New Inclusively Data Reveals Top Employee Priorities For 2026 HR Budget Planning
Research reveals 58% of employees spend out-of-pocket for tools and resources their employer lacks
St. Louis, MO – July 15, 2025 – Inclusively, whose data and analytics platform provides real-time visibility into employee needs to guide HR investment decisions, today released findings from its Q2 report, HR’s 2026 Budget Imperative: Why Employee “Signals” Must Drive Your HR Investments. The report, which polled nearly 1,000 employees across various industries and work arrangements, reveals critical employee “signals” that need to direct HR’s budget planning for next year. The findings offer a rare look into what employees want the most – thereby shaping an impactful approach to workforce planning.
“Too many HR budgets still reflect outdated assumptions about what employees need,” said Charlotte Dales, Co-Founder and CEO of Inclusively. “Our research gives leaders detailed insights into the ‘why’ employees need flexible work, mental health resources, and accommodations. Companies that align next year’s investments to these realities will be the ones that win talent, loyalty and engagement in 2026.”
The survey also captured over 1,900 unique, employee-submitted responses – what Inclusively calls “signals” – to uncover the most pressing needs of respondents. The responses included:
- Flexible Work (461 queries): The most common concern, where employees seek better work-life balance and scheduling flexibility.
- Mental Health Support (324 queries): Strong demand for resources addressing stress, anxiety, and burnout—especially among creative professionals.
- Health & Accessibility (229 queries): Requests for accommodations related to chronic illnesses, physical health and neurodivergent conditions.
- Caregiver Support (211 queries): Interest in childcare resources, caregiving for parents and family leave.
“What makes this research particularly valuable is that it goes beyond asking employees how they feel. We asked them what they need,” Dales added. “These day-to-day barriers are keeping people from doing their best work. When HR leaders are ready to improve performance, this is where they need to start.”
The research also revealed that:
- 58% have paid out-of-pocket for tools or services they wish their employer provided.
- 44% of respondents stated that personal needs significantly impact their productivity.
- Employees ranked productivity tools and mental health support as their most valuable potential investments.
The full report, “HR’s 2026 Budget Imperative: Why Employee “Signals” Must Drive Your HR Investments,” is available for download at inclusively.com/2026-budget-imperative.
About Inclusively
Inclusively’s technology platform, Retain, is the GPS for workforce strategy. It provides real-time visibility into employee needs to guide investment decisions. The company’s patented AI framework built on Success Enablers – resources, benefits and accommodations – allows employees to search and discover individualized support, while maintaining privacy. The platform provides employers with actionable data on resource utilization and gaps. The technology streamlines fragmented systems, improves employee productivity through better resource access and delivers ROI insights that help companies make data-driven decisions about their investments in employee wellbeing. A few of Inclusively’s valued clients include Delta Air Lines, Accenture, Applied Systems and Discord.
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