In the spirit of November, when organizations often focus on appreciation, recognition, and giving back, HR teams and benefits administrators have a unique opportunity to weave gratitude into the employee experience. Beyond the transactional offering of benefits, programs designed to express recognition and support can deepen employee engagement, reinforce loyalty, and elevate overall workplace culture. In this article, we explore how benefits teams can purposefully incorporate gratitude-driven initiatives, why this matters in today’s environment, and practical steps for making it happen.

Employee benefits are often thought of as cost-center items or compliance mandates. Yet when deployed thoughtfully, they are a strong avenue for expressing appreciation — “thank you for your contribution” in tangible form. Several factors make this increasingly important:

• According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) 2025 Employee Benefits Survey, health-related benefits continue to dominate employer priorities, with 88 % of organizations rating them “extremely” or “very” important.
• Leave benefits and retirement savings/planning both are tied as the second-most important benefit categories (81 % each) in the 2025 data.
• At the same time, more nuanced benefits — such as wellness programs, caregiver supports, and lifestyle perks — appear to be in flux. For example, wellness programs dropped to 39 % prevalence in 2025 (from 53 % in 2021).¹

These findings suggest two key takeaway points for benefits administrators. First, the foundational benefits (health, leave, retirement) remain table stakes. Offering them is important not just for recruitment and retention, but for signaling support and appreciation. And second, there is room to enhance the “gratitude-factor” by how those foundational benefits are communicated and by layering in recognition-driven features (rather than only adding new premium programs).

Below are strategies for turning benefits into mechanisms of appreciation, and how benefits teams can help build a culture of gratitude via program design, communication, and timing.

Design benefits with recognition in mind

• Personalize the message – When an employee benefits from a program (e.g., paid leave, wellness reimbursement, financial-wellness feature), the communications can highlight gratitude: “We see your efforts and we value you by offering this support.”
• Create surprise moments – Use benefits communication windows (annual enrollment, mid-year check-ins) to highlight employee stories (“thank you for…”) and tie them to benefits utilization (e.g., caregiver support).
• Link benefits to values/mission – If an organization emphasizes community impact or service, design benefits that align (e.g., paid volunteer hours, charitable donation matching). These support giving-back while acting as a form of gratitude to employees for helping fulfill the mission.

Communicate with purpose

• Use themed timing for gratitude – November is ideal: employers can send a dedicated “thank-you” email from leadership referencing benefits available to express how the company appreciates employees’ work.
• Make benefits more visible – Many employees overlook benefits; using gratitude as a lens can raise awareness (“Because we value you, we offer…”).
• Celebrate utilization – When employees engage with a benefit (e.g., caregiver leave, financial-wellness tool), consider spotlighting how this is supported and valued — without impinging on privacy, of course.

Recognize key employee segments

• Caregivers and emerging dependents – With many employees caring for family members, multimodal supports can signal gratitude. (Note: the SHRM survey found that only 13% of employers offer elder-care referral services and only 7% access elder-care services.¹)
• High-engagement employees – Use benefits design to reward employees who go above and beyond (e.g., extra paid time off, professional development stipends) and communicate the “thank-you” element.
• Remote/hybrid workers – Flexible work remains important (68% of employers rated it “very” or “extremely” important). Consider remote-worker benefits as a way to express gratitude for adaptability.

Align with the giving-back ethos

• Volunteer-time benefits – Employers can offer paid volunteer days and promote them in November to tie into a culture of giving back.
• Donation matching or benefit-linked philanthropy – For example, a benefit that allows employees to direct a small employer match to a charity of their choice reinforces both support and service.
• Well-being initiatives – Financial wellness, mental-health support, caregiver resources: by investing here, employers are effectively saying “we appreciate you and your whole-life demands.” Notably, however, wellness-program prevalence is declining, which could signal an opportunity.

To ensure the approach isn’t purely symbolic, benefits administrators should tie gratitude initiatives to measurable outcomes. Suggested metrics:

• Utilization rates of the new/adjusted benefits (volunteer hours, referral service logs).
• Employee engagement survey responses, particularly on questions like “I feel appreciated by my employer” or “The benefit programs support my whole-life needs.”
• Retention/turnover rates among segments targeted with gratitude features (caregivers, remote workers).
• Qualitative feedback: What employees say about the benefit (did they feel appreciated)?
• Cost vs. value analysis – Did the gratitude-driven benefit lead to improved morale, fewer leave-related disruptions, better talent retention (which can reduce recruitment/hiring cost)?

By combining quantitative and qualitative insights, benefits teams can refine the recognition-through-benefits strategy year after year.

• Audit your existing benefits and communications: Is there explicit language that positions the benefit as a thank-you?
• Launch one “gratitude touchpoint” this month, such as an appreciation email or benefit highlight piece.
• Identify one under-utilized group (e.g., caregivers, hybrid/remote employees) and tailor a small benefit enhancement with gratitude framing.
• Partner with your communications team to build storytelling around benefit use (without breaching confidentiality) and employee appreciation.
• Track usage and sentiment — and use the data to refine your approach ahead of next year.

Gratitude isn’t just a nice nice-to-have in benefits strategy. It can be a differentiator in talent attraction, retention, and employee experience. For Alegeus partners and their employer clients, this season is a perfect time to reframe benefits programs as expressions of “thank you” and to embed giving-back values into design and delivery. With thoughtful communication, targeted design, and measurement, benefits can become part of a culture of appreciation that resonates across organizations.

Sources:

¹ SHRM 2025 Employee Benefits Survey