Money is on Employees' Minds. What Can Employers Do About it to Help Their People?

Increasingly people are carrying their significant financial worries into work.

Two recently published UK research studies highlight the importance of money in employees' working lives and raise useful questions about how organisations can respond.

The Mental Wealth Index 2026, published by Wisdom Wellbeing, with research conducted by YouGov, found that 59% of full-time workers experienced some degree of financial stress, with 22% reporting serious money-related stress.

Meanwhile, Resolution Foundation research, drawing on the British Social Attitudes survey, reveals how employees' priorities have changed over the past decade.

In 2015, 67% of workers considered a high income important when choosing a job. By 2025, that figure had risen to 78%. Yet only 23% felt their current job provided a high income.

Job satisfaction had also declined from 81% to 74%.

Together, these studies suggest that employers have good reason to give financial wellbeing greater attention.

The Mental Wealth Index also found that only 47.5% of workers knew they could access workplace mental-health support, while just 18.5% had ever used an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

These findings raise questions about awareness, accessibility and whether employees recognise the support available as relevant to their circumstances.

Financial worries and mental health can be closely connected, but financial wellbeing is a broader subject, encompassing financial confidence, capability, security, everyday decisions and access to appropriate help.

The Mental Wealth Index researchers also recommend training managers to recognise early signs of stress and hold supportive conversations.

So what should employers do?

Give financial wellbeing its own identity, objectives and support arrangements alongside mental and physical wellbeing.

Employees experiencing financial concerns may not consider themselves to have a mental-health issue. They may therefore overlook services positioned primarily around mental health.

Start by reviewing employees' financial wellbeing needs, identifying existing resources and addressing gaps in provision. Make financial wellbeing an explicit organisational priority, rather than an incidental part of another programme.

Assign responsibility to someone with sufficient seniority, influence and authority to coordinate the organisation's approach.

Their role should include setting priorities, connecting relevant departments, overseeing delivery and reviewing progress.

Financial wellbeing needs clear ownership, not simply goodwill spread across different teams.

Equip managers and designated colleagues with appropriate training to recognise financial concerns, hold supportive conversations and signpost towards suitable assistance.

Establish a network of trained Financial Wellbeing First Aiders across the organisation. Their role is to raise awareness, make conversations easier and act as catalysts for positive action, helping colleagues take that important first step.

Connect this network with HR, wellbeing teams and existing support services, supported by clear responsibilities, confidentiality boundaries and referral pathways.

Training is essential. Financial Wellbeing First Aiders should understand both their responsibilities and their limits, including when specialist or regulated advice is required.

Don't rely on a one-off announcement or an intranet page.

Communicate the support available regularly, using trusted colleagues, workplace networks, induction and internal channels.

Make access straightforward and explain confidentiality arrangements clearly.

Measure awareness, seek employee feedback and review whether support is reaching the people who need it. Use those findings to improve your approach.

Financial wellbeing initiatives cannot replace fair pay, secure employment or good working conditions. They can, however, complement these foundations by helping employees navigate financial questions, pressures and decisions.

For values-led employers, the opportunity is to demonstrate that their commitment to employee wellbeing extends beyond words and into practical, accessible support.

Perhaps the most useful question to ask is: If one of our employees needed financial wellbeing support tomorrow, would they know where to turn, and would they feel comfortable taking that first step?

Wisdom Wellbeing — Mental Wealth Index 2026

Resolution Foundation — Work in Progress: A Decade of Change in the World of Work (November 2026)