3 Ways A Well-Designed Benefits Program Goes Beyond Financial Well-Being

This is the third article in a series on financial well-being that stems from payroll integration. Employee Financial Health Report. Read the first part over hereand the second part over here.

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More American workers feel the burden Rising costs, tight budgets and the pressure of an uncertain economy.

As they navigate these financial pressures, Many employers feel responsible Supporting the financial well-being of employees. They expand benefits offerings, implement financial education programs, introduce access to money management tools — and even more Motivate employees to save. And it pays off.

according to Payroll Integration Employee Financial Wellbeing Reportnearly half of workers feel fully supported by their companies in terms of financial well-being. This is 28% more than last year.

It is clear that employers are successfully recruiting employees Financial support gaps – but they still feel like more work needs to be done. Sixty percent of companies believe they could do more to support employees’ financial well-being – up 13% year-on-year. This is likely because employers know they have only scratched the surface. As employee needs change and benefits grow, new opportunities arise for employees to support their financial well-being.

For example, employees today cite cost of living increases (57%), access to budgets and savings tools (44%), education around retirement (43%) and personal benefit opportunities (41%) as benefits that help them feel more financially secure. But these priorities can change quickly.

Employers continue to invest in financial wellness offerings with the primary goal of improving employees’ overall financial well-being. But they also recognize that well-designed benefit programs provide benefits (punitive targets) beyond economically well-off workers.

Read more: Warnings about rising fuel costs add to the financial pressure on workers

Here are three ways that thoughtful benefits programs provide added value to employees and organizations:

1. Reducing financial stress supports employee focus.
Conversations about workplace efficiency today center around the impact of AI—how employees use tools to automate repetitive manual tasks, generate actionable insights and focus on high-level, strategic work. While these initiatives are important, often overlooked is how much employee satisfaction and financial well-being affect productivity.

When companies offer comprehensive health insurance, retirement plans, emergency savings accounts, family benefits, and more, employees can create a safety net to manage unplanned expenses. It can be very easy for employees to become distracted at work when they are under financial pressure at home. With strong benefits support, employees can focus more and stress less. And when employees feel supported by their employers – they are more likely to see that support reflected in the quality of their work.

Read more: Many US workers hide caregiving duties from HR

2. Retention is strengthened when employee well-being is prioritized.
Benefits can make or break an employee’s experience with a company. In fact, Payroll Integration Employee Financial Wellbeing Report found that nearly half of employees (42%) would leave their job for a benefits-related reason. While many employees say they will leave if current offers don’t meet their needs, strong benefits programs can keep them on the job. Most employers cite strong health insurance (67%), competitive retirement plans (53%) and family-related benefits (53%) as key reasons they would stay in their current role.

And employer support needs to go beyond simply offering education benefits to their employees. Forty-nine percent of employees say they will keep their role because their interests are always clearly communicated. Employees are often looking for benefits they already have – but don’t know what their company offers. Ongoing benefits education ensures that employees know about every benefit available to them, and that they can maximize the value of each one.

To provide this education, employees must conduct regular educational sessions, ensure that internal systems have accessible, up-to-date benefit information, and constantly communicate with employees about new and innovative offers. What companies are already doing is working: The number of employees who feel fully educated about their benefits has increased to 44%, up from 27% last year.

Read more: Nominations for the 2026 Excellence in Interest Awards are now open

3. Benefits are the deciding factor for potential talent.
Companies want to keep existing employees around, but they also want to attract new, top talent. Profits are as powerful a tool for acquisition as they are for retention. The majority of employees say they would not accept a new job offer if retirement plans (67%) and health insurance (65%) were not offered as benefits.

As companies hire younger generations, it is important that they offer benefits that suit each age group. Beyond health care and retirement, Gen Z employees mostly Prioritize mental health supportFitness and wellness benefits and health savings accounts. This is somewhat different from boomer employees who value benefits like pet insurance, flexible work and fitness and wellness, along with more traditional offerings.

The best way to understand these priorities is to talk directly with employees. Once companies understand what resonates with their existing employees, they can ensure that they are designing programs that will attract and support employees of any generation.

Employers who build their benefits programs with employee financial well-being in mind will find that their thoughtful, well-designed offerings not only improve employee well-being, but also strengthen the company as a whole.