Which benefits are most important to remote workers?

By Holly Bengfort on February 24, 2026 at 9:00 AM

While remote work has been around for a long time, it gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Either by force or by choice, people found themselves working from home. The adjustment came with growing pains for employers and employees alike. But for some, the flexibility of remote work arrangements won them over for the long haul.

Now, many companies are ditching brick-and-mortar locations in favor of going completely remote. With the absence of more traditional in-office perks, employers need to offer the right benefits to their remote employees if they want to attract and retain top talent.

In this article, we'll cover which employee benefits are most important to remote workers.

In this blog post, you'll learn:

Which benefits matter most to remote employees.
How to design an employee benefits package for a remote workforce.
Practical ways to support remote employees’ well-being, growth, and productivity

Which benefits can help you recruit and retain remote employees?

Even if you offer a competitive salary, job seekers want a certain amount of perks to come with it. PeopleKeep by Remodel Health's 2024 Employee Benefits Survey found that 81% of employees said an employer’s benefits package is an important factor in whether they accept a job.

As office spaces evolve, you want your employee perks to do the same. Employees who work remotely have different priorities than those who still commute to the office. Taoiling benefits to meet the wants and needs of your remote employees can help you retain and recruit top talent at your organization.

Let's go over some of the most popular remote employee perks you can offer.

Flexible working hours

From the local coffee shop to an island oasis, remote employees can do their job almost anywhere in the world (Wi-Fi permitting). They can live as digital nomads while maintaining meaningful careers.

You can lean into this benefit even further by offering your employees flexible work schedules. When you allow your employees to choose when they work, they can run quick errands, respond to personal emergencies, squeeze in medical appointments, and take their kids to and from school every day.

In return, you'll notice higher productivity levels and greater employee satisfaction at your organization, with 74% of remote employees¹ reporting improved work-life balance due to flexible scheduling.

Paid time off (PTO)

With work-life balance in mind, you should also consider PTO. You don't want the saying, “All work and no play,” to reflect your company culture. Hard-working employees deserve time off to relax and recharge. Plus, taking a break to unplug from the daily grind helps prevent employee burnout. Offering PTO at your company is an excellent way for you to stay competitive in the job market so you can hire and retain the best and brightest remote employees.

Health benefits

One of the best ways to keep your employees happy and improve company culture is to provide health benefits as part of your benefits package. Our 2024 Employee Benefits Survey found that 92% of employees rated health benefits as somewhat or very important, the highest of any benefit.

If you don't want the costs and complexities of offering a traditional group insurance plan, consider a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).

With an HRA, employers offer a tax-free monthly allowance that employees can use on eligible medical expenses like individual health insurance premiums, prescription medications, and preventive care.

Employers decide whether to offer a premium-only or premium-plus HRA, which classes of employees are eligible to participate, and how much money they want to offer their employees in the form of allowances. This allows employers to provide a health benefit with any budget.

The two most popular stand-alone HRAs are:

The individual coverage HRA (ICHRA): The ICHRA is for employers of all sizes. It has no annual contribution limits. Employees need individual health insurance plans to participate. Employers can customize benefit eligibility using 11 employee classes, such as full-time or salaried. You can even customize eligibility and allowances by geographic location, such as the employee’s state.
The qualified small employer HRA (QSEHRA): The QSEHRA is for small employers with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). It comes with annual contribution limits. Employees need plans that provide minimum essential coverage (MEC) to participate. This includes group health plans through spouses or parents. Employers must offer the QSEHRA to all full-time employees, and they can include part-time employees if they wish.

HRAs are a popular choice among many companies for several reasons. They are tax-advantaged for employers and give employees the freedom to use their health benefits however they like. HRAs are also more affordable, as you can set an affordable allowance of your choosing. Plus, there are no annual rate hikes.

Wellness programs

A downside to the remote work experience is that it can be sedentary and isolating. This furthers the importance of offering a benefit that promotes a healthy lifestyle.

You can encourage your employees to take care of their physical, emotional, and mental health by offering health and wellness programs in your benefits package. For example, you could offer your employees a wellness stipend that covers gym memberships, exercise classes, and even gym equipment for their home. Remote employees who receive wellness stipends report 28% higher job satisfaction².

Reimbursement for home office supplies

Many people found themselves working from their kitchen table or a spare bedroom when they transitioned to remote work. By offering a home office benefit, you can help your employees create a space that promotes productivity and efficiency in their workflow.

With a remote work or home office stipend, your employees could buy ergonomic chairs, additional monitors for dual-screen setups, filing cabinets to improve their organization, and so on.

In some states, employers must reimburse their employees for their work-related business expenses.

Stipend for co-working spaces

Home isn't always the best place for employees to set up shop. They may not have the room for a dedicated workspace, or it may be hard to find a quiet place to concentrate. Either way, a co-working space may be the answer to their problems. Approximately 20% of coworking space members³ are remote employees, showing that a significant number of remote workers opt for these shared environments to work at least part of the time.

Internet reimbursement

High-speed internet access is a necessity for work-from-home jobs, and it doesn't come cheap. The average internet bill in the U.S. is $68 per month⁴. With a remote work stipend, you can easily reimburse your employees for their internet access costs while satisfying state laws regarding remote work expenses.

Professional development

Potential career growth and development opportunities are things that job seekers take notice of. Plus, it can get your employees to stick around. Remote employees expect employers to invest in their growth, with 80% reporting they have access to a professional development⁵ budget.

Offering your employees a professional development stipend, also known as a learning stipend, shows them you care about their career goals and want to invest in their future success.

Remote employees can use a professional development stipend on:

Online courses
Conferences
Career coaching
Public speaking classes

Conclusion

Remote work is here to stay, and so are evolving employee expectations. To recruit and retain remote employees, employers must design an employee benefits package that reflects what today’s remote workforce values.

Flexible work schedules, PTO, wellness perks, professional development, and personalized health benefits, such as HRAs, all play a critical role in supporting work-life balance and employee engagement. When you build your employee benefits strategy for remote teams, you’ll attract stronger talent, improve retention, and create a more engaged workforce.

Consult with a PeopleKeep HRA specialist today to start offering affordable, flexible health benefits.

This blog article was originally published on April 19, 2023. It was last updated on February 24, 2026.