One Size Fits All: Do Dual-Income Couples and Families Require Different Benefits?

Abstract

Dual-income couples are increasing in all types of workplaces across the globe. Assumptions about the family structure of the typical employee must be challenged. Responsive compensation and benefits practitioners are advised to conduct a demographic and psychographic analysis of their workforce by applying design thinking to identify the unique needs of dual-income couples. This tailoring of total rewards necessitates that the organizational structure of human resource management departments also be challenged to better facilitate working across the silos within human resources management. A review of the extant literature is presented along with a typology of dual-income couples to inform compensation and benefits practitioners about novel and responsive ways to not simply meet but also exceed the expectations of this growing demographic group in organizations.