Research Briefs

There are several types of Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs), such as workplace financial counseling, workplace credit building, and employer-sponsored small dollar loans. Each program benefits the company and its employees in different ways. The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, with generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, studied the implementation of EFWPs at several diverse organizations, including a nonprofit in the Midwest and several supply chain locations of a national retailer, to understand the impact. As a result, we’ve identified five ways in which providers can maximize the benefits of EFWPs and avoid pitfalls along the way.

There are several types of Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs), such as workplace financial counseling, workplace credit building, and employer-sponsored small dollar loans. Each program benefits the company and its employees in different ways. The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, with generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, studied the implementation of EFWPs at several diverse organizations, including a nonprofit in the Midwest and several supply chain locations of a national retailer, to understand the impact. As a result, we’ve identified four ways in which organizations can maximize the benefits of EFWPs and avoid pitfalls along the way.

This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]

This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]

Jenna Hampton, BSW; Stephen J Roll, PhD; Michal Grinstein-Weiss, PhD investigate: How Do the Lives of Participants in a Housing Mobility Program Change after They Move? A Case Study of the Mobility Connection Program. Social Policy Institute, Washington University in St. Louis

Zeng, Y. & Despard, M. (2019). Credit-building services for employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-07). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.

Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., Wolter, S., Hampton, J., & Zeng, Y. (2019). Workplace credit-building counseling at a Midwest employer: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-06). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.

Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., Wolter, S., & Hampton, J. (2019). Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income home health care employees: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-05). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.

Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., Wolter, S., Hampton, J., Despard, M., & Germain, G. (2019). Employer-sponsored small-dollar loans: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-04). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.

Despard, M., Zeng, Y., & Fox-Dichter, S. (2019). Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-03). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.

Sun, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., Bufe, S., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019, March). Assessing the Short-Term Stability of Financial Well-Being in Low- and Moderate-Income Households. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-01). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.

Bufe, S., Sun, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019, March). How do Changing Financial Circumstances Relate to Financial Well-Being? Evidence from a National Survey. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-02). St. Louis, MO: Washington Univer¬sity, Social Policy Institute.