As inflation and surging healthcare costs push benefits prices higher, most employers are set to pass those costs directly onto workers in 2026. In a piece for WorldatWork's Workspan Daily, PTO Exchange CEO Rob Whalen lays out three trends HR and total rewards teams should be watching closely as they head into the new year.

The first is financial stress itself: 77% of U.S. workers say they're stressed about the economy, and 88% of millennial and Gen Z workers carry some form of debt. Whalen points to a clear disconnect, 84% of employees think their employer should be more actively involved in helping with their finances, yet many are instead turning to risky options like 401(k) hardship withdrawals or high-interest payday loans just to get by.

The second trend compounds the first: health benefit costs are projected to rise 6.5% in 2026, the steepest jump since 2010, pushing more employers toward high-deductible plans that shift more risk onto employees right as their ability to absorb it is shrinking. That squeeze is exactly why Whalen's third trend, flexible, personalized benefits, matters so much. With 91% of employees saying they'd be more likely to stay at a company offering benefits tailored to their needs, tools like convertible PTO (letting employees redirect unused time toward retirement, student loans, or HSAs) and earned wage access give HR teams a way to stretch tightening budgets while still meaningfully supporting their people.

Read the full piece here: How High Costs Will Drive Big Shifts in Employee Benefits in 2026

Learn more today on how PTO Exchange can help your employees access their unused vacation safely and responsibly.