HR Insights: From perks to protection: Rethinking reward and benefits

In this episode of the HR Insights Podcast, Stuart Elliott is joined by Will Spencer, Founder & CEO of Rest Easier, and Chris Laughlin, Global Reward Director at Croda, to explore how reward and benefits strategies are evolving beyond traditional perks and toward something far more meaningful: protection, financial wellbeing, and long-term employee support.

The conversation looks at why financial wellbeing has historically lagged behind physical and mental wellbeing, how employee expectations around benefits are changing, and why a one-size-fits-all approach no longer works across today’s multigenerational workforce.

From personalised benefits to the hidden risks of cost-cutting, this episode offers practical insight for HR leaders rethinking how reward strategies can better support employees in today’s workplace.

Key timestamps:

• 07:18 — How employee benefits have evolved
• 12:48 — Why financial wellbeing is often overlooked
• 16:47 — Understanding what employees actually value
• 21:40 — The rise of personalised benefits
• 32:49 — Inside the Rest Easier platform
• 34:01 — Estate planning, inheritance & protecting families
• 39:05 — Financial stress and workplace performance
• 42:37 — The hidden risks of cutting benefits

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