that when we open them, we see the society without prejudices, an ideal place with diverse and inclusive workplaces, where everyone feels like home.

  But guess what? We, HR leaders, are the ones to drive this 360 turn and make this wish come true.

  And I’m so thankful to Bernadette Smith for shaking the ‘eternally-waiting dreamer’ out of me and helping me find the WHY behind what I do now at Checkr’s fair chance hiring hub.

  Her speech won my heart with its boldness, honesty, and commitment, making it one of the best HR books in my memory.”

  The SHRM Essential Guide to Employment Law by Charles Fleischer

  

  Subtitle: A Handbook for HR Professionals, Managers, Businesses, and Organizations

  About the author: Charles Fleischer is an attorney specializing in employment law.

  About the book

  Are there any specific law requirements for remote teams? Is it legal to ask applicants to take a lie detector test? What do the laws say about paid time off, family and medical leave, compassionate leave, or other types of leave?

  So many law-related questions arise when you think about hiring and managing employees.

  Charles Fleischer answers these and other similar questions related to the legal side of employment.

  Importantly, this handbook warns HRs about the most critical employment law issues:

  • Unfair hiring practices
  • Discrimination
  • Sexual harassment
  • Privacy concerns
  • Employee dishonesty
  • Workplace safety, etc.

  The author also digs deep into employee contracts, taxes, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation for injuries in the workplace, and every other aspect of labor law.

  Why it’s the best book for HR (review)

  Andrew Pierce, CEO at LLC Attorney:

  “If you’re looking for books on HRM laws, regulations, and ethics, you can’t omit this one. It is an A-to-Z legal reference for HR managers and employers. The “Alert!” and “Quick Tip” sections highlight the most significant nuances.

  Although it covers over two hundred topics, the employment landscape is subject to constant and recurrent modification. So, the key message is – always to stay on track with changes in employment laws because they never sit still.

  I’d also like to drop here two more books every HR professional should read: The Complete Hiring and Firing Handbook and Employer’s Rights by the same author.”

  The Drama-Free Workplace by Patti Perez

  

  Subtitle: How You Can Prevent Unconscious Bias, Sexual Harrassment, Ethical Lapses, and Inspire a Healthy Culture

  About the author: Patti Perez

  About the book

  Patti Perez’s “The Drama-Free Workplace” addresses the challenges of workplace conflicts and drama, offering practical strategies for creating a more harmonious work environment. Perez draws on her expertise in employment law and HR to provide insights into understanding and navigating interpersonal issues. The book guides readers through effective communication, conflict resolution, and creating a culture that promotes collaboration and reduces unnecessary drama in the workplace.

  How the Future Works by Sheela Subramanian, Brian Elliott, Helen Kupp

  About the book

  “How the Future Works” delves into the evolving landscape of work, technology, and leadership. Co-authored by Sheela Subramanian, Brian Elliott, and Helen Kupp, the book explores the impact of emerging technologies on the future of employment. It offers a comprehensive perspective on the skills and strategies necessary for individuals and organizations to thrive in the rapidly changing world of work, examining the intersection of innovation, automation, and human potential.

  Bonus Resources: Ebooks for HR Managers

  We’ve piled up several HR ebooks to broaden your e-reading list. Discover more about employee perks and stipends:

  • Benefits vs. Budget Battle Ebook Download now.

  See how HR and finance teams can unite and reevaluate employee perks and the budget without burning a hole in the company’s pocket.

  • Ultimate Guide to Lifestyle Spending Accounts Get it here.

  Have you heard anything about Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs)?

  Not yet?

  Then, it’s time to find out why you should implement these employer-sponsored benefits and how to set them up.

  • The Stipend Creation Guide Click to download.

  If you’re not sure how to approach employee stipends, don’t worry. This guide will teach you how to roll them out smoothly and effectively.

  • Ultimate Guide to Personalizing Your Employee Experience Download here.

  Every worker on your team has individual requirements and expectations. Why not create a personalized work experience for each team member, designed around those wants and needs?

  Read how to do that in this ebook.

  Jump to more guides, tools, and templates at Compt for more effective work in HRM.

  The post 11 Best Human Resources Books to Read in 2024 appeared first on COMPT.

  ]]> https://compt.io/blog/compt-appoints-new-board-member/ Tue, 07 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0000 https://compt.io/compt-appoints-new-board-member/ We’re thrilled to announce the addition of Kerry Hands, Senior Vice President of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., to the Compt board of directors. As she continues her work at one of the largest insurance brokers in the world, Hands will be able to provide valuable, timely insight into how employee benefits and perks impact […]

  The post Compt Appoints New Board Member, Kerry Hands of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. appeared first on COMPT.

  ]]>

  We’re thrilled to announce the addition of Kerry Hands, Senior Vice President of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., to the Compt board of directors. As she continues her work at one of the largest insurance brokers in the world, Hands will be able to provide valuable, timely insight into how employee benefits and perks impact the talent acquisition and retention landscape.

  Hands’ addition to the board is also a reflection of our commitment to building a diverse team. Current board representation is 50% female and 50% POC. This reflects Compt’s push for a balanced company with diverse perspectives. Internally, the Compt team is 62% female and 62% POC (not all in the same group).

  Her wealth of knowledge in employee benefits is the result of nearly 30 years of experience in the industry. She stays abreast of trends, products, and compliance issues. Most of her time, she says, has been spent on the sales side of the house, working with high growth and emerging companies in the life science and high tech verticals, and building best-in-class benefits programs for clients solving their problems.

  Prior to joining the Compt board, Hands has dedicated her time to nonprofit advisory boards as an industry expert or resource. She also serves on several women’s leadership boards, including the Boston Chamber of Commerce and Gallagher’s. Hands is also a member of the New England Leadership team for the Gallagher Benefit Services (GBS) division’s Boston, Massachusetts office. She believes all of her experience has brought her to this board appointment, which is her first time contributing at this level.

  “The pandemic has fast-tracked the importance of the perk space and its offerings. Slowly coming out of it, we have to hit the reset button on pretty much everything. Employers, employees, everybody is looking at life differently. The work life and personal life are unified as one,” Hands explained. “I see with Compt a customizable, flexible, scalable solution that’s being brought to the market, and that is really what folks are looking for right now. The focus on an inclusive and equitable employee experience is tailored to the trends we’re seeing in the market.”

  Hands also thinks Compt has the right leadership team to get it done.

  “I totally believe in Amy, in her mission,” Hands says of Compt’s founder and CEO. “I’ve known her for a long time. I’ve watched her grow through all of her positions… I think this is the perfect marriage of all of those previous skill sets. She’s a great leader. She’s got the vision.”

  In her role, Hands says she hopes to be an independent resource to help the board navigate the industry and the people within it. She views herself as a “big connector” with an expansive network of colleagues who can help Compt develop an even stronger business strategy and scalable value proposition.

  “I think my background in tech and seeing the day-to-day challenges, opportunities, pivotal points, etc. will be very valuable,” she says.

  “We’re talking about this real diversified workforce with 5 different generations. We’re all looking for different things,” Hands says.

  While these trends are happening across industries, Hands says the insurance industry specifically is also starting to see shifts, although she expects it will take baby steps. “It’s hard to move mountains [in insurance] but even some local health insurance companies in New England, for example, are starting to bring in more perk benefits.”

  She says the focus has largely been on improving mental health benefits, but telemedicine has also been big, which reflects the remote world of work we’ve grown accustomed to. Because so many people are looking for something different, companies are finding the value in stipend programs to help employees navigate the changing world of work in a personalized way.

  Hands believes Compt will continue to disrupt the space and keep insurance companies fast-tracked to bring in more lifestyle benefits that their clients are already asking for. She says the big companies aren’t able to adjust on the fly as different needs come up, and they tend to lag behind frontrunners like Compt.

  That said, Hands believes the future is very bright for Compt.

  The post Compt Appoints New Board Member, Kerry Hands of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. appeared first on COMPT.

  ]]>