As businesses increasingly invest in mental and physical health programmes, many employees are left seeking more support for financial stability, a concern that continues to rank lower on employers’ lists.
New insights from WTW’s Wellbeing Diagnostic Survey reveal why aligning wellbeing strategies more closely with employee needs could be key to enhancing engagement, productivity, and overall satisfaction.
While mental and physical wellbeing remain priorities for U.S. employers—73% and 50% respectively—employees emphasise financial wellbeing as their most pressing concern (66%). Yet, financial wellbeing is a low priority for employers, with only 23% focusing on it, according to the survey.
Nearly half of U.S. employees (48%) face moderate or major issues in multiple aspects of wellbeing, which correlates with lower productivity, higher burnout rates, and reduced engagement. The survey reports that 56% of employees experience above-average stress levels, while 37% report symptoms of anxiety or depression.
“The mental health crisis has brought employee wellbeing to the forefront of employers’ minds in recent years. Companies have been leaning heavily into physical and mental wellbeing to make it a core part of their human capital strategy. We know that these investments have improved employees’ perceptions of the growing initiatives,” said Regina Ihrke, Health, Equity and Wellbeing leader, North America, WTW.
This gap is especially evident in financial wellbeing, where employers score lowest in terms of effectiveness (19%). Only 41% of employees feel financially secure, identifying financial stress as a major wellbeing concern.
On a more positive note, employers are aiming for further progress. Nearly half (46%) plan to better integrate wellbeing programmes into company culture within three years, up from 33% today. Furthermore, 91% are now prioritising the employee experience within their wellbeing strategies, and 37% intend to make wellbeing foundational to their human capital approach, compared to 11% previously.