Financial Stress: The #1 contributor to $300 billion lost in employee productivity per year

Stress-related illnesses cost businesses up to $300 billion a year in lost productivity,1 and four out of five employees acknowledge some degree of financial stress.2  Imagine the billions employers could save if they changed employee financial stress to employee financial well-being.

The negative effects of poor finances and financial stress:

• 97% of employees concede to working on or thinking about personal finances during their work day.2
• 60% of employees said they have lower productivity at work because of stress.1
• 58% of employers see financial “illness” as a prevalent part of employee absenteeism, and 78% say employee productivity is negatively affected by financial concerns.3

Financial stress keeps Americans from focusing on the job.  It’s causing low levels of productivity, and it’s costing employers.

Positive effects of a financial wellness program:

• Employers who offer financial wellness programs see an average $348 reduction in operating costs per sick day, per employee.2
• 72% of employees experience decreased financial stress after enrolling in their employer-based financial wellness program.2
• Employers state that overall financial wellness for their employees produce higher levels of satisfaction (76%), loyalty (66%), engagement (65%), and productivity (55%).3

The bottom line is that employee financial stress is a problem in the workplace, and fixing it could mean saving your company a significant amount of money each year.  Now is the time to implement a financial wellness program that will turn financial stress into financial gain.

The MSA Financial Wellness program focuses on improving and maintaining financial wellness, and general well-being, through the multifaceted approach of one-on-one money coaching, financial education, web-based learning and self-help tools, and on-going support through virtually any financial challenge or goal.  MSA Money Coaches are staffed, salaried professionals with close to two decades of collective experience. With a Money Coach’s trustworthy knowledge and compassionate assistance, employees gain the direction and accountability they need in order to improve their lives.

Positive effects of the MSA Financial Wellness program:

• 60% improvement in employee financial well-being
• Average employee creates $250 in savings in just 90 days of working with a Money Coach
• Average employee works with a coach for 272 days
• 5-20% utilization of the program during the first year

For more information on how you can eliminate financial stress in the workplace and boost your employees’ productivity with the MSA Financial Wellness program, contact MSA today.

1Stress in the Workplace: Meeting the Challenge.  Health Advocate.  PDF.

2Financial Wellness Landscape Analysis: An Overview of the Need for Workplace-Based Financial Wellness Programs.  ING Employee Benefits, 2013.  PDF.

3“MetLife White Paper Finds Employee Financial Wellness a Growing Global Concern for Employers.”  2011 Press Releases.  New York: MetLife, 6 Dec. 2011.  Web.  15 Jul. 2013.

4“Financial Literacy Begins at the Office.”  PFEEF Newsletter.  19 Dec. 2013.  Email.