The Rise of the Whole Employee

METLIFE'S 20TH ANNUAL U.S. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT TRENDS STUDY 2022

The Rise of the Whole Employee

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An increasingly diverse workforce. A pandemic. The lowest job satisfaction rate in 20 years. Discover how to succeed in these uncertain times.
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See how

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The Power Dynamics Between Employees and Employers Have Shifted

Over the past 20 years — and even more so in the past two years — loyalty has declined. The disruptions of the last few years have caused many individuals to explore more meaningful work, start their own businesses, and prioritize personal and family commitments over careers. As a result, employers must figure out how to address low job satisfaction rates and meet expectations of workers from various generations, races, gender identities, and industries.

Employees who intend to be with their current organization in 12 months

Employees who intend to be with their current organization in 12 months
Chart showing the rapid decline in the percentage of employees who say they want to be with their current employer in a year’s time. On the y-axis is the percentage, and on the x-axis are the years 2018-2020. From a high of 80% in 2018, the percentage has decreased to only 70% in 2022 who say they plan to be with their current organization in 1 year.

Percentage of employers

80 %
80 %

Workers feel more empowered now than ever.Discover their must

2022 Employee Benefit Tr

Well-Being Drives the Bigger Picture. Here’s How.

With the decline in mental health, employees are looking to their employers to help support their mental and social well-being through benefits and policies.

Holistically healthy employees are

74 %

More likely to be satisfied with their job

51 %

More likely to say they intend to be at their organization in 12 months' time

53 %

More likely to be productive

Employee holistic health is increasing, but fewer than half of employees say they are holistically healthy — and the insight is in the nuances.

Employee holistic health is increasing, but fewer than half of employees say they are holistically healthy — and the insight is in the nuances.
Chart showing how employees have reported changes in physical, mental, social and financial health from 2020 pre-covid, until now. While physical, social and financial health are up from last year, mental health has shown no reported improvement.
We’re all burnt out. We’re all exhausted. We’ve put in our best efforts and yes, I think mentally for a lot of people, it’s just very taxing.

who say stress

72 %
72 %

Dive deeper in to employees' divergent needs to help boost

2022 Employee Benefit Tr

Strengthening the Whole Employee Experience

Fostering a more satisfying and productive workplace starts by focusing on the whole employee. Our report identified five key areas that employers can address to create a more satisfying experience for their diverse workforce.

Employees who are satisfied with their employers’ measures in five key areas are…

Purposeful work

2x

more likely to stay

Flexibility & work-life balance

1.8x

more likely to stay

Social & supportive cultures

1.5x

more likely to stay

Career development/training

1.7x

more likely to stay

Wellness programs & benefits

1.6x

more likely to stay

See how addressing five key areas can help support holistic

2022 Employee Benefit Tr

What’s the right benefit mix?

Use this interactive tool to see what matters to workers based on industry, region, generation, and gender identity.

To experience the data visualization fully, click here.

View past reports

Redesigning the Employee Experience

2021 Employee Benefit Tr

20 years of insights into employer-employee dynamics

Two decades of research confirms just how much the workplace and benefits landscape has evolved and how imperative it is to continually enhance the whole employee experience to meet the diverse needs of all workers.

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