Small business owners experienced a drastic economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Government pandemic assistance failed to reach many small business owners, especially those historically underserved by financial institutions. Drawing on a 2021 survey of 246 small business owners, the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis descriptively examined the extent to […]
Tag: WFSI
Guest opinion: How to help your employees avoid the perils of payday loans (Links to an external site)
WashU’s research with employee financial wellness programs, specifically related to employee loans, was featured in a recent op-ed with St. Louis Business Journal.
Credit-building services for employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes
This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project. In this study, we examine administrative data for national nonprofit Working Credit’s employee benefit, which combines credit building education, one-on-one counseling, and access to financial products to help workers establish good credit. Working Credit offers credit-building services […]
Workplace credit-building counseling at a Midwest employer: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes
This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project. In this study, we focus on a workplace credit-building counseling program. This service is offered by a non-profit service provider that combines credit-building education, one-on-one counseling, and access to financial products to help low-income workers establish good […]
Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income home health care employees: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes
This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project. In this study, we analyze administrative data and interviews regarding Trusted Advisor, a workplace financial wellness benefit offering one-on-one counseling linked to vetted financial tools. The purpose of this study was to examine take-up, engagement, and financial […]
Employer-sponsored small-dollar loans: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes
This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project. In this study, we focus on an employer-sponsored small-dollar loan (ESSDL) product, TrueConnect loans, aimed at providing employees an affordable credit alternative to payday, auto title, and other high-cost loans. We present and discuss results of our […]
Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes
This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In this study, we focus on the results of analyses of administrative data for Trusted Advisor, a workplace financial wellness benefit offering one-on-one counseling linked to vetted financial tools. This service […]
When a job is not enough: Employee financial wellness and the role of philanthropy
Employee financial wellness programs provide workplace products and services such as financial coaching and small-dollar credit products that may help employees address the various challenges that are at the root of their financial stress. This report is intended to offer guidance to grant makers to understand the role philanthropy can play in promoting the development […]
Financial wellness programs in the workplace: Employer motivations and experiences
Employee financial wellness programs (EFWPs) are a benefit innovation that promise to address the financial challenges of employees while also benefiting employers. Results from a mixed-methods study of employers suggest early adopters appear to be motivated primarily by a desire to help employees. EFWP success may depend on promotion by organizational champions. Programs that accommodate […]
The Workplace Financial Wellness Program Blog Series with Prosperity Now (Links to an external site)
Efforts to build financial wellness at work, like offering financial services as workplace benefits, are intended to help employees feel better about their financial lives and may be linked to improved productivity and increased employee engagement. To learn about the benefits of financial wellness programs, what types to offer and how to evaluate them, explore this series prepared by Prosperity Now and the Workforce Financial Stability Initiative (WFSI) at Washington University in St. Louis. WFSI is funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
The Future of Workplace Wellness: Improving the Benefits of Benefits (Links to an external site)
When asked how employers could help improve their financial lives, connecting them to information and advice was just one idea offered by interviewees. Higher wages and benefits that subsidized or reduced typical expenses were much stronger recommendations, suggesting that employees might find it easier to see valuable solutions in those domains.