When cost-of-living is the problem, everyday benefits are becoming a serious retention tool
Nine in 10 working Australians say they're feeling cost-of-living pressure regardless of income, and 61% think their employer could be doing more about it, according to Origin’s Employee Insights Report. With 1,500 working Australians surveyed, the findings are hard to ignore when planning for the year ahead.
The Middle East conflict pushed petrol past $2.30 a litre, inflation is forecast to hit 5% by mid-2026, and the 2026 federal budget responded with tax cuts and fuel excise relief. Treasurer Jim Chalmers named cost-of-living pressure, global oil disruption and shifts in energy and technology as the defining economic conditions of the moment. For HR teams, the read is that financial pressure on workers isn't easing soon.
When asked what would make the biggest difference, employees aren't naming pizza Mondays or Friday drinks. Origin’s report shows they want help with the bills they pay every week.
The employers responding most effectively are the ones making their programs easy to find, easy to understand and easy to access.
Unlocking benefits usage
One of the more striking findings from Origin's Employee Insights Report is how often existing benefits go underused, and the reason is rarely a lack of interest. Most of the time, employees simply don't fully understand what they have access to. Across the organisations studied, there was a consistent gap between what was on offer and what employees actually took up.
Having a good benefits program matters to employees even when they don’t use it. Benefits do double duty as a retention signal and a financial-relief tool, but only if employees can see and understand them. Australian HR Institute (AHRI) research has consistently shown that employees who feel their employer is investing in their wellbeing are more likely to stay.
Benefits can’t be set and forget. For benefits to truly support retention, each employee needs to see and understand the personal value it brings to their own situation. Mantel Group took a deliberate approach, embedding Origin's EV Subscription Salary Packaging into its personalised annual employee agreement alongside a tenure-based cash incentive, making EV access part of the compensation conversation from the start.
“The Origin program is now one of the most popular benefits we offer, despite being available for the shortest time,” said Caroline Henshaw, chief people officer at Mantel Group.
From perks to household relief
The most requested programs share a common feature. They target multiple household costs at once rather than a single line item.
The Employee Benefits Program by Origin gives employees access to discounted electricity, gas and internet plans, offers on home solar and battery installations, deals on smart EV chargers, partner discounts on appliances and technology, and a salary-packaged EV subscription.
For an employee using two or three of these together, the combined annual saving across energy, transport and technology can reach the thousands. When petrol rises above $2.30 a litre, an EV subscription that removes fuel costs from the household budget is no small thing. For many employees, it represents a measurable improvement in their weekly cash position rather than a lifestyle perk.
A few years ago, employees in surveys were prioritising values alignment and lifestyle perks and according to the latest ABS data, that has shifted. Automotive fuel costs rose 24% in the 12 months to March 2026, making transport one of the fastest-growing pressures on household budgets. Utilities, transport and internet costs now rank above gym memberships, retail discounts and wellness apps when employees are asked what would help. Benefits strategies need to follow.
What this means for retention
The link between benefits and retention is well documented, and local research is making it hard to ignore. AHRI research has found that 60% of Australian employees want financial support from their employer, and those who feel their employer is investing in their wellbeing are more likely to stay. Origin’s Employee Insights Report found that employees experiencing extremely high cost-of-living pressure were among the most likely to be considering leaving their organisation in the next 12 months. The connection between financial relief and retention is clear. It shows up consistently in the data.
The reverse pattern holds too. Organisations that visibly address financial pressure through their benefits offering build a stronger case for staying. Origin’s NPS survey data shows that 70% of employees who subscribed to the EV program said it influenced them to stay with their employer longer, by an average of four additional years.
What an Employee Benefits program costs to run
For HR teams already running lean, the practical question about any new benefit is always the same: what does this add to my workload? Origin's program is designed to keep that answer low. It's free to join, fully managed by Origin, and supported with employer webinars, Q&A sessions and an employee benefits portal that staff can use to compare and request quotes themselves.
The recommendation for 2026 is to stop spreading benefits budget across aspirational perks employees rarely use and concentrate it on the recurring household costs they pay every week. For HR teams still working with a benefits suite designed for a different cost environment, the case for a review is becoming hard to ignore.
HR leaders considering a benefits review can visit Origin's website to find out more about Employee Benefits by Origin, or register for the next session of their free, no-obligation benefits explainer webinar. The webinar walks through how the program works in practice, what the rollout looks like, and the reporting HR teams receive.
This article was produced in partnership with Origin
