How to Get Leadership to Approve Your Employee Benefits Plan

How to present your benefits proposal from People Ops to get internal approval, with data, real cases, and tactics to achieve your goal.

You know your team needs benefits. You see it in the surveys, the one-on-ones, the quiet burnout that shows up when the only response people get is "we're already paying you well." And you know this isn't about throwing perks at people—it's about creating real conditions for people to do their best work, feel valued, and actually want to stick around.

The problem isn't your strategy. It's getting them to say yes.

If you need buy-in from your CEO, founder, Head of Finance, or whoever's holding the purse strings, this guide's for you. You've already designed the program. You know why you need it. Now let's talk about presenting it the right way.

7 Tactics to Get Your Benefits Plan Approved

1. Figure out what actually matters to your decision-maker

Not all execs think the same way. Some live and breathe budget spreadsheets. Others obsess over operational efficiency. Some are laser-focused on talent competition. Others just want to avoid screwing up something that'll bite them later.

Before you walk into that room, ask yourself:

• What's keeping this person up at night? Runaway costs? Low productivity? People jumping ship?

• What makes them nervous? Spending they can't control? Implementation nightmares? Programs that don't move the needle?

• How do they usually make decisions? Hard numbers? Industry benchmarks? Success stories from companies they respect?

You don't need to change your vision. You need to show them how it solves their problems too.

Pro tip: Start with a question that gets them talking: "What do you think would help us hang onto our A-players this quarter?" or "What would it take to get our team firing on all cylinders for Q4?"

2. Build a business case that hits them where it counts

Warm fuzzy feelings won't cut it here. You need to show how benefits translate into bottom-line results.

Talent attraction:

• 74% of workers prioritize companies with personalized benefits (Metlife UK)

• In fields like tech, customer success, or product, salary alone doesn't win anymore

Pro tip: Try opening with: "We're competing against companies offering home office stipends and mental health budgets. Without benefits, every open req is costing us $15K+ in recruiting, interviews, and onboarding."

Retention:

• Replacing someone costs 50-200% of their annual salary (Gallup)

• A $100 monthly benefit can cut turnover by 20%

Pro tip: Frame it like this: "A solid benefits program for 20 people could save us $50K+ annually if we keep the folks who are already shopping around."

Productivity:

• 80% of remote workers with wellness benefits report higher productivity (Buffer)

• An internet stipend or a mental health day can make a real difference in focus and output

• Reduced absenteeism from untreated health issues when you offer health coverage

Pro tip: If your exec cares about efficiency: "These benefits remove invisible friction that's dragging down daily performance."

Culture and employer brand:

• In remote work, you can't see when people feel cared for—but they definitely feel it. Benefits are one of the most tangible ways to show it.

• Companies like Buffer and GitLab built their employer brands on strong remote value props, not just competitive pay

Pro tip: Position it as: "A smart benefits program becomes a competitive advantage that strengthens our brand internally and externally—no marketing budget required."

3. Pitch a pilot that's impossible to say no to

You don't need the full-year budget right out of the gate. You just need to get started. Here's what that looks like:

Pilot Program

Timeline: 3 months
Team size: 20 people
Benefits: $50/month connectivity stipend + 1 mental health day
Total investment: $1,000, per month (not including the non-work day, since that depends on individual roles and corresponding compensation)
Success metrics: Employee satisfaction (eNPS), productivity self-assessment, retention intent

Pro tip: Make the math crystal clear: "This pilot costs less than losing one senior engineer. If it works, we scale it. If not, we pivot and try something else."

4. Get ahead of the pushback

Objections are coming whether you like it or not. Better to see them coming. Here's how to handle the usual suspects:

• "The budget's too tight." Compare it to turnover costs. If they're worried about ongoing spend, suggest quarterly caps or tiered rollouts.

• "How do we know people actually want this?" Show them survey data. Or run a quick 2-minute pulse survey and bring results to the meeting.

• "Sounds like an admin nightmare." Point to platforms like Atlas that handle the heavy lifting without adding to your plate.

• "We already pay competitively." Salary covers the basics. Benefits solve real problems: connectivity issues, burnout, isolation, skill gaps.

Bonus move: If your exec loves competitor intel, bring examples of similar companies already doing this. If they're efficiency-obsessed, create a simple ROI table.

5. Back it up with real stories (skip the corporate speak)

You don't need a tearjerker presentation. But one concrete example can make your whole argument click.

"Sarah from engineering mentioned that internet outages kill her productivity. The stress of unreliable connection is affecting her work quality. Covering that expense, providing a better connection would let her focus on what she does best. She's one of our top performers."

"Mike from customer success mentioned that after a high-pressure week during a product launch, he thought about taking Friday off but wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask. In our culture survey, he wrote: 'sometimes one day to decompress makes all the difference.' He didn't leave the company. But he made it clear that having room to recover matters."

These aren't feel-good stories—they're data points showing real business impact.

6. End with action, not homework

Don't say "let me know what you think." Say "can we lock this in by Friday?" Make the next step obvious.

"Should we finalize the pilot budget this week and set up monthly check-ins?"

"Can I get this on the agenda for next week's leadership meeting?"

When you create urgency and clear next steps, things actually happen.

7. You're not asking for permission—you're leading

You're proposing an improvement with proven impact on productivity, retention, and culture.

What you're defending is the kind of culture you want to build: one where people feel cared for through actions, not just words.

And if you don't push for that change from HR or People Ops and create the necessary structures, nobody else is going to do it for you.

Pre-Meeting Prep

Make sure you've got your ducks in a row before you walk in there:

• You know what drives your decision-maker's priorities

• You've got hard data and real examples ready

• You're proposing a concrete pilot with clear scope and budget

• You've defined success metrics upfront

• You've anticipated objections and prepared responses

• You're ending with a specific ask and timeline

Checked all those boxes? Then you're ready to make it happen. Go get 'em, tiger! And if today's not the day, you've got a rock-solid case to come back with tomorrow.

Ready to launch a benefits pilot without getting buried in red tape? Atlas lets you roll out simple, scalable programs by country without the administrative headaches. You can be measuring real impact within a week. Book your demo.

FAQ

Who decides in this context?
Anyone who needs to sign off on your benefits proposal—CEO, CFO, founder, or other C-suite exec who controls budget approval.

How do I pitch benefits without getting shot down on cost?
Lead with turnover data, propose a limited pilot with controlled spend, and show clear ROI on productivity and retention.

What's the best way to measure if benefits are actually working?
Track metrics like employee NPS, retention intent, productivity scores, or satisfaction surveys. Just make sure you define success metrics before you start.

What if leadership says our salaries are already competitive enough?
Explain that benefits solve problems salary can't touch: connectivity issues, mental health support, professional development, work-life balance. It's not about adding perks—it's about removing barriers to great work.

Any recommendations for platforms that make benefits easy to manage?
Atlas handles personalized, measurable benefits programs without operational complexity, with built-in support for different countries and team structures.