The financial well-being of your employees affects their health, their productivity and your bottom line!
A recent nationwide survey by Purchasing Power, Inc. found that:
Survey findings
- A high percentage of employees suffer significant financial stress. More than one in four workers surveyed (28%) find it hard to meet monthly household expenses and nearly half (44%) have less than $2,000 in emergency savings.
- They bring these concerns to the job. More than four in ten (44%) worry about personal finances during work hours.
- This stress leaves them less engaged at work and reduces productivity. Nearly three in ten employees (29%) deal with personal finances during work hours and almost half of these (46%) average two to three hours a week on money issues.
Purchasing Power Chief Revenue Officer Elizabeth Halkos offers some recommendations to help your workers maintain their engagement and productivity at the office:
Recommendations
- Help them reduce debt by offering education, either in groups (through webinars or with a live speaker) or individually so that workers can learn about topics such as budgeting, intelligent use of credit and savings programs. A referral to a qualified credit counseling agency can provide a useful follow-up.
- Give them access to responsible budgeting tools. Offering non-traditional voluntary benefits, such as employee purchase programs (which allow workers to acquire high-ticket items and educational services on a "forced saving" basis through payroll deduction) can help reduce their financial stress significantly.
- Encourage employees to participate in retirement programs such as a 401(k) plan. However, before workers do this, advise them to deal with debt and budgeting issues and tuck away a nest egg.
For additional perspective on workplace wellness initiatives, see Employee Wellness Programs and Their Impact.
You can also explore voluntary benefit options such as employee purchase plans or meal delivery programs at Meal Delivery Program Insurance.
Our Benefits experts stand ready to help you ensure financial peace of mind for your workers. Just talk to an agent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can employers help employees reduce financial stress?
Employers can offer financial education, referrals to credit counseling, and access to budgeting tools or payroll-deduction purchase programs to help employees manage debt and build savings.
What are non-traditional voluntary benefits?
Non-traditional voluntary benefits include programs like employee purchase plans, meal delivery services, and other pay-period supported offerings that make saving or acquiring services easier for workers.
Should employees pay down debt before contributing to retirement?
Many advisors suggest addressing high-interest debt and creating a small emergency fund first, then starting or increasing retirement contributions once immediate financial pressures are under control.