By Sarah Rauzin, MPH, CPH, Director of Health Strategy and Insights

Welcome to our first edition of HAA Insights — a new series where we tap into a panel of HR and benefits leaders to learn about what's top of mind for leaders like you.

In February 2026, we asked our panel about nutrition, cancer prevention, and other emerging priorities. Across these topics, HR leaders overwhelmingly agree that investing in employee health makes good business sense. But a significant gap persists between belief and implementation.

Strong Beliefs, Limited Implementation

Nearly all our panelists agreed that employee access to nutritious food impacts work performance (92%) and that cancer screening programs improve the bottom line (84%). Mental and behavioral health topped organizational priorities, even above rising health care costs.

Over half (58%) of employers, however, remain in early exploration and pilot stages for their stated top priorities. For nutrition, while most employers (73%) offer some food access support, investments across the full spectrum of services remain limited. For cancer prevention, over a third (35%) invest in nothing at all despite strong agreement about ROI.

What’s Causing the Gap?

There's strong agreement that employee health drives business results, but far less action. So what's getting in the way? Our panelists pointed to three common barriers

Limited budgets strain approaches across the board. 

As health care costs surge, budgets are stretched thin. Cost emerged as a top barrier to offering services across every issue except mental health. 

The HR leaders we heard from are overwhelmingly focused on lowering costs for their organizations and employees by reevaluating plans, controlling specialty pharmacy costs, negotiating with out-of-network providers, and educating workers about smarter use of existing benefits. As one HR leader put it, "The challenge is reducing spend through smarter plan design without simply shifting costs onto employees." 

With each dollar accounted for, employers need more proof on outcomes and ROI before adopting new interventions. They’re looking for “deeper, unbiased insights into vendors — real performance data, implementation challenges, renewal outcomes, and contract pitfalls” to make informed decisions, one panelist explained.

HR and benefits leaders are stretched thin. 

Even with budget and buy-in, many HR leaders lack the time and tools needed to operationalize best practices. When asked what would help most, they wanted practical tools: talking points for leadership, step-by-step integration guidance, and fillable templates. It’s not for lack of caring; HR is simply doing too much. “HR and benefits professionals wear too many hats and cannot be subject matter experts in every topic, nor do we have time to draft multiple policies and position descriptions for roles we are not familiar with," one panelist said.

Employers lack awareness of new approaches to address food insecurity. 

Over half (54%) of our panelists witnessed employees facing barriers to food access, with rising food costs and inflation topping the list of challenges. New “Food Is Medicine” (FIM) initiatives aim to simultaneously address food insecurity and improve health outcomes with medically prescribed foods as part of a holistic plan to manage or prevent high-cost chronic conditions. 

These approaches generally include produce prescriptions, medically tailored groceries, or medically tailored meals that can be covered through health plans, vouchers, or HSA/FSA reimbursement. Yet, nearly a quarter (23%) were unfamiliar with FIM approaches to food access. Among those who were familiar, 75% were unlikely or not at all likely to implement these approaches, citing multiple barriers, including cost, a lack of internal expertise, and feeling unsure how to implement these programs.

How To Start Taking Action

• Start with what’s easy (and free). Many health issues can be addressed through low- or no-cost options. You don't need a new vendor to share cancer screening guidelines or check in with staff about their mental health. 
• Don’t reinvent the wheel. Many national and community-based organizations (including HAA) offer free resources and education materials you can leverage. Check out free, plug-and-play tools and step-by-step guides from HAA and our partners on priority issues like mental health and cancer prevention.
• Remember, you don't have to figure it out alone. Join our waitlist for upcoming programs and peer learning opportunities on topics like nutrition, cancer prevention, and more, where we’ll tackle the issues you care about most.

Methodology

February’s insights were collected from 26 leaders in HR, benefits, and corporate wellness. They represented a diverse mix of large employers (35%), medium employers (23%), and small employers (42%). Collectively, their organizations reach more than 355,000 workers across a variety of industries, including finance and banking, chemical manufacturing, hospital and health care, government, home care, machinery, utilities, social services, construction, renewables and environment, automotive, biotechnology, human resources, child care, and civic and social organization.

Join the Conversation and Get Paid for Your Insights

Leaders in HR, benefits, health and safety, and corporate wellness are invited to join HAA’s research panel, where you’ll share your expertise and insights to help inform free resources that support your efforts in workplace health.