In This Era, Money Alone Is Not Enough: Revealing Benefits That Win Workers’ Hearts — Mental Health Days Off, a New Must-Have Trend

A look into the 2025 job market trend reveals that well-being benefits and mental health days off have become key factors in attracting modern workers, alongside insights into bonus trends and salary adjustments aimed at enhancing quality of life.

Resetting both body and mind has become a major challenge for workers toward year-end. Jobsdb by SEEK’s latest survey clearly shows that "benefits enhancing quality of life" rank first in job application decisions, especially "mental health days off" and transparent compensation, which are crucial to retaining talented employees sustainably.

The 2025 benefits trend: when "happiness" is as important as "salary."

In today’s pressured work environment, work-life balance is not just an option but a primary focus for employees. The 2025 Hiring, Compensation & Benefits (HCB) Report shows Thai organizations are clearly adapting by prioritizing well-being to meet the expectations of younger generations who value workplaces that recognize their humanity.

Ms. Duangporn Phrom-on, Managing Director of Jobsdb by SEEK Thailand, shared an insightful perspective on this shift:

"Adapting to new-generation workers and the digital work environment requires factors that build employee trust, enabling maximum productivity. We believe an organization’s sustainability begins with genuinely caring for its people."

Statistics on "special leave days" organizations plan to offer employees.

The survey found that beyond standard vacation days, many Thai organizations plan to enhance leave benefits to support employees’ mental health and their families as follows:

• 11% of organizations plan to add "mental health days off" to reduce burnout.
• 15% of organizations plan to increase "special leave for family care." Birthday leave remains a popular benefit that creates a special feeling and reflects personalized employee care.

Transparent wealth: bonuses and salary increase rates for 2025.

Well-being extends beyond mental health to include "financial security." Workers now demand clarity in compensation systems. The survey reports that 79% of Thai organizations have begun transparently disclosing bonus calculation methods to build long-term trust.

Summary of overall compensation trends in the job market.

• 84% of organizations still pay performance-based bonuses.
• 85% of organizations have policies to raise salaries next year.
• 1.8 months is the average overall bonus found in the survey.
• 1–5% is the most common salary increase rate in the market.

In 2025, people management strategies go beyond competing on salary figures to building flexible corporate cultures that value employees’ lives. Organizations that deliver tangible benefits—mental health days off, transparent income, and family support—will succeed in attracting top talent and fostering sustainable growth alongside their workforce.