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High-Earning Employees Need Financial Help, Too

High-Earning Employees Need Financial Help, Too

by | May 4, 2022 | Blog

High-earning employees need financial help, too. A six-figure salary doesn’t always translate to financial security. Here are 4 ways high-earning employees can benefit from financial wellness programs.

It’s a common misconception that a six-figure salary always translates to financial security and that high-earning employees have no need for financial wellness benefits. However, this isn’t always the case. What’s more, a good financial wellness program offers tools for those who are secure and not just at-risk employees.

Here are 4 reasons that even your high-earning employees still need financial wellness resources.

1. More money doesn’t always mean fewer financial concerns for high-earning employees.

Financial wellness means different things to different people, even those with higher-than-average incomes. However, with rising rents and record-high inflation, even a six-figure salary doesn’t necessarily guarantee financial security. Almost 20% of employees earning over $100,000 live paycheck to paycheck, according to a Willis Towers Watson survey. Living paycheck to paycheck means that termination, or even a late paycheck, can put an individual and their family at risk. 

surprising stat about high-earning employees

It’s important to limit broad assumptions about your team’s financial security based on pay alone. Companies can help prevent financial vulnerability through personally tailored budgeting and spending tools. These financial resources can support employees, at all income levels, toward increased financial wellness. 

2. Even employees with a basic level of financial wellness want more.

A Morgan Stanley at Work survey found that even employees with a good foundation of financial wellness still admit needing help to reach their short-term and long-term financial goals. 

Companies can get more specific on the financial goals of their own employees by conducting internal surveys, and then matching those needs with the right financial wellness resources. Together, this can help companies further employees’ financial knowledge and empower their financial wellness.

3. High-earning employees want three key financial wellness benefits.

According to the Morgan Stanley data, high earners were generally attracted to three financial wellness benefits:

  • Retirement planning (69%)
  • Access to financial advising (57%)
  • General financial education (41%)

This poll data may be surprising to some, but again, more income doesn’t mean better money management. In fact, the same Morgan Stanley poll showed that high-earning employees who are less confident about their personal finances are more likely to gravitate toward certain benefits, even those that may seem simplistic like budgeting and spending tools. There is no shame in asking for more help and with the right financial wellness program, companies can deliver such help to all employees.

4. Financial wellness can help you go beyond with company retirement matching.

Retirement planning is a priority for employees of all backgrounds; however, not every retirement benefit can be utilized by high-earning employees. For instance, companies cannot match 401(k) contributions on income above the annual compensation cap, which is currently $305,000, according to the IRS. This puts high earners at a disadvantage because their company is only matching a small percentage of their income for retirement.

Instead, according to Tom Conlon, Head of Retirement Sales for Morgan Stanely at Work, companies should go beyond the retirement match and consider equity or nonqualified deferred compensation plans, which are gaining popularity in the workplace. 

Conlon emphasizes that a good financial wellness plan considers what top earning employees need, and it can be a way to stand out and retain top talent.

Looking for a financial wellness program to fit earners of all sizes? Try Best Money Moves!

Best Money Moves is a financial wellness solution designed to help dial down employees’ most top-of-mind financial stresses. As a comprehensive financial wellbeing solution, Best Money Moves offers 1:1 money coaching, budgeting tools and other resources to improve employee financial wellbeing, regardless of one’s income level and background. Our AI platform, with a human-centered design, is easy to use and fit for employees of any age and financial background. 

Whether it be college planning or securing a mortgage, Best Money Moves can guide employees through the most difficult financial times and topics. Our dedicated resources, partner offerings and 700+ article library make Best Money Moves a leading benefit in bettering employee financial wellness.

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

4 Ways to Promote Social Justice in the Workplace

4 Ways to Promote Social Justice in the Workplace

by | Apr 26, 2022 | Blog

4 ways to promote social justice in the workplace. Social justice and DEI issues are a must-have for workforces. Here are 4 ways to keep social justice in mind while planning your benefits strategy.

Diversity, equity and inclusion have become critical values to employees. In a 2021 survey of 3,000 workers, Garter HR found that 68 percent would consider quitting their current job for an organization with a stronger stance on relevant social justice issues.

What exactly is social justice?

Social justice is generally described as an effort to secure equal rights, opportunities and treatment for all individuals. Today, many companies also incorporate economic justice as an integral part of their DEI strategy. 

Many social justice causes may directly impact members of your workforce. So, supporting social justice and DEI efforts in the workplace, whether through employee benefits programs or other means, is a key component of supporting overall employee wellness. 

Here are 5 ways companies can support employees by keeping social justice and DEI issues in mind when planning employee benefits.

4 ways to support employees and promote social justice in the workplace

One of the most important aspects of an effective employee retention strategy is to listen to employees and respond to their needs. According to SHRM, 56% of US employees with employer-sponsored healthcare benefits surveyed said whether or not they like their healthcare plan is a key component in their decision to stay with their current job. Offering a healthcare plan is also a way for employees to keep up with competitors as 58% of companies offer health benefits making it the most common workplace perk.

1. Integrate DEI and social justice efforts into your organization’s hiring practices.

Conscious and unconscious biases can lead to inequitable hiring processes and disparities in unemployment. For instance, candidates with white-sounding names on their resumes receive 25% more callbacks than those with Black-sounding names, according to a Harvard research study. 

It’s important that HR teams stay aware of such biases during the hiring processes. Companies can take it a step further by integrating diverse representation into their hiring teams. Diverse HR professionals can help companies expand the colleges, networks and talent pools that they hire from, ultimately increasing employee representation.

2. Use financial wellness resources to help address wealth and financial literacy inequalities.

Social justice is closely linked to economic and wealth equality, according to the United Nations and the Center for Economic and Social Justice. However, wealth inequalities based on race, gender and other identities remain prevalent. 

Almost 64 percent of the U.S. population lives paycheck-to-paycheck, according to a report from LendingClub. And that insecurity often disproportionately affects minority families. The median net worth of white families is nearly $190,000, compared to Black and Hispanic families, with $24,100 and $36,400, respectively, according to 2022 data collected by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. 

Companies can help bridge these structural wealth gaps by offering access to financial wellness programs. Whether employees are saving for retirement, managing a day-to-day budget, or working toward a personal milestone, financial wellness and literacy programs can offer much-needed resources to employees of all backgrounds.

3. Show support for social justice causes through company match programs.

With Company match programs, employees donate to an organization (either  one of their choice or from a pre-approved pool) and their employer promises to match the donation. These programs, also known as matching gift programs, are an effective way to garner support and economic justice for social causes. 

Studies have shown that employees feel more motivated to support social causes when their employer offers company match programs.

4. Offer time off for cultural holidays and volunteering opportunities.

Many employees celebrate culturally significant moments that extend beyond federally observed holidays. Recognizing this, employers are increasingly allowing time off for cultural holidays like Holi, Yom Kippur and Juneteenth. This flexibility allows employees to celebrate the moments that matter most to them while maintaining a work-life balance. 

Companies are also beginning to extend time off benefits to volunteering and social impact opportunities. This benefits allows employees to take time off to focus on social causes they care most about, while furthering company commitments to corporate social responsibility.

Take your benefits strategy to the next level with financial wellness solutions from Best Money Moves.

Best Money Moves is a financial wellness solution designed to help dial down employees’ most top-of-mind financial stresses. As a comprehensive financial well-being solution, Best Money Moves offers 1:1 money coaching, budgeting tools and other resources to improve employee financial wellbeing. Our AI platform, with a human-centered design, is easy to use and fit for employees of any age. 

Whether it be college planning or securing a mortgage, Best Money Moves can guide employees through the most difficult financial times and topics. Our dedicated resources, partner offerings and 700+ article library make Best Money Moves a leading benefit in bettering employee financial wellness.

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

5 Benefits to Include In Your Employee Retention Strategy

5 Benefits to Include In Your Employee Retention Strategy

by | Apr 20, 2022 | Blog

5 benefits to include in your employee retention strategy. The Great Resignation isn’t over yet. Up your employee retention strategy and keep your team where they belong with these five benefits. 

Nearly 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in February of 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. These numbers suggest that the period of record employee turnover known as the “Great Resignation” is not slowing down. 

The costs to employers are staggering. It costs six to nine months of an employee’s salary to hire and acclimate their replacement, according to data from SHRM. It also takes a new employee 1 to 2 years to reach the level of productivity of an existing employee. 

To help avoid the high costs of turnover, employers should be prepared to reevaluate their benefits packages. Here are 5 benefits to include in your employee retention strategy.

1. Boost employee retention with personalized financial wellness benefits.

Around 87% percent of employees want help when it comes to managing their finances, according to PwC’s 2021 financial wellness survey. And employees that have financial wellness report higher levels of job satisfaction, loyalty and productivity – factors that make employees less likely to leave their current job. According to data from prudential, 60% of workers feel more committed to their employer when the employer shows an investment in their overall financial wellbeing. 

However, when it comes to financial assistance, too many organizations focus solely on helping employees plan for retirement. A fully comprehensive financial wellness plan can help addresses a wide range of employee concerns. Look for a solution that is as dynamic as your workforce and support your team with comprehensive financial wellness benefits that cover everything from financial planning and coaching to building an emergency fund or paying down debt.

2. Ease employee stress with comprehensive healthcare offerings.

One of the most important aspects of an effective employee retention strategy is to listen to employees and respond to their needs. According to SHRM, 56% of US employees with employer-sponsored healthcare benefits surveyed said whether or not they like their healthcare plan is a key component in their decision to stay with their current job. Offering a healthcare plan is also a way for employees to keep up with competitors as 58% of companies offer health benefits making it the most common workplace perk.

3. Support employee wellness by destigmatizing mental health benefits.

In a response to the needs of their employees, around 40% of employers expanded their mental health benefits during the pandemic. Mental health benefits can come in many forms. Some of the best solutions have been including mental health coverage in the company’s health plan, promoting mental health programs to try and reduce the stigma around the issue and establishing an employee assistance program.

According to a survey by Teamstage, 91% of Gen Z and 78% of Millenials think that companies should implement a mental health policy. A survey by Calm found that 76% of potential employees consider mental health benefits as critical when evaluating potential job prospects.

4. Offer family-friendly benefits to care for employees and their loved ones.

The term “family-friendly” encompasses a wide range of benefits from fertility planning to extended maternity leave to childcare benefits. Family-friendly benefits may suggest to employees that the workplace has a legitimate interest in their wellbeing and is another way for companies to keep employees happy. According to a study by Utah State University, 94% of companies that implemented family-friendly policies reported a higher level of employee satisfaction.

5. Invest in paid time off today to improve employee retention in the future.

Research from SHRM suggests that encouraging employees to enjoy vacation time can actually increase productivity in the long run. However, simply providing paid time off may not be not enough for employees to enjoy the benefits. In a 2021 survey, Priceline found that only 21% of Americans used all of their PTO in 2020 and 19% felt their positions were too demanding to allow them time away. PTO is not only an important part of employee compensation but a vital tool for fighting burnout that can contribute to turnover. So, it’s important employees feel supported when taking a break.

Take your benefits strategy to the next level with financial wellness solutions from Best Money Moves.

If you’re looking for a first-in-class financial wellness solution, Best Money Moves could be the answer you need. Best Money Moves is a financial wellness program that provides all the guidance and support employees need to help them reduce their financial stress. It has tools and features that help employees measure their financial stress, budget for monthly expenses, pay down debt and plan for emergencies.

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

4 Ways Financial Stress Harms Overall Employee Wellness

4 Ways Financial Stress Harms Overall Employee Wellness

by | Apr 5, 2022 | Blog

4 ways financial stress harms overall employee wellness. Financial stress can have ramifications that affect far more than your wallet. Here’s what to keep an eye out for among your team. 

According to Financial Fitness Group, companies lose roughly $7,000 per employee per year due to stress caused by personal finance issues. And for employees, the effects of stress go far beyond dollars and cents. Long-term financial stress can take a huge toll on overall employee wellness and can even lead to emotional and physical consequences. 

Here are 4 ways that financial stress impacts overall employee wellness.

cost of financial stress

1. Financial stress can keep your employees up at night.

A good night’s sleep is important for both physical and mental health. A full night’s sleep has been linked to boosting the immune system, brightening mood, improving memory and even increasing day-to-day productivity. Unfortunately, those who are financially stressed are among the worst sleepers in America, according to the Better Sleep Council’s State of America’s Sleep survey.

Without healthy sleeping habits, an employee is more likely to experience mental strain, anxiety and depression, along with physical symptoms such as a weakened immune system. And those effects can spill over into the workday. According to the sleep foundation, sleep-deprived employees take more time to react in critical situations and are more likely to make mistakes than their well-rested counterparts. Reducing the financial stress that’s keeping your employees up at night is one step toward helping them rest easier.

2. Prolonged stress upsets employee work/life balance.

Proper work/life balance has already become a challenge following the COVID-19 pandemic, with millions of employees transitioning out of the office and into remote work. 

Burnout is a rising concern associated with stressed employees. Job burnout is a specific type of work-related stress that causes physical/emotional fatigue. Employees who suffer from significant levels of burnout can suffer from insomnia and increased stress levels and are more likely to take sick leave or look for another job. 

Employers can help their employees avoid burnout by creating a healthy workplace culture, allowing employees to work on a flexible schedule, and providing resources to address mental health concerns. Burnout remains a rampant problem in the workplace as, according to Deloitte, 77% of professionals have felt burnout at their current job.

3. Financial stress is a physical problem too.

Stress not only raises anxiety levels, but it can also take a physical toll on the body, causing high blood pressure, headaches, fatigue, pains and aches among other things. 

If the problem persists, stressed employees are more likely to get cardiovascular disease and other ailments that wind up killing around 120,000 people per year. Reducing that kind of stress in the workplace can avoid a cycle of various stressors that poor financial habits can cause.

4. Stress could be harming your workplace culture.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the most common effects of stress include increased irritability or anger. Employees burdened by stress are nine times more likely to have troubled relationships with coworkers and twice as likely to be searching for a new job.

It’s vital to address employee stress to foster a positive workplace culture  — one that allows employees to ask for personal finance assistance when they need it. One solution is to offer your team a financial wellness program. Providing employees with comprehensive financial wellness tools can help them address their financial stress head-on Plus, it signals to your employees that you care about their overall wellbeing.

Offer your employees relief from financial stress with Best Money Moves.

Less than 33% of workers have access to benefits that can assist with their financial needs according to a Financial Health Network survey. 

By offering financial wellness programs, like Best Money Moves, employers can help employees manage their personal finance goals and stress. 

Best Money Moves is a mobile-first platform that offers personalized financial planning and coaching resources, focused on solving your employees’ pain points. The program uses artificial intelligence, along with a human-centered design, to measure employee financial stress and then dial it down with personalized solutions. Our triggers and alerts system — as well as budgeting tools, personal finance resources and more — help guide employees to make more informed financial decisions and reduce their overall stress.

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

Closing the Gender Retirement Gap: How Financial Wellness Can Help

Closing the Gender Retirement Gap: How Financial Wellness Can Help

by | Mar 28, 2022 | Blog

Closing the gender retirement gap: How financial wellness can help. Female employees still face workplace disparity when it comes to retirement planning. Here’s what employers can do to close the gender retirement gap. 

Despite progress toward gender equity in the workplace, women still face disparities in retirement preparedness. Men have about 40% more income than women during retirement, according to the OECD, and this trend isn’t limited to the U.S. In fact, nearly every retirement system in the world suffers from the gender retirement gap.

Find out how the gender retirement gap affects your employees, and how financial wellness and other strategies can help level the playing field.

What is the gender retirement gap?

The gender retirement gap refers to the difference in retirement preparedness between men and women — it largely stems from the gender wage gap. According to data from the Center for American Progress, white women earn only 79 cents for each $1 earned by white men. Race furthers this disparity, with Black and brown women earning only 60 cents.Preparing for retirement takes years of saving. So, lower wages earned for an entire career compound into significant differences in retirement preparedness.

How to fix the gender retirement gap:

Employers can help bridge the gender retirement gap; however, doing so requires dedication to employee financial wellness and equity. 

While there is no fix-all solution, here’s 3 ways to help join the gender retirement gap:

 1. Extend flexibility and family leave to parents of all genders

Women are more associated with time away from the office, especially when it comes to childrearing and the home. Under federal law, employees are only guaranteed 12 workweeks of unpaid family medical leave; however, the loss of income can be detrimental to household finances.

With little federal guidance, employees must depend on their employers’ leave policy.

Parental leave policies typically give women substantially more time off than men, and for most women, their leave is unpaid. Less than 25% of employees receive paid parental leave, according to BLS data, and they typically receive only a percentage of their original paycheck. 

When thinking about family leave policies, consider birthing and non-birthing parents and how each may need support. Some companies allow flexible or hybrid work hours, which allow working moms to gradually re-enter the workforce. Others offer family leave of at least six weeks to both, so it’s easier to balance and share home duties.

2. Address career differentials by gender to avoid wage gaps

Since women take on more part-time and unpaid work than men, overtime, this accumulates to women spending less time in the workforce than men. On average, women spend nine fewer years in the workforce, which can hurt women’s pay and promotional opportunities. Less money now means even less during retirement. 

Pension plans often require a minimum salary or hours worked for pension payouts. This lessens retirement security for low earners and part-time workers, who are disproportionately women. 

Take an honest, critical look at your company and see how you may overlook employees on leave during promotions and bonuses. This can help create equal opportunities for men and women to advance their careers and pay — which may mean reforming employee skills matrices to be more inclusive of those who take leave. Employees should never feel penalized or professionally stagnated for taking time off. 

3. Offer employee financial wellness resources and education

Women, on average, are less financially literate than men. When quizzed on personal finance, 21% of women exhibited a relatively low level of financial literacy, compared to 15% of men, according to the TIAA Institute. And when looking at specific financial topics, like investing, the financial literacy gap only widens. Gaps in financial knowledge, such as these, can enlarge the gender retirement gap.

Researchers also think the gap could be explained by women spending more income on the home (e.g., groceries, daycare and cleaning) than they do on retirement or themselves. 

Nonetheless, as a solution, experts at Mercer have advocated for financial wellness to help close the gender retirement gap. Through financial wellness programs, women can receive personalized money coaching and other tools to increase their overall financial preparedness. 

A major perk of financial wellness programs is that their personalization helps employees of all income brackets and ages. From fresh post-grads, to even those close to retirement, all can benefit from financial wellness resources and guidance — they are to help people achieve their financial goals, while dialing down financial stress. 

Need a financial wellness solution? Try Best Money Moves!

Best Money Moves can help your employees address their financial stress and become prepared for retirement, regardless of their stage in life or previous money habits. Best Money Moves offers personalized financial wellness resources and education, focused on solving your employees’ pain points. The program uses artificial intelligence and a human-centered design to measure employee financial stress and then dial it down with personalized solutions. Our budgeting tools, personal finance guidance and more helps employees make more informed financial decisions and reduce their overall stress.

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.

4 Family-Friendly Benefits to Support Employees

4 Family-Friendly Benefits to Support Employees

by | Mar 9, 2022 | Blog

4 family-friendly benefits to support employees. Work-life balance is an important focus for workforces. Consider these 4 family-friendly benefits to support employee growth and financial wellness. 

Employers are investing in the work-life balance, with a keen focus on supporting families. About 60% of U.S. employers say family-friendly benefits have been critical to their talent strategy, according to a Willis Towers Watson survey.

Family-friendly financial benefits aim to support employees at all stages of their family-planning journey, from adoption and conception to planning for the family’s future. Here are 4 family-friendly benefit options for your team.

4 family-friendly benefits to help support families at any stage

 1. Accessible fertility benefits

About 60% of employees said that family-forming and fertility issues have impacted their work performance, according to the National Infertility Association, and 77% said they’d stay with their employer at their company longer if fertility benefits were offered. 

Fertility benefits enable all employees — regardless of gender, sexual orientation, relationship status or physical health — the opportunity to build a family. 

Common fertility benefits, per the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), include:

  • Fertility medications
  • In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments
  • Visits with health counselors (e.g., surrogacy advisors)
  • Genetic testing

Almost 25% of employers offer fertility medications and IVF treatments to employees. More expansive plans are emerging with egg freezing and non-IVF fertility treatments. 

Fertility benefits can foster an inclusive and equitable workplace and approach to family, particularly for LGBTQ+ employees and single prospective parents.

 2. Equally accessible benefits options for adoption

Fewer employers offer benefits for adoptive parents; however, this is changing. Almost 30% of employers offer paid adoption leave, which `gives adoptive parents time to bond with their children of any age, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Other employers have also introduced foster leave. 

Adoption reimbursement and other financial assistance are also gaining traction. The cost of adoption can be thousands, and ultimately present a financial barrier to family building and security. Employers can equitably support employees looking to adopt by helping remove any barriers to a successful adoption.

Moreover, studies have shown that adoption benefits improve employee loyalty and retention at companies, even for employees who do not intend on using the benefits themselves. This is because just by offering adoption benefits, the employer is viewed as sensitive and caring, to even the most personal employee needs.

 3. Parental leave, beyond the federal minimum

Under federal law, employees are only guaranteed 12 workweeks of unpaid family medical leave; however, this only applies if their employer is a public organization or company with 50+ employees. For many, this isn’t enough. Many families cannot afford unpaid leave, causing many women to choose between caregiving and work.

And women choose caregiving, in mass numbers. Between 2020 and 2021, over 2.3 million women have exited the workforce, dropping the women participation rate to historic lows since 1988, a SHRM report said.

To support the work-life balance of all employees, companies started offering their own parental leave policies beyond the federal minimum, according to SHRM, such as:

  • Paid maternity leave, including family/parental leave (53%) 
  • Paid paternity leave, including family/parental leave (44%)
  • Paid parental leave (39%)

Rather than only focusing on leave for birth-giving parents only, parental leave is to support birthing and non-birthing parents of all genders. In addition, paid leave, even if it’s a percentage, can help alleviate income loss and financial stress.

4. Family-friendly financial wellness resources to aide in family planning from start to finish

Pre- and post-pandemic economics have caused deep financial stress, and financial stress looks different from family-to-family. For some, it is planning for retirement, while for others, it’s budgeting for daycare, which can cost upward of $1000 a month. Nonetheless, employees are looking for financial wellness resources to support their family and financial goals, at all stages of life.

More than half of millennial parents say that kids are more expensive than they thought, according to a Bank of America report. Budgeting and calculating resources can help assess the true cost of family expansion, especially for first-time parents. 

More than 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, according to a recent LendingClub report. And almost half find it difficult to pay their monthly bills on time, according to PwC. So, for some families, their financial goal is to simply live within their means. Others may focus on saving for a newborn, college or retirement. Regardless of the financial issue, the best financial wellness resources personalize their solutions to each employees’ needs.  

Looking for a family-friendly financial wellness solution fit for all? Check out Best Money Moves.

Best Money Moves is a financial wellness solution designed to help dial down employees’ most top-of-mind financial stresses. As a comprehensive financial wellbeing solution, Best Money Moves offers 1:1 money coaching, budgeting tools and other resources to improve employee financial wellbeing. Our AI platform, with a human-centered design, is easy to use and fit for employees of any age. 

Whether it be college planning or securing a mortgage, Best Money Moves can guide employees through the most difficult financial times and topics. Our dedicated resources, partner offerings and 700+ article library makes Best Money Moves a leading benefit in bettering employee financial wellness. 

To learn more about Best Money Moves Financial Wellness Platform, let’s schedule a call. Contact us and we’ll reach out to you soon.