New Voya research finds employees are prioritizing benefits decisions and seeking guided long-term planning for mental health and financial stability

Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) today released new insights revealing that employees increasingly view workplace benefits decisions as essential to their financial and emotional well-being. The findings come as employers and employees prepare for the upcoming annual enrollment season — a period when workers can review, select or make changes to their employer-sponsored benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans and voluntary offerings.

According to Voya’s latest research, 63% of Americans “strongly agree” or “agree” that their financial stability directly impacts their mental health, a significant increase from 57% just two years ago.^1,2 This growing connection between financial wellness and emotional well-being underscores the importance of thoughtful benefits selection and year-round support.

“These findings reinforce what we’ve long believed: Benefits are not just transactional — they’re transformational for workforce morale and productivity,” said Andrew Stocker, president, Employee Benefits at Voya Financial. “When employees feel better prepared for the future through their benefits, they’re more confident, engaged and motivated — which, ultimately, can help support a healthier, more resilient organization.”

Employees increasingly look to workplace benefits amid economic unease

As economic pressures persist, employees are becoming more intentional about their benefits choices. Voya’s research shows that 77% of employed Americans “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” that they plan to spend more time reviewing their benefit elections during annual enrollment to maximize their benefit dollars because of the current state of the economy — significantly up from 69% last year.^1,3

This shift reflects a growing demand for education, personalization and digital tools that help employees make informed decisions across such things as retirement savings, health spending accounts and voluntary benefits.

In addition, nearly half of employees (49%) say that personalized benefit recommendations would increase their confidence in making benefits decisions. This is followed closely by interactive calculators (39%) and one-on-one support from HR or benefits teams (38%).⁴ These preferences highlight the need for a multi-channel approach that blends digital tools with human guidance.

“Effectively communicating how benefits can be used — and making it easy for employees to understand their value — is just as critical as the benefits themselves,” added Stocker. “Employers should continually enhance their benefits guidebooks, invest in intuitive administration platforms and empower teams with personalized guidance. These efforts are key to delivering competitive compensation and benefits packages that truly support employee well-being.”