Employers reviewing their benefits strategies for 2027 should focus on practical health and financial support that employees use and value, rather than the number of perks on offer, according to Jonathan Attia, CEO of Pluxee UK.
In comments provided to Onrec, Attia said demand is shifting towards benefits that make a tangible difference to everyday life. His comments follow Pluxee’s announcement of a partnership with preventative healthcare platform Emerald on 9 September.
Everyday value matters more than the length of the list
Attia argues that offering a benefit is only the starting point: employers also need to understand whether people can access it, use it regularly and see a meaningful result.
“Demand is clearly shifting. Employees no longer judge a benefits package by the length of the list, but by whether it delivers value they can feel day to day. An unused discount or unopened portal perk offers little to someone worried about their blood pressure or monthly budget. What matters is practical support that is easy to access, regularly used and capable of making a measurable difference, whether that’s a health check that identifies the risk of serious illness or savings on essential, everyday purchases.”
Jonathan Attia, CEO of Pluxee UK
He sees preventative health and financial wellbeing as two areas where practical support can make benefits more relevant. With employees facing pressure on household budgets and employers managing the wider costs of pay increases, he argues that support needs to create value throughout the year.
Measure outcomes, not just satisfaction
For Attia, the business case extends beyond whether staff say they like a benefits package. Employers should examine how their provision supports workforce participation, recruitment, retention and wellbeing.
“Well-designed benefits are economic infrastructure. They can boost productivity and workforce participation, strengthen recruitment and retention, reduce costs and support better health outcomes. Employers must look beyond satisfaction scores and measure whether benefits are creating value for employees, organisations and the wider economy.”
Three priorities for benefits strategies in 2027
Attia identifies three foundations for employers reviewing their approach:
- Make support easy to access: benefits need to fit into employees’ everyday lives.
- Measure take-up and outcomes: providing a service does not automatically mean it is making a difference.
- Reflect different life stages: employees’ health, financial and personal needs change over time.
“As employers review their benefits strategies for 2027, the priority should be getting the foundations right. Support needs to be easy to access, employers need to measure take-up and outcomes rather than assuming provision means impact, and benefits should reflect the different needs people have at different stages of life.”
His central message is that benefits should be treated as a strategic investment, with their value assessed for both employees and the organisation.
Emerald partnership expands preventative health offering
The comments follow Pluxee UK’s partnership with Emerald, which gives eligible Pluxee Card users cashback on the platform’s preventative healthcare services. The companies say the arrangement is intended to make personalised health insights and ongoing clinical support more accessible.
The services include:
- Personalised health assessments combining blood testing, health history and lifestyle information.
- GP-reviewed reports and personalised recommendations.
- Connected insights bringing together information from wearables, apps and previous test results.
- Practical action plans to help users understand their results.
- Ongoing clinical guidance, including GP messaging and support throughout the year.
The partnership forms part of Pluxee’s wider employee experience offering, which includes its benefits card, salary sacrifice schemes, recognition tools and health partners such as Doctor Care Anywhere and Optima Health.
Alexander Badalyan, Founder and CEO of Emerald, said in the partnership announcement:
“Too often, people only engage with healthcare once something has gone wrong. We created Emerald to make preventative healthcare more accessible, helping people understand their health earlier and take meaningful action before issues become more serious. By partnering with Pluxee, we’re able to bring personalised, clinician-led preventative healthcare to a wider audience and empower more people to take control of their long-term health. Together, we can help shift the conversation from reactive healthcare to proactive health management.”
For HR and recruitment teams, Attia’s advice offers a practical starting point for the next benefits review: assess what employees actually use, the needs it addresses and the outcomes it delivers.
Find out more about Pluxee UK and its employee benefits offering.
Image: AI-generated editorial illustration of employee health and financial wellbeing.
