Wellness Month and Beyond: Exploring New Opportunities in Employee Benefits

Quick look: National Wellness Month gives brokers a timely reason to connect with clients about their benefits strategy. As employee expectations continue to evolve, employers are looking for benefits that support physical, financial, and emotional well-being, while helping them attract and retain talent. Partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO) makes it easier to deliver those solutions through competitive benefits and ongoing human resource (HR) support.

Conversations around workplace wellness have become much broader in recent years. Employees increasingly expect benefits that support every aspect of their well-being, and employers are taking notice.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 report, employee engagement is at its lowest level since 2020, giving employers another reason to rethink how they support their workforce.

For brokers, this creates an opportunity to have more strategic conversations with clients. Whether it’s the growing demand for non-medical coverage like life insurance or rising interest in voluntary financial benefits, there are plenty of ways to add value.

While employee well-being deserves attention year-round, National Wellness Month offers a great moment to spotlight what’s working, evaluate current offerings, and identify areas for improvement. And working with a PEO gives you and your clients extra resources to simplify that process.

Benefit trends brokers should have on their radar

Today’s employees expect benefits that reflect the realities of their lives. As a trusted advisor, you can provide options such as:

Personalized health plans

A single, standard health insurance plan rarely meets the needs of an entire workforce. Through a PEO, brokers can give clients access to more personalized, full-coverage plans at competitive rates that include mental health services and wellness programs.

By offering employees more choice, businesses can create a benefits package that feels more personalized without taking on the cost or complexity often associated with expanded coverage.

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs)

FSAs and HSAs continue to be valuable additions to traditional health coverage by helping employees manage out-of-pocket healthcare expenses while making the most of tax advantages.

Employees can use these accounts to pay for expenses such as:

• Deductibles
• Copays
• Prescriptions
• Select over-the-counter items
• Childcare or eldercare costs

HSAs also double as a long-term savings tool: funds roll over year to year, earn interest, and can be tapped in retirement.

Wellness incentives that fit the workforce

Gym membership stipends or wellness app subscriptions can encourage engagement and keep staff feeling their best.

Since every workforce has its own mix of preferences that shift over time, brokers and PEOs can help clients choose programs that reflect their employee demographics, interests, and workplace culture. Reviewing those offerings regularly also helps ensure they continue to meet employees’ changing needs.

Employee assistance programs (EAPs)

Supporting employee well-being goes beyond physical health. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) give employees and their families confidential, low- or no-cost access to professional resources that can help them navigate personal and workplace challenges.

EAPs commonly provide support for:

• Depression, grief, loss, and emotional well-being
• Family, marital, and other relationship concerns
• Life improvement and goal setting
• Addictions such as alcohol and drug abuse
• Work-related stress or anxiety
• Financial and legal concerns
• And more

Financial wellness support and counseling

Financial stress doesn’t stay at home when employees come to work. It can impact productivity and engagement, making financial wellness an important part of a competitive benefits strategy.

According to the Financial Health Network, approximately 70% of U.S. households could improve their financial health. Student debt also remains a significant burden, with 43 million American borrowers collectively carrying $1.86 trillion in student loan debt.

Brokers can help clients address these challenges by recommending benefits that support financial well-being, such as:

• Retirement savings accounts
• Student loan repayment programs
• Supplemental insurance
• Financial training on budgeting, investing, and saving

Work-life balance

Flexible work accommodations continue to rank among employees’ most valued workplace benefits. Bank of America’s 2026 Workplace Benefits Report found that a good work/life balance was the main reason Gen Z and Millennial workers who considered leaving their jobs ultimately decided to stay. Further, employers that cited improved recruiting this year said that flexible schedules were the most influential reason for the shift.

While every workplace has different operational needs, brokers can help clients evaluate policies that better support employees’ work-life balance without sacrificing business objectives. When appropriate, a PEO can help them design competitive, compliant paid time off (PTO) policies including:

• Floating holidays
• Volunteer time off
• Life event days for milestones such as moving or getting married
• Time off for school activities, like parent-teacher conferences, classroom events, and graduations

Flexibility often becomes a key differentiator for employers competing for talent.

Ongoing education and support

Benefits strategies shouldn’t remain static. Employee expectations evolve, regulations change, and new benefit options continue to emerge, creating opportunities for brokers to deliver ongoing value long after enrollment.

By partnering with a PEO, brokers can help clients stay informed about plan updates and compliance requirements, while providing employees with the education they need to understand and maximize their benefits. Regular benefits reviews also create opportunities to identify gaps and adjust offerings as workforce needs shift.

How a PEO extends your value as a broker

One thing is certain: workforce expectations never stay the same. As a broker, you deepen client relationships by helping them respond with creative benefit solutions. A PEO partnership can reinforce this role by putting the following within reach:

• Comprehensive and cost-effective benefits: Through a PEO, you can give clients access to enterprise-level health and wellness benefits at large-group rates that may otherwise be unattainable.
• Simplified administration: PEOs handle much of the day-to-day implementation and management of benefit plans. This reduces the administrative burden on clients, allowing them to expand their offerings without creating additional work for internal teams. For busy SMBs with limited HR resources, that operational support can be just as valuable as the benefits themselves.
• Stronger compliance: Benefits administration doesn’t end after open enrollment. Employers also need ongoing guidance as regulations change and workplace challenges arise. With a team of compliance experts, PEOs can confirm wellness programs meet current health regulations and standards, and flag potential incentives.

A more strategic partnership

PEOs can shape employee wellbeing all year, but they aren’t all built the same. ExtensisHR’s approach stands out with its:

• Broker-friendly mindset: We design our services around both your clients’ success and your business goals. We work with you, not against you, to bring value to SMBs.
• Benefits packages tailored for each client: Clients can adjust their plans to fit their workforce’s actual needs, a level of flexibility not every PEO offers.
• Unrivaled customer service: Our white-glove support starts on day one with an assigned Implementation Manager and continues with a dedicated Account Manager, HR Business Partner, Payroll Specialist, and a highly responsive Employee Solution Center (ESC).

Wellness benefits have evolved from a nice-to-have to a core piece of how businesses recruit and retain talent. And together, brokers and PEOs can make it easier for SMBS to offer them and stand out in the market.