Most of Your Employees are Stressed About Their Finances

Most of Your Employees are Stressed About Their Finances
September 23, 2025 4 mins

Most of Your Employees are Stressed About Their Finances

Most of Your Employees are Stressed About Their Finances

What does this mean for your organization and how can HR leaders help? With the majority of employees experiencing financial stress, HR leaders face the urgent task of supporting workforce wellbeing through innovative and behavior-focused financial programs.

Key Takeaways
  1. Financial stress is pervasive: 88% of employees report regular financial anxiety, impacting morale, engagement, and overall productivity
  2. Retirement insecurity is rising: Nearly half of U.S. households risk running short of money in retirement, despite increased employer investment in benefits and projected healthcare cost hikes
  3. Behavioral programs offer promise: Addressing money attitudes and behaviors through targeted education can empower employees to make better financial decisions and prepare for long-term security

Financial stress is one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. workforce, affecting both day-to-day productivity and long-term growth for organizations.

  • 88% of employees report feeling financially stressed at least some days each week, with consequences that ripple through workplaces and affect morale, engagement, and efficiency. 
  • 45% of U.S. households are projected to run short of money in retirement, signaling a major concern for future financial security and wellbeing.1  
  • Employers are investing substantially in retirement plans, yet 56% of HR professionals say their departments lack enough staff to properly manage the workload.2 

Undoubtedly, HR leaders care about the financial wellbeing of their workers as much as they care about their physical and mental wellbeing. Enormous amounts of time and resources are invested in providing employee retirement benefits. Health care costs alone are projected to rise by 9.5% in 2026. But are there more effective and efficient ways to help colleagues gain better financial footing for today and tomorrow?

It Starts with Money Attitudes and Behaviors

The money attitudes we develop early in life are a key driver of financial wellbeing and retirement readiness. Employees who understand their emotional link to money can be empowered to make sound decisions. 

  • Engaging employees to learn about their own financial behavior leads to smarter saving, better investment choices and increased confidence.
  • Targeted behavior-based programs can address gaps in financial knowledge for people of different generations and roles.
  • HR teams should leverage retirement plan providers to engage employees in new ways.

The Evolving Role of Employers

Today’s employers have a unique opportunity  to shape their workers’ financial futures. Offering efficient retirement plans, personalized wellness programs and accessible resources can significantly contribute to employees’ financial wellbeing, both now and in the years to come. Strategic retirement plan offerings make a meaningful difference.

  • Crafting a thoughtful investment menu empowers employees to tailor their portfolios to their goals and risk tolerance. Including options like target date funds simplifies decision-making for those seeking age-appropriate investment mixes and provides access to low- cost index funds.
  • Regular evaluation of investment selections, costs, and performance ensures plan quality and protects both employees and the organization. Access to expert guidance helps navigate increasingly complex choices and market conditions.
  • Staying current with federal and state regulations is vital but complex and time-consuming for HR teams. Consider working with a retirement plan provider that can manage that complexity and help to reduce risk.

Three Key Actions to Consider

  1. Meet employees where they are: Understand the concerns and needs of your employee population and provide resources that help. With a behavior-based approach organizations foster engagement and empower every employee to strengthen their financial wellbeing, regardless of where or how they work.
  2. Maximize your retirement plan offering: Explore different retirement plan options, like pooled employer plans, which leverage economies of scale to provide employees with access to robust investment choices. These larger plans often deliver lower costs and enhanced outcomes for participants. 
  3. Focus on what matters: Look at ways to reduce the administrative burdens and compliance risks of providing an employee retirement plan. This allows HR teams to focus on creating a resilient and thriving workforce.

 

1 https://www.morningstar.com/business/insights/research/retirement-crisis-401k
2 https://www.shrm.org/content/dam/en/shrm/research/2023-2024-State-of-the-Workplace-Report.pdf

General Disclaimer

This document is not intended to address any specific situation or to provide legal, regulatory, financial, or other advice. While care has been taken in the production of this document, Aon does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the document or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. Any recipient shall be responsible for the use to which it puts this document. This document has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication and is subject to any qualifications made in the document.

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