- Key insight: Here's why Aflac's Matthew Owenby is reframing mental health as a business performance issue.
- What's at stake: Employers risk losing Gen Z talent to rapid turnover if workplace burnout goes unaddressed.
- Supporting data: 28% of employees reported one specific factor negatively impacting their work this year.
Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review
The most urgent issues in the benefits space transcend the HR office, according to
One he is tracking is employee mental health, which he deemed "not just an HR issue anymore; it's a business performance issue that should matter to every leader in the room." Additionally, he is eyeing the preventative care gap, the expectations for greater benefits personalization, rising costs, and
Owenby, a
What would you identify as the biggest trends in HR/benefits right now?
We continue to hear about burnout at work, and it's concerning because we understand how it directly impacts productivity and performance. According to the 2025-2026 Aflac WorkForces Report, 28% of employees say their mental health negatively impacted work this year. That's not just an HR issue anymore; it's a business performance issue that should matter to every leader in the room.
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And what makes it more urgent is generational divergence: Gen Z values flexibility and growth as much as compensation, meaning they'll leave for better opportunities faster than previous generations if burnout takes hold. If we don't address burnout structurally by addressing any authentic workload-management issues that exist in our business, including flexibility and real time off, no amount of mental health benefits will fix it. That's what I'm watching closely, and I think my peers should be too.
What are the biggest challenges you currently face in your role? And challenges/concerns for the industry as a whole?
HR leaders are navigating genuinely hard times right now — rising healthcare costs are forcing employees to make difficult trade-off decisions about what benefits they can actually afford to offer. What makes this worse is we're watching younger workers default to using emergency rooms and urgent care instead of having a primary care doctor.
Data from the 2026 Aflac Wellness Matters Survey, released Aug. 4, shows that 62% of Gen Z primarily use ER or urgent care for their health care needs, which drives costs up across the board for everyone. It's a vicious cycle: Limited benefits budgets mean fewer preventive care incentives, so younger workers end up in more expensive settings, and everyone feels the impact.
What, if any, is your strategy in facing/meeting those challenges?
From an internal perspective, this is a very timely article, as Aflac has just announced to all of our W-2 employees that, as part of our companywide wellness incentive program, the company plans to cover 100% of the employee-only medical premium and offer a discounted rate for those on a family plan. To qualify, employees will complete biometric screening, which we believe will ultimately result in healthier employees who will pay less for their healthcare.
Externally, we're leading by example on supplemental benefits: because of the 2025-2026 Aflac WorkForces Report, we know that 73% of employees now have access to supplemental benefits products, but enrollment is not maxing out, often due to cost confusion and perceived overlap with major medical. We're working to solve those barriers while helping employers do the same. We're rethinking how we communicate around preventive care, especially for younger workers who are defaulting to urgent care facilities instead of establishing relationships with primary care physicians. If we can help our own Gen Z employees understand the long-term value of prevention, we can help our clients do it too.
What are the biggest opportunities in the industry?
HR leaders have a real opportunity to tackle the preventive care gap by making it logistically easier for employees to get checked, whether that's offering on-site screenings, flexible time off for appointments, or incentives that address the barriers Gen Z faces. According to the 2026 Wellness Matters Survey, Gen Z trusts doctors most but avoids screenings due to logistics and misplaced confidence in their health. They have even turned to AI as a first step or even as a replacement for a doctor's visit. If employers can remove friction points, it could fundamentally shift younger workers' healthcare behavior.
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There's also a massive education opportunity: Employers who are investing in ongoing workshops and peer-driven conversations about benefits are seeing better engagement and retention. The opportunity isn't just in what we offer; it's in how we make it accessible and meaningful.
What else is on your radar, looking ahead, that you are paying attention to and you think your peers should be as well?
One issue I'm watching closely is the growing expectation for personalization in the employee experience. Employees increasingly expect benefits, communication and career development opportunities to be tailored to their individual needs and life stages, much like the consumer experiences they have outside of work. At the same time, employers are under pressure to manage costs and simplify administration.
The organizations that will stand out are those that use data responsibly to deliver more relevant benefits education, targeted communications, and personalized support without creating complexity. As AI and digital tools continue to evolve, I believe we'll see a significant shift from one-size-fits-all benefits strategies to more personalized experiences that help employees make informed decisions and maximize the value of the programs available to them. That's an area I think HR leaders should be paying close attention to over the next few years.
This keeps the focus on workforce trends, benefits strategy and employee engagement while maintaining an executive-level, forward-looking perspective.
What is one big goal you have for open enrollment this year, and how do you plan to achieve it?
Supplemental insurance remains massively underpenetrated — 31% of employers offer it despite 95% of employees seeing it as essential. I think including supplemental insurance like mental health and accident coverage as part of the comprehensive health plan will help provide peace of mind to employees when they need it most.
Also, fear of not having enough coverage in the event of an accident or illness is a contributor to mental health challenges, which is why we believe so strongly in our supplemental products. The 2025-2026 Aflac WorkForces Report shows 57%-60% of employees are interested in these types of plans, but enrollment remains low due to confusion.
At Aflac, we're tackling this with peer testimonials in the first two weeks of enrollment, dedicated advisor support for supplemental benefits only, and messaging that frames these as financial protection rather than an added expense.
What are you most looking forward to at
Learning more about current and future benefits trends and diverse product offerings.
