Preferred Benefits Across Generations Employers must understand that a single benefit option will likely not satisfy all employees. That’s why it’s critical to understand the various generations and their motivations. Only then can employers start determining the right benefits to offer. However, after reviewing the generational overviews, it’s apparent that some benefits apply to multiple age groups. This section explores these benefits and offers reasons for their popularity. Employers struggling to develop a list of potential benefits offerings should start with the items from this section, as they tend to resonate most with employees across generational lines. Caregiving Benefits Why are caregiving benefits so important? Looking at the current health care landscape, it’s obvious that many people are burning the candle at both ends. Approximately 53 million Americans have provided unpaid caregiving services to an adult or child within the last year, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC). Although their workloads vary, today’s family caregivers span generations. The same NAC survey revealed this generational breakdown for caregivers: In many cases, caregiving is done in addition to other full-time work obligations. Caregiving Silent Generation—7% Baby boomers—34% Generation X—29% Millennials—23% benefits are among the “top 10 employee health and wellness priorities for U.S. employers,” according to a 2020 survey by Northeast Business Group on Health and AARP. Furthermore, the survey revealed that 79% of employers said caregiving will be an increasingly important issue through 2025. Employers are trying to help ease employees’ caregiving burdens. Offering caregiving benefits is a great way to meet the needs of most generations, as many workers are also finding themselves responsible for the care of family members young and old. These 7