There is a revolution underway in the workplace.
Across the globe, a growing number of organisations are starting to approach financial wellbeing not as a box-ticking exercise, but as a measurable opportunity to create happier, more productive teams.
Financial resilience – the ability to withstand financial shocks, plan ahead and meet everyday needs – is becoming a defining marker not just of employee wellbeing, but also of business performance. While the financial challenges facing some groups of employees are significant, the good news is that employers have more tools, insight and influence than ever before to make a tangible difference.
The business case for financial resilience
The need for action is clear. In 2025, money, an emotive subject, the core to everyone’s livelihood, is the number one concern among UK employees. This overtakes mental health, physical health and work-life balance. Over 31 per cent of people cite financial stress as their primary worry – up from 19 per cent in 2024 – and more than a quarter are worrying about money every single day. This level of anxiety isn’t just a barrier to employee wellbeing, it affects productivity, morale and even available IQ.
This problem presents a hidden opportunity for employers, as financial resilience is measurable, and can be improved. Driven by factors such as savings levels, income stability and access to credit, financial resilience is a metric which employers have growing influence over.
Recent research has shown that in organisations where financial resilience is actively supported, the benefits are striking. Wagestream’s Missing Metric report revealed that when employees have access to workplace savings programmes, engagement increases by 43 per cent and productivity by 40 per cent. Workers with increased resilience, report feeling more focused and better able to contribute at work. A quarter say doubling their savings would feel better than taking a holiday. These aren’t marginal gains, they are transformative shifts in mindset and performance.
For employers looking to improve recruitment and retention, the case is even stronger. Nearly half of employees say they would consider changing jobs for better financial support, and 28 per cent say they would stay with their current employer for longer if workplace savings tools were in place.
The education trap
Despite this, many organisations still rely on traditional financial education to solve the problem. While financial literacy is important, it does not substitute for tools which actually help people to take action. Knowledge alone does not build savings. It does not smooth income volatility, and it does not help an employee to access affordable credit when they are one unexpected bill away from hardship.
In truth, most employees already know the basics: spend less than you earn, build a savings buffer, avoid high-cost debt. What they lack are the means and tools to act on that knowledge. That’s where employers come in.
An opportunity for employers
Employers can help their people to build true financial resilience by offering tangible, relevant benefits which their people actually want to use. These could be auto-enrolment savings initiatives that help people save for the first time, affordable loans repaid directly from salary so a repayment is never missed, simplified pension pots and personalised discounts. Tools that reduce friction and support money management can have a profound impact, especially for low and middle-income workers who are too often excluded from traditional financial services.
The key indicators of financial resilience like savings levels, credit access, income stability and reported financial stress can all be tracked. Doing so allows organisations to better understand the needs of their workforce, tailor support more effectively, and quantify the return on investment in wellbeing initiatives.
If boards want to future-proof their organisations, financial resilience needs to be seen as a strategic priority. It is the missing metric, the thread that connects inclusion, performance and wellbeing in a way that few other initiatives can.
