Searching Pondering Equity-Based Long-Term Incentive Plans on page 143

The survey also found only 9% have received a raise or salary adjustment to offset higher costs, and 76% said recent economic policies under the new presidential administration have directly impacted their financial planning.

In terms of how taking degrees out of the equation might affect pay for a given role, “compensation is most often driven by the market value of the job or, increasingly, by the market value of the skills required to perform the work,” Jesuthasan added.

2026 Priorities of Total Rewards Leaders This study explores how Total Rewards leaders’ priorities shift based on organizational characteristics, financial performance, and business objectives.

Raising Cane's has expanded rapidly, helped by the boom in fried-chicken sandwiches, and plans to open more than 100 locations this year.

For WorldatWork Members Salary Budget Planning Guide , tool;Salary Budget Planning: Using Market Data to Formulate a Recommendation Report , tool;Compensation Structure Policies and Practices , research;The Potential Dangers of Aggregated Statistics , Journal of Total Rewards article;Don’t Underestimate the Power of Non-Financial Rewards , Workspan Daily Plus+ article; For Everyone 2025-2026 Salary Budget Survey , research;2024-2025 Salary Budget Survey , research;Salary Budget Planning Playbook: Data, Strategy and Insights for the Year Ahead , webinar, live event Aug. 19;‘Year of Contention’: Employers Mull Tight Budgets, Pay Expectations , Workspan Daily article;Mercer Report Shows 2025 Actual Salary Increases Less Than Anticipated , Workspan Daily article;The Pros and Cons of Giving Managers Discretion on Merit Increases , Workspan Daily article;Essentials of Compensation Management , course; U.S. organizations are projecting mean salary increase

Employee Benefits Employee Compensation Total Rewards Survey Results The latest version of this study reflects practices for the 2025 plan year.

A Philadelphia-based federal appeals court recently ruled that accrued paid time off is not considered to be part of a worker’s salary.

By taking a strategic approach to workforce planning and talent management, organizations can position themselves for success both now and in the future.

It’s because traditional frameworks describe growth in terms that don’t match how mastery shows up in practice.

While greater openness in compensation decision-making is a positive step toward fairness and employee satisfaction, this trend also has revealed challenges in terms of communicating traditional job structures and leveling models to the organization.