What's at Stake for Employers: 3 to 1 ROI
Over the past decade, employers have invested heavily in health wellness programs that largely focus on treatment of symptoms rather than underlying causes. Given the current economic environment and a lack of financial literacy among most employees, financial stress has become a key health-related issue for employees and employers.
Recent study by MetLife estimates that the incremental health care cost of a financially distressed employee is $300 per year to the employer. With more than 30% of financially stressed employees in every company, employers are effectively wasting $100 per employee every year due to financial stress and their employees lack of smart money management skills.
The issues of poor employee financial health and a lack of benefits understanding present material risks to organizational goals. Employers have focused on implementing programs that maximize productivity, retain talent and minimize the escalating cost of health care. The Personal Financial Employee Education Foundation (PFEEF) has done numerous studies on the impact of Financial Wellness initiatives. As a general rule, PFEEF estimates organizations can expect a minimum return of three dollars for every dollar invested.
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Productivity Gains
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Cost Savings
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Fewer Workplace Distractions
- Reduces ‘work time’ hours dealing with and fixing personal finance problems
- Faster remediation of identity theft issues
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Reduced Demand for Health Care Services
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Reduced Stress-Related Performance Drains
- Increased workforce engagement and motivation
- Reduced absenteeism
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Reduced Cost of Health Care Programs
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Improved Job Satisfaction
- Greater satisfaction with compensation package
- Less stress makes employees more confident about all aspects of life and work
- Financial literacy skills can often be transferrable to the workplace
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Reduced Payroll Taxes
- Greater participation in flexible spending account programs. Financial education and personalized savings plans can drive employee use of tax-advantaged programs, saving employers money.
- Augment ‘cost-shifting’ strategies. Financial education along with emergency advance features, can ease the change as employers migrate to higher-deductible health plans to cut costs
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Fewer Demands on Support
- Reduced HR inquiries and demands on call
center staff
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Improved Employee Retention
- Greater appreciation of employee benefits
- Improved loyalty resulting from employer support of employee financial goals
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