Benefits programs for 2026 are already in motion, which makes one question especially relevant right now: How do your decisions compare to your peers’?
Not in theory, and not in a slide deck — but in how lifestyle benefits like stipends and Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are actually used once programs are live and employees begin submitting expenses.
That’s exactly where the Compt 2026 Annual Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report comes in.
Available today, the report provides employee benefits benchmarks based on full-year 2025 data from Compt customers across industries, company sizes, and geographies. It shows how employers structured and funded their lifestyle benefits and how employees actually spent and submitted against them.
This isn’t a predictions piece. It’s a snapshot of real decisions and outcomes, offering a practical view of what’s working for HR and Finance leaders at a time when every employee benefit feels expensive.
What does this year’s employee benefits benchmark data reveal?
The defining shift in 2025 was discipline.
That discipline showed up less in what employers offered and more in how lifestyle benefits were structured, funded, and delivered.
Across the data, Compt customers made pragmatic design decisions: consolidating scattered perks into all-inclusive LSAs, choosing funding cadences aligned to how and when employees actually use their benefits, embedding strong categories like wellness inside broader programs, and anchoring benefits in everyday needs that scale across roles, locations, and worker types.
The result is benefits design that balances employee impact with cost control — without adding complexity.
Our 2026 benchmarks show exactly how that plays out in practice:
- 64% of employers now operate lifestyle benefits through an all-inclusive LSA, confirming consolidation as the default operating model.
- Quarterly funding reached 85% utilization, compared to 52% for monthly and 65% for annual programs, reflecting differences in use patterns rather than performance.
- Wellness stipend utilization reached 86% inside an LSA, compared to 62% as a standalone stipend.
- Nearly 1 in 10 stipend dollars was spent at grocery retailers.
- 20% of professional development expenses were AI-related.
These patterns held across roles, worker types, and locations. Data from hourly and salaried employees on U.S.-based and international teams shows that when benefits are designed around everyday needs and personal choice — including space for small joys — they scale without requiring separate programs or differentiated rules.
“I think of Compt as a $100 coupon per quarter as a treat to me or my family. Huge benefit and so easy to use!”
— Compt user, October 2025
Employees are now using lifestyle benefits to manage real life.
In 2025, employees directed stipend spending across 64,000+ unique vendors globally, with 70% of that spend flowing to local, regional, niche, or independent businesses. At the same time, familiar names like Amazon, Walmart, Costco, and Kroger remained prominent as grocery and household spending increased in response to economic pressure.
When employees are given flexibility, they direct their benefits toward the expenses that matter most in daily life — where financial pressure and practical support intersect.
As a result, lifestyle benefits are increasingly used to create stability, helping employees cover food, wellness needs, connectivity, work equipment, and other essentials that support their ability to stay grounded and productive, while still leaving room for everyday purchases that make life feel more manageable (and fun).
For many leaders, this raises a practical planning question: Which everyday expenses are your benefits actually helping employees absorb?
“I would have never purchased items to monitor my health if I had not had the Compt funds.”
— Compt user, December 2025
Professional development is evolving into an always-on tool stack.
The report also highlights a clear evolution in professional development.
We’ve talked a lot about AI stipends in the last year, and in 2025, 20% of all professional development expenses were AI-related. These were primarily online tools and productivity software rather than courses, certifications, or conferences. Employees are learning by doing and experimenting with tools they can apply immediately in their day-to-day work.
This marks a shift away from episodic learning and toward continuous upskilling that fits in naturally as roles (and the world) evolve.
For organizations reviewing their benefits mix, this invites a broader reflection: Is your professional development program structured for how learning actually happens now?
“AI is already reshaping how work gets done, so we’ve been very intentional about how we’re approaching upskilling — as an operational shift internally, not just a one-time training initiative.”
— Global Head of People and Talent, large customer experience software provider
Go beyond curiosity with real, actionable benchmarks and advice.
The 2026 Annual Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report is designed to support real decisions that HR and Finance face every day.
Inside the full report, you’ll find benchmarks and context to help you navigate:
- Program consolidation and simplification
- Funding cadence and utilization expectations
- Participation benchmarks across employee types
- Global parity and international program design
- Taxable and nontaxable benefit strategy
- Benefits for hourly vs. salaried workers
Every insight connects data to practical implications, making it easier to explain not just what you’re proposing, but why it works.
“An LSA was actually the only benefits enhancement that we recommended to our executive team for 2026.”
— Head of Total Rewards, midmarket HR software provider
Download the Compt 2026 Employee Benefits Benchmark Report.
The 2026 Annual Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report is available now, and it’s free to download.
If you’re benchmarking an existing program, validating decisions already in motion, or planning refinements for the year ahead, these employee benefits benchmarks are designed to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Ready to see how your programs compare? Download your copy of the 2026 Annual Lifestyle Benefits Benchmark Report.
If you want help applying these benchmarks to your own lifestyle benefits program goals, request a Compt demo to talk through next steps in real time.
