New resource provides a straightforward, step-by-step process for employers considering a financial wellness program to support their frontline workers

Washington, D.C., May 19, 2020 – Almost half of low-wage workers find it difficult to “just get by” on their regular income. A single unforeseen expense can upend their lives. Workers are bringing this stress into the workplace, and many employers are trying to do something about it. The Guide to Employee Financial Wellness, developed by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, sets a clear process for employers to follow to ensure they select the right program for their business and their workers.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 on the financial well-being of frontline workers has shined a spotlight on the tremendous value workplace financial wellness programming can yield. Employees who participate in these programs can reduce some of the financial stress they face and come to work focused on their job, not their financial burdens. Employers who implement financial wellness programs can also develop mutual trust with their employees, resulting in a more productive and motivated workforce.

“Our senior leaders consider employee wellness—including financial wellness—a top priority in fostering employee engagement and productivity,” said Phyllis Wright, Ph.D., senior vice president of human resources strategies at VRM Mortgage Services, based outside Dallas in Carrollton, Texas. “What we learned from Washington University’s pilot employee survey confirmed the importance of our company’s financial wellness efforts.”

With funding from Prudential, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and Social Policy Institute developed this guide to provide employers with the tools, resources, and strategy they need to provide the best financial wellness programming for their employees.

“Employers are facing unprecedented challenges that require new ways of thinking about how to support their employees,” said Ellen G. Frank-Miller, senior scientist and adjunct professor at the Social Policy Institute. “This guide combines four years of industry research and best practices. We hope it will help employers approach their workforce’s financial needs with fresh eyes and a clear path to developing long-term solutions and financial stability.”

It is important, especially in the wake of COVID-19, that employers and workers come together to find solutions that make jobs better.

“The coronavirus crisis has exposed just how fragile the financial lives of many Americans are,” said Janice Urbanik, senior director of strategy and innovation at the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. “It won’t be enough simply to recover from this crisis. We must redesign a stronger economy built on good jobs for frontline workers. Financial wellness programs are an important part of that.”

The guide can be found at the following URL: https://nationalfund.org/employee-financial-wellness-guide/

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About National Fund for Workforce Solutions

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions invests in a dynamic national network of 30+ communities taking a demand-driven, evidence-based approach to workforce development. At the local level, the National Fund’s partner organizations contribute resources, test ideas, collect data, and improve public policies and business practices that help all workers succeed and employers have the talent they need to compete. Learn more at www.NationalFund.org.

About Social Policy Institute

The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis conducts research, activates solutions, and develops people locally and around the world. The institute, which launched in 2019, fosters interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration to design, test, inform, and impact innovative policy solutions to social problems in four areas—financial security, health, housing, and education. Learn more at SocialPolicyInstitute.wustl.edu.