Financial wellbeing and productivity A study into the financial wellbeing of UK employees and its impact on productivity October 2018
FinancialwellbeingandproductivityAstudyintothefinancialwellbeingofUKemployeesanditsimpactonproductivityOctober2018
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Disclaimer
Whilsteveryefforthasbeenmadetoensuretheaccuracyofthematerialinthisdocument,neitherCentreforEconomicsandBusinessResearchLtdnorthereport’sauthorswillbeliableforanylossordamagesincurredthroughtheuseofthereport.
AuthorshipandacknowledgementsThisreporthasbeenproducedbyCebr,anindependenteconomicsandbusinessresearchconsultancyestablishedin1992.Theviewsexpressedhereinarethoseoftheauthorsonlyandarebaseduponindependentresearchbythem.
ThereportdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsofAegon. London,October2018
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Contents
ExecutiveSummary 5
1 Introduction 6
2 Measuringfinancialwellbeing 7
2.1 TheFinancialWellbeingScale 9
3 Theeconomicimpactoflowfinancialwellbeing 15
3.1 Therelationshipbetweenfinancialwellbeingandproductivity 15
3.2 Thecostoflowfinancialwellbeing 16
3.3 Industryanalysis 20
3.4 Regionalanalysis 25
4 Employeroptionstoimprovefinancialwellbeing 28
4.1 Financialeducation 29
4.2 Otheremployerinitiativestosupportfinancialwellbeing 31
5 Conclusions 34
Appendix:Methodology 35
ConsumerFinancialProtectionBureauWellbeingScale 35
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ForewordbyRonnieTaylor
Therelationshipbetweenemployeeandemployerisevolving,withbusinessesincreasinglyacknowledgingthecorrelationbetweenemployeewellbeingandperformance.Thereality,however,isthatmuchofthisshiftinfocushastodatefocusedonthephysicalandmentalwellbeingofemployees,withmanyworkforcestakingactivestepstotackletheseissues.Increasingly,thereisanawarenessofathirdimportantfactorindeterminingindividualmoraleandproductivity,andthatisfinancialwellbeing.
Therealityisthat,formany,financialworriesdirectlyimpacttheirabilitytobeproductiveatwork.Moneyconcernscancausestressanddisruption,leadingtoindividualsbeingdistractedwhilstcarryingouttasksortakingdaysoffduetofinancialstress.
AtAegon,wearepassionateaboutsupportingemployerstoengagestaffintheirfinances,butcrucialtothisisunderstandingthepotentialbarrierstosavingandfinancialsecurity.WethereforeaskedCEBRtohelpustoexplorethestateofemployeefinancialwellbeingacrosstheUK.Forthefirsttime,wearenowabletospotlightandscorelevelsoffinancialwellbeingacrossdifferentindustriesandgeographiesandalsohighlighttheimpactthatpoorfinancialwellbeinghasonemployeeproductivity.
Thefindingsofthisreportareeye-opening,butwhathasprovedtobeparticularlysalientisthefindingthatemployeeswhohaveaccesstofinancialeducationthroughtheirworkplacehavegreaterfinancialwellbeingthanthosewhodon’t.Ultimately,muchofwhatstaffarelookingforisrelativelysimpleandinexpensivetoprovide,suchasabetterexplanationofbenefitsoraccesstosavingsaccountsbeyondapensionthroughtheiremployer.
Ibelievethatemployershavearesponsibilitytohelpstaffplanforafinanciallysecurefuture,andasthisreportdemonstrates,therearetangiblebusinessreasonstoinvestininitiativesthatengageemployeeswiththeirfinancialplanning.Wehopethisreportisausefulresourceforemployerslookingtounderstandemployeefinancialwellbeingandthatitbeginstoprovidehardinsightonasubjectwhichisincreasinglytalkedaboutbutpoorlyunderstood.
RonnieTaylorisChiefDistributionOfficeratAegonUK
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ExecutiveSummary
OneofthefewsilverliningsagainstanotherwisegloomyeconomicbackdropisthattheUKhasseenapersistenttighteningofthelabourmarket,withtheemploymentratenowatthehighestithasbeensincerecordsbeganinthe1970s.However,severalyearsofunderwhelmingwagegrowthtogetherwithrapidlyrisinglevelsofhouseholddebthaveleftmanyemployeesexperiencingsubstantialfinancialdifficulties.Thesedifficultiescanmeanthatindividualsstruggletomakeendsmeetortosaveenoughforretirement.Theextenttowhichemployeesareabletoabsorbafinancialshockandwhetherornottheyfeelrestrictedintheirlifechoicesbytheirfinancesalsoplaysasignificantroleindeterminingindividuals’financialwellbeing.
Thisstudyaimstoexplorethisissueingreaterdetailbyquantifyingfinancialwellbeingonanindividuallevelbasedonasurveyof2,000UKemployees.Usingtheseinsights,ourmethodologyallowsustoanalysetheeconomiccostsassociatedwithlowfinancialwellbeingthroughworkplaceabsencesandfallsinproductivitywheninwork.
TheYouGovsurveycommissionedforthisstudyfindsthatalowfinancialwellbeingisprevalentthroughouttheeconomy,acrossarangeofdifferentsectors,agesandincomegroups.30%ofemployeessurveyedagreewiththenotionthattheyarejustgettingbyfinancially,whilemorethanathirddonotthinkthattheyareinapositiontohandleamajorunexpectedexpensefinancially.Ingeneral,financialconcernsaremorewidespreadamongyoungerdemographics,reflectingtheloweraveragelevelsofincomeandsavings.Surveyparticipantswerealsoaskedaboutthefrequencywithwhichtheyfeelcertainfinancialpressures.Wefoundthat31%oftenfeelthattheirfinancescontroltheirlife,whileaquarter(23%)oftenfeelbehindwiththeirfinances.
Theresponsesoutlinedabovepointtoalargeshareofworkersforwhomfinancialdistressrepresentsasignificantandrecurringproblem.Whiletheseareamajorconcernforworkersonapersonallevel,thenegativeimpactsoflowfinancialwellbeingarebynomeanslimitedtotheindividualsinvolved.Wefoundthat2%ofworkersinoursurveyhavetakentimeoffworkinthepastyearatleastpartiallybecauseoftheirfinancialsituation,withanaverageofeightdaysabsent.Thisinitselfrepresentsasizeablelossforemployers,notonlyduetotheforegoneoutputoftheaffectedemployees:workersincreasinglyoperateinteams,meaningthatoneemployee’sabsencehasknock-oneffectsontheproductivityoftheircolleagues.Weestimatethatworkplaceabsencesbroughtaboutbyalackoffinancialwellbeingcostsbusinesses4.2millionworkerdayseachyear,equivalentto£626millioninlostoutput.
Thecostsoffinancialdistressamongworkersisnotlimitedtothedayslostduetoabsence.11%ofworkersinoursurveysaidthattheyhaveexperiencedafallinproductivityatsomepointoverthelastthreeyearsasaresultoftheirpersonalfinancialsituation.Thismostoftentooktheformofadeteriorationinthequalityofworkproduced,afallintheabilitytocomeupwithnewideas,andincreaseddifficultycompletingroutinetasks.Studieshaveshownthatpresenteeism–wherebyemployeesstillattendworkbutoperateatalevelbelowtheirpotential–isawidespreadphenomenonandcostsemployerssignificantlymorethanabsenteeism.Basedonthis,weestimatethatabsenteeismandpresenteeismcausedbyalackoffinancialwellbeingcostsbusinessesintheUK£1.56billioneachyear,withtheconstructionandhospitality&leisuresectorstheworstaffected.
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1 IntroductionFinancialwellbeingisrapidlybecomingamorewidelyknownconceptbothforemployeesandemployers.Itisincreasinglyacceptedthatemployerscanandshoulddomoretopromotesustainablefinancialplanningpracticesandincreasethefinancialsecurityoftheiremployees.Thismeansmorethanjusthigherpaychequesbutalsorequiresarangeofotherfinancialandnon-financialbenefitsandinitiatives.
Whatdowemeanwhentalkingaboutfinancialwellbeing?Thisconceptencompassesamoreholisticpictureofthefinancialneedsofemployeesbothnowandinthefuture.Itincludesthenotionthatindividualsseekacertaindegreeoffinancialsecurity,i.e.beingabletoabsorbanunforeseenfinancialshockaswellasbeingabletolivecomfortablyinretirement.Moreover,financialwellbeingalsomeanshavingfreedomofchoicetoacertaindegree,i.e.havingenoughmoneytomakeendsmeetandnotbeingconstrainedinone’slifechoicesthroughfinances.
Wecouldapproachthisconceptinapurelydescriptivewaybyaskingsurveyparticipantshowtheyfeelinregardstocertainaspectsoftheirfinancialsituation.Thedrawbackofsuchanapproach,however,isthatthesetypeofquestionscancoveronlycertainaspectsoffinancialwellbeing.Forthisreason,wetakeadifferentroutetoquantifyfinancialwellbeingbyusingasetofquestionsdevelopedbytheUSConsumerFinancialProtectionBureau.WiththehelpoftheirFinancialWellbeingScale,weareabletomeasurefinancialwellbeingamongUKemployeesandexaminedifferencesinpeople’sself-declaredfinancialsituationacrossvariousgroups.Thescalehasthebenefitofunifyingtheresultsofa10-questionsurvey,whichcoversthevariousaspectsoffinancialwellbeing,inacomprehensiveway.Thescoresarethennormalisedtoenableaneasyandintuitiveinterpretationoftheresults.
Thisreportis,tothebestofourknowledge,thefirstonetosystemicallyanalysefinancialwellbeingacrosstheUKemployeepopulationandcalculatetheimpactonworkplaceproductivity.UsingthefinancialwellbeingscalealongsidefurtherresultsfromouremployeesurveyweareabletoquantifythecosttoUKemployersoflowfinancialwellbeing.Thereportdoesthisviatwomainchannels:first,worriesabouttheirpersonalfinancialsituationmightdistractworkersfromtheirdailyjobs,leadingtodeclinesinworkplaceproductivity.WehaveanalysedthefrequencywithwhichthisaffectsUKemployeesaswellastheseverityofthisproblem.Secondly,financialworriescangenerateconsiderablelevelsofstressanddisruption,whichinsomecasescanleadtoabsencesfromwork.Drawingonemployeeincomedata,thereportquantifiesthecostfromabsenteeismandpresenteeism.
Finally,thereportlooksatoptionsofhowemployerscanimprovefinancialwellbeing.Manyworkplacesalreadyofferfinancialeducationinonewayoranother,informingtheiremployeesonhowtomakethebestuseofthefinancialbenefitsonofferorofferingsupportwithinvestment,savingordebtmanagement.Oursurveyshowsthatthereisdemandbyemployeesformoreofsuchservices.Otherinitiativesthatarevaluedhighlyarehigheremployerpensioncontributionsorofferingface-to-facecounsellingservices.Giventhesubstantialcostoflowfinancialwellbeing,employersshouldconsiderexpandingtheireffortsintheseareas.
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2 MeasuringfinancialwellbeingThefirstpartofoursurveyexploresthestateofUKworkers’financesbyexamininghowtheyfareinanumberofareaspertainingtofinancialwellbeing.Theresultssuggestthatthereisasubstantialsegmentofworkerswhoarecurrentlyfacingsomeformoffinancialdifficulty.30%ofemployeessurveyedlargelyagreewiththenotionthattheyarejustgettingbyfinancially,whilemorethanathird(36%)donotthinkthattheyareinapositiontohandleamajorunexpectedexpensefinancially.Meanwhile,morethantwoinfive(41%)areconcernedthatthemoneytheyhavenoworwillsavewillnotlast.Nearlytwiceasmanyrespondentsagreethandisagreethattheyaredoingeverythingtheycantosecuretheirfinancialfuture.Thissuggeststhatinmanycases,workersfeelthattheylackthemeanstofullyresolvethetypesoffinancialdifficultiesthattheyareexperiencing.
Figure1Surveyrespondents’opinionsonthestateoftheirpersonalfinances
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
Theissuesdiscussedthusfarappeartobemorepronouncedamongemployeesworkinginsmallercompanies.Forinstance,34%ofworkersinsmallcompanies(withfewerthan50employees)mostlyagreethattheyarejustgettingbyfinancially,comparedto28%inlargecompanies(withmorethan250employees).Thisislikelytoreflectnotonlythelowerearningsthatworkersinsmallercompaniestypicallyreceiveonaverage,butalsothefactthatlargeremployersappeartobedoingsignificantlymoretopromotethefinancialwellbeingoftheirstaff,asisdiscussedingreaterdetaillateroninthissection.
Thereisalsosignificantvariationinfinancialwellbeingbetweendifferentagegroups.Theabilitytohandleanunexpectedmajorfinancialexpenseincreaseswithage:40%ofunder35yearoldsinoursurveydonotfeelthattheycouldhandleanunexpectedmajorexpensecomparedto30%ofthoseaged55orabove.Moreover,43%agedunder35feelthattheywillneverhaveeverythingtheywantinlifeduetofinancialconstraints,comparedto32%ofthoseaged55orover.Thesefindingsarenotaltogethersurprisinggiventhehigherincomesandsavingsenjoyedbyoldercohorts.Interestinglyhowever,theshareofworkerswhofeelthattheyaredoingeverythingtheycantosecuretheirfinancialfutureisbyfarthehighestforyoungergenerations:46%feelofthoseunder35believethatthisappliestothem,
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comparedto37%inthe55oroveragegroup.Thisisasomewhatconcerningfinding,asitsuggeststhatworkersinthedemographicwiththelowestleveloffinancialwellbeinghaveinmanycasesrunoutofoptionsforwaysthattheycanimprovetheirsituation.
Employeesofallagegroupsseemawareofthisgenerationaldivideinfinancialwellbeing.Amongallsurveyrespondents,athird(33%)expressedconcernoverthefinancialwellbeingofthoseyoungerthanthem,comparedto26%whowereconcernedaboutthefinancialwellbeingofothersofasimilarageandjust13%whowereconcernedaboutthefinancesofthoseolderthanthem.Thissuggeststhatworkersingeneralacknowledgethechallengesfacedbyyoungergenerations,suchasrapidhousepricegrowthandhighlevelsofstudentdebt.
Respondentswerealsoaskedaboutthefrequencywithwhichfinancialstrainsoccurredintheirdaytodaylives.Thesequestionsseektoshedlightonhowalackoffinancialwellbeingcanmanifestitselfineverydaylife.Overafifth(21%)ofemployeesinoursurveysaidthatgivingagiftforaweddingorbirthdaywouldinmostcasesimposeastrainontheirfinances,while23%oftenfeelbehindwiththeirfinances.Lessthanhalf(43%)ofworkersusuallyhavemoneyleftoverattheendofthemonth,whilenearlyathird(31%)feelthattheirfinancesoftenoralwayscontroltheirlife.Theseresultsreinforcethefindingthatthereexistsasignificantshareofworkersforwhomfinancialdifficultiesarefrequentsourceofstressanddisruption.
Figure2Distributionofresponsesto:Howoften,ifatall,wouldyousaythefollowingstatementappliestoyou?
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
ThemonthsleadinguptoandfollowingChristmasappeartobewhenpeoplefeelthemostfinancialstrain.Twoinfive(39%)ofworkersinoursurveystatedthattheyfeelundermorefinancialpressurethanusualinNovemberandDecember,whileaquarter(24%)feeltheirfinancesarestretchedmorethanusualinJanuaryandFebruary.Asidefromtheseperiods,afurther12%ofworkersfeelundermorefinancialpressurethanusualbetweenJuneandAugust,whichislikelyrelatedtochildcareandtravelexpensesduringtheschoolsummerholidays.Focusinginonthespecificeventsthatgeneratethis
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financialstrain,amajorityofworkers(57%)experienceaheighteningoffinancialpressuresduringChristmas,whileaquarter(24%)feelthisduringthebirthdaysoffamilyandfriendsasshowninFigure3.
Figure3:Which,ifany,ofthefollowingeventswouldyousaymakeyoufeelundermorefinancialpressurethanusual?(Multipleanswerspossible)
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov
2.1 TheFinancialWellbeingScaleAsseenabove,financialwellbeingisacomplexconceptthatencompassesavarietyofevaluationsofpersonalfinancialresources,andtheextenttowhichtheyofferanindividualfinancialsecurityandfreedomofchoice.Thedifficultywiththisconceptisthatitissubjectiveandthereforehardtomeasure.Whilethedescriptivestatisticsabovegiveausefulintroductiontomanyoftheconcernsandworriesregardingindividuals’financialsituation,itremainsdifficulttocometoarobustconclusionthatcoversthevariousaspectsoffinancialwellbeing.Incomeandwealthareobviousdriversoffinancialwellbeingbuttheyarenotidenticaltoit.Howindividualsevaluatetheirfinancialsituationdependsonmanyotherfactorsincludingpersonalliabilities,levelofspendingandfinancialneedsanticipatedlaterinlife.
Inordertoprovideapractical,consumer-drivenmeasureoffinancialwellbeing,theUSConsumerFinancialProtectionBureau(CFPB)developedafinancialwellbeingscale.BasedonresearchamongUSconsumers,theCFPBcameupwithasetofpropertiesthatdefinefinancialwellbeing.Accordingtotheirdefinitionaperson’sfinancialwellbeingdependson:
- Controloverone’sfinances,includingbeingabletopaybillsontimeandmakingendsmeet- Capacitytoabsorbafinancialshock- Beingontracktomeetfinancialgoalsincludingpayingoffoutstandingdebtandsavingfor
retirement
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- Beingabletomakechoicesthatallowonetoenjoylife1
BasedonthisdefinitionandthesefourunderlyingconceptsresearchersattheCFPBdevisedasetofquestionsthatwereextensivelytestedforvalidityandreliability.Thequestionsaimatcapturingthevariousaspectsoffinancialwellbeinginordertoaggregatetheindividual’sresponsesintoasinglescore.TheappealoftheCFPBscaleisthatitisaprovenandtestedmethodtoquantifyfinancialwellbeingenablingustocomparescoresacrossindividuals.ThescalehasbeendevelopedusinginsightsfromexpertsandconsumersalikeandtheCFPBencouragesacademicandpolicyorientedresearcherstomakeuseofit.2
Forthisreport,wehavetakentheCFPBfinancialwellbeingquestionnaireandaskedover2,000UKemployeesquestionsabouttheirfinancialsituation.Responseswerethentranslatedintoascorerangingfrom0-4foreachquestionwithhigherscoresindicatingahigherdegreeoffinancialwellbeingandviceversa.Forexample,individualswhosaidthatthey‘always’havemoneyleftoverattheendofthemonthwerescoredwith4pointscomparedto0pointsforthosewhoanswered‘never’.Acompleteoverviewofthequestionsaskedandthescoringsheetscanbefoundintheappendix.Thepointsscoredforeachquestionarethensummedupforeachindividualtocreateatotalresponsevalue,rangingfrom0to40points.Thisvalueisthentransformedintoafinalscoreonascalefrom0to100.
Figure4showsthedistributionoffinancialwellbeingscoresamongthenationallyrepresentativeemployeesample.Thescoresachievedarangefromalowof27toahighof73.Justunder7%ofrespondentsscored50pointsonthescale,morethananyothersinglescore.Lookingatthegraph,wecanseethatthefinancialwellbeingscoresareapproximatelynormallydistributed.
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Thismeansthatmostofthepopulationscoreincloseproximitytothemeanofthedistribution,whichliesat50.38.Relativelyfewrespondents’scoreslieattheveryloworhighextremesofthescale.Individualswithascoreofbelow45areamongthebottomquartileofthedistribution,meaning75%ofrespondentsreportedhigherfinancialwellbeing.Attheotherendofthespectrum,employeeswithascoreofatleast56areamongthetopquartileintermsoffinancialwellbeing.
1Measuringfinancialwellbeing–AguidetousingtheCFPBFinancialWellbeingScale
2https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/financial-wellbeing-scale/
3Anormaldistributionisoneinwhichmostobservationsfallinthemiddleoftherangeofpossiblevalues,whilethefrequencyofobservations
oneithersideofthemiddletapersoffasthevaluesbecomemoreextreme.Thisyieldswhatiscommonlyreferredtoasa‘ball-shapedcurve’.
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Figure4:Histogram–financialwellbeingscoresbyshareofrespondents
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov
InterpretingtheScore
Itisimportanttounderstandwhatthescoresonthefinancialwellbeingscalemean.Thescoreismodelledasastandardizednumberbetween0and100withahighernumberequivalenttoahigherleveloffinancialwellbeing.However,thenumberdoesnothaveameaningofitsownandwecannotsaywhichnumberconstitutes‘good’or‘sufficient’financialwellbeing.Aswehaveseenabove,mostscoreswillfallinthemiddleofthescalewithveryhighorverylowscoresbeinglesscommon.Indeed,wehavenotrecordedanyscoresbelow27orabove73.Thispartlyreflectsthefactthatalloftheindividualsinoursurveyarecurrentlyinemployment,meaningthatextremelylowlevelsoffinancialwellbeingarelesslikely.
Thescoresrepresentawaytomeasurerelativeindividualfinancialwellbeing.Wecanthereforeusethescorestocomparefinancialwellbeingbetweendifferentgroups.Thisallowsustomakeinferencesabouttherelationshipbetweenfinancialwellbeingandworkplaceproductivity,aswewillshowinthefollowingchapter.Wecanalsousethescaletoanalysefinancialwellbeingalonganumberofdimensions,suchasage,industryandregion.
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Financialwellbeingbyregion,industryandage
AnaturalquestiontoaskishowfinancialwellbeingmightdifferbetweenregionsintheUK.Thedifferencesintheeconomicgeographyinthecountryarewelldocumentedandvisiblealongmanydimensions–fromaveragewagestohouseprices.Theeconomicnorth-southdivideispartlyreflectedintheregionalfinancialwellbeingscore,showninFigure5below.Londonshowsbyfarthehighestaveragescoreat52.1,likelytobedrivenbyhighsalariesinthecapital.Interestingly,theregionwiththesecondhighestscoresistheNorthEastat50.9.TheNorthEastisaregionmorecommonlyassociatedwithlowerwages,lowhousepricesandalessdynamiceconomy.Thefactthattheregionscoressohighlyonthescaleunderlinesthatfinancialwellbeingisacomplexconceptandcannotbeentirelyexplainedbysalariesalone.TheonlyotherregionstoscoreabovethenationalaveragearetheEastofEnglandandtheSouthWestwithscoresof50.6and50.7,respectively.ThelowestaveragescorewasmeasuredinWalesat48.6followedbytheEastMidlandsat49.1.
Figure5:Averagefinancialwellbeingscoresbyregion
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov
Itisalsointerestingtoanalysefinancialwellbeingscoresalongsideanumberofdifferentmetrics.InFigure6,forexample,weseetheaveragescoresincomparisontomedianearningsfiguresbyindustry.Formostindustries,averagefinancialwellbeingscoresareclosetothepopulation-wideaverageofslightlyabove50.However,anumberofexceptionscanbeclearlyspotted.Inthehospitalityandleisureindustry,workersreportthelowestfinancialwellbeingwithascoreofjust48.Theretailsectorfaresslightlybetterwithanaveragescoreof48.8thoughtheindustryremainsclearlybelowtheUKaverage.Tellingly,thesearealsothetwosectorsreportingthelowestmediansalariesfor2017at£22,800and£16,000respectively.Therelationshipbetweenpayandfinancialwellbeingseemstoholdatleastforthebottomthirdofindustries.Therelativelyhighsalariesinthelegal,media,advertising&PRandconstructionindustriesarenotmirroredbyhighlevelsoffinancialwellbeing.Twooftheindustrieswith
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thehighestscores,Finance&AccountingandIT&telecoms,doalsohavethehighestmedianwagesoftheindustriesanalysed.Financialwellbeingisalsohighinmanufacturingdespitemoremodestpay.Thiscouldpotentiallybeexplainedbyalargershareofworkersbeingcoveredbycollectivebargainingdealsthatincludenon-salarybenefitssuchasmorecomprehensivehealthinsuranceorbetterpensionplans.
Figure6:Averagefinancialwellbeingscoresandmedianwagesbyindustry
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov,AnnualSurveyofHoursandEarningsRealestateandeducationsectorsexcludedduetolowsamplesize
Finally,wealsoexaminethedifferenceinfinancialwellbeingbyage.Asoutlinedatthebeginningofthechapter,oursurveyresultssuggestthatyoungerpeoplestrugglemorewiththeirfinancialsituationinanumberofwayswhencomparedwitholdercohorts.Usingthescoresofthefinancialwellbeingscale,weareabletocomparethedifferentagegroupsandthedifferencesinmeasured‘total’financialwellbeing.TheaveragescoresinFigure7confirmourpreliminaryfindingsshowingalargegapbetweenthoseaged55andolder,whoscoredanaverageof52,andthoseundertheageof35whoseaveragescoreisjust49.4.Themiddleagecohortsshowaveragefinancialwellbeingscoresof50and50.2,placingthemjustbelowthepopulationaverage.Thisfindingconfirmsthatoldercohortsseemtobemorecomfortableintheirfinancialsituation,beitbecauseofhigherincomeorahighervalueoftheirfinancialandnon-financialassets.Giventheconsiderablehousepriceappreciationoverthepast20yearsintheUKandthefactthatoldercohortsaremorelikelytobehomeowners,propertywealthisalsoalikelyexplanationforhigherfinancialsecurityofthe55+generation.4Under35sontheotherhandfrequentlyfindthemselves
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pricedoutofthehousingmarketandunderpressuretoaccumulatesufficientsavingsforadeposit.Householdsinthemiddleagecohortsoftenhavetostrugglewithhighexpensesastheyhavetopayforhousing,childcareortuitionwhilealsorampinguptheirsavingsforretirement.
Figure7:Financialwellbeingbyage
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov
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3 Theeconomicimpactoflowfinancialwellbeing
HavingexaminedtheextenttowhichfinancialwellbeingvariesamongemployeesintheUKinthepreviouschapter,wewillnowturntheanalysistowardstheeffectoffinancialdistressonproductivityintheworkplace.Worryingaboutfinancialmatterscanbealargeburdenonemployees’minds,withattentiondivertedawayfromtheirjobsandtowardsmoneyissues.Thisdistractioncancomeinvariousformsandrangesfromaquickbrowsethroughfinancialnewsontheinternettomoreseriousinstanceswhereworkersloseseveralhoursofconcentrationbecausetheyarepreoccupiedwithfinancialmatters.Inmoreseriousinstances,financialworries–similartoothertypesofstress–canleadtoheadaches,sicknessandothertypesofphysicalproblems,leadingtoworkplaceabsences.
3.1 TherelationshipbetweenfinancialwellbeingandproductivityThischaptersetsouttoexaminetheeffectoffinancialdistressonemployeesusingtheemployeesurveyandthefinancialwellbeingscale.Wefirstaskedemployeesiftheyhaveevermissedoneormoredaysofworkduetofinancialproblems.Secondly,wealsoenquiredaboutinstanceswherepeoplefelttheirproductivitydropandaskedthemtoestimatehowmuchtimetheylostbecausetheywerepreoccupiedwithmoney-relatedissues.Finally,wewillanalysewhetherfinancialwellbeing,asmeasuredinchapter2isausefulpredictorforreducedproductivityormisseddaysatwork.
Onewaytoanalysewhetherfinancialwellbeingvariesacrossthosewhohavemissedworkbecauseoffinancialdistressandthosewhohaven’tisbyanalysingtheaveragefinancialwellbeingscoreforbothgroups.AswecanseeinFigure8,thescoresaremarkedlydifferentforthegeneralpopulationandthegroupsofemployeeswhohaveeithermisseddaysatworkorhavenoticedadropintheirproductivityduetotheirpersonalfinancialsituation.
Whiletheaverageemployeefinancialwellbeingscorestandsat50.4,thosewhohavenoticedadropinproductivityscoredonly42.9.Similarly,thosewhomisseddaysatworkhadanaveragescoreof42.7.Notably,employeeswhohavemissedworkorexperienceddropsinproductivityduetofinancialworries,scoreonaverageinthebottomquartileofourmeasureoffinancialwellbeing.Thisresultstronglysuggeststhatlowfinancialwellbeing,asmeasuredbythescaleoutlinedinSection2above,iscloselyrelatedtomissingdaysatworkandlowerproductivity.
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Figure8:Averagefinancialwellbeingscore5
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov,*Figuresaretobeinterpretedwithcareduetosmallsamplesize
3.2 Thecostoflowfinancialwellbeing
TheprevioussectionsofthisreporthavehighlightedhowconcernsoverpersonalfinancesarecommonplaceintheUKworkforceandareaffectingemployees’productivityatwork.Thissectionseekstoquantifyhowmuchalackofemployeefinancialwellbeingiscostingemployerseachyearintheformofproductivitylosses.
Thereareanumberofmechanismsthroughwhichworkers’financialworriescantranslateintoaworseningoftheirfirm’sperformance.Oneofthemainwaysisthroughthelossofworkerdays,asemployeesarenotabletocometoworkduetosomeformoffinancialdistress.2%ofworkersinoursurveysaidthattheyhadtakentimeofffromworkatleastpartlybecauseofproblemswiththeirfinancialsituation.Amongtheseworkers,anaverageof8.1dayswerelostoverthelastyearasaresultoftheirfinancialsituation.AccordingtotheOfficeforNationalStatistics’mostrecentestimate,therewerejustover22millionprivatesectoremployeesasofMarch2018.Basedonthisandtheresultsofoursurvey,thissuggeststhatover500,000privatesectorworkershavehadtotaketimeoffinthelastyearduetheirfinancialwellbeing,leadingtoalossofover4.2milliondaysofwork.
5Differenceinmeanstatisticallysignificantatthe99thpercentile.
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Themajorityofworkersinoursurveywhohavetakentimeoffinthelastyearasaresultoffinancialconcernsareonthelowerendoftheincomespectrum.Indeed,nearlythreequarters(73%)reportedanannualpre-taxincomebelow£25,000,whiletheaverageannualsalaryamongthosewhohavetakentime-offworkduetofinancialconcernsis£24,379.ThiscomparestoaUKaverageannualsalaryof£29,009.Basedontheexistingsplitoffull-timeandpart-timeemployeesintheUKlabourforce,wehaveassumedtheaverageemployeeworks209daysperyear.Thismeansthatthe£24,379averageannualsalaryamongworkerswhohavetakentime-offduetotheirpersonalfinancesequatesto£117perdayworked.
Assumingthatinacompetitivelabourmarket,workersarepaidanamountequaltothevaluetheyproduce,thecosttoemployersofemployeeabsencescanbeestimatedusingdataonaveragewages.However,anotherdynamicthatcomesintoplayisthefactthatworkersincreasinglyoperateinteams,meaningthatoneemployee’sabsencewillalsohavespillovereffectsontheproductivityofotheremployees.Priorresearchsuggeststhatthecosttothisphenomenonisaround28%oftheabsentemployee’swage.6Basedonthisfinding,weestimatetheaveragecosttoemployersforeachdaylostduetofinancialdistresstobe£150.Combiningthisfigurewiththe4.2millionlostdaysofworkyieldsacosttoemployersof£626millioneachyearasaresultofemployeestakingtime-offduetotheirfinancialsituation.
Estimatingthecostofpresenteeismduetolowfinancialwellbeing
Whileemployeeabsencesareclearlyamajorconcernforemployers,anotherevenmorewidespreadissueispresenteeismi.e.asituationwhereemployeesattendworkbutoperatewithalowerproductivityduetoavarietyofpersonaland/orhealthrelatedissues.OursurveyfindssignificantevidenceforpresenteeismthatcomesasaresultofalackoffinancialwellbeingforasubstantialshareofworkersintheUK.Morethanoneinten(11%)ofsurveyrespondentshaveexperiencedatimeinthepastthreeyearswherethathasbeenadeclineintheirpersonalproductivityatworkduetoproblemsrelatedtotheirfinancialsituation.Thisfigurerisesto16%forunder35yearolds,comparedtojust6%forthoseaged55orover.Theresultsofoursurveysuggestthatthroughouttheprivatesector,2.4millionemployeeshaveexperiencedafallinproductivityoverthelastthreeyearsasaresultoffinancialconcerns.
Outoftheworkerswhohaveexperiencedafallinproductivityasaresultofdifficultieswiththeirfinancialsituation,36%saidthattheseconcernscostthemuptoanhourofworkperday.Meanwhile,30%feltthiscostthembetweenoneandtwohoursandnearlyoneinten(9%)lostoutonthreetofourhours.
Presenteeismbroughtaboutbyfinancialworriesappearstoprimarilyaffectlowertomiddleincomeworkers,with69%ofthosereportingadeclineinproductivityoverthelastthreeyearshavinganannualincomebelow£30,000.Thatbeingsaid,thereremainsasignificantshareofworkerswithhigherthanaverageincomeswhohavestillexperiencedafallinproductivityduetoconcernsovertheirfinancialsituation.Thishighlightsthatalthoughfinancialdistressismostlikelytobefallthosewithlowerincomes,wealthierindividualsarealsoatriskduetothevariationinfinancialcommitmentsandexpendituresbetweendifferentincomegroups.
6Nicholsonetal.(2006):Measuringtheeffectsofworklossonproductivitywithteamproduction
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Oursurveyalsoshedslightontotheextenttowhichworkers’productivityisreducedduringtimesoffinancialdistress.Fallsinproductivitycanmanifestthemselvesinanumberofways.Themostfrequentlylistedformsofproductivitylossidentifiedbythoseinoursurveywereadeteriorationinthequalityofoutput(48%),areducedabilitytocomeupwithnewideas(47%)anddifficultycompletingotherwiseroutinetasks(47%).Todigfurtherintothelatterpoint,amongthe11%ofworkerswhohaveseenafallinproductivityatsomepointoverthelastthreeyears,oneinfivesaidittookthematleasttwiceaslongtocompletearoutinetask.
While11%ofworkersinoursurveysaidthattheyhadexperiencedafallinproductivityasaresultoffinancialconcernsinthelastthreeyears,nearlyaquarter(24%)statedthattheyareoftendistractedbymoneyworriesatwork,whileafurther31%aresometimespreoccupiedbythesethoughts.Toputthisintocontext,only18%and17%statedthattheyhadbeendistractedatworkbyfamilyproblemsandhealthissues,respectively,asshowninFigure9.Thedistractionsbroughtaboutbyalackoffinancialwellbeingwillinevitablyfeedintoindividuals’performanceatwork,deliveringfurtherlossesforemployers.
Figure9:Shareofemployeesdistractedatwork
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov
Thereareanumberofchallengesthatarisewhenattemptingtoquantifythecosttoemployersofworkerpresenteeism.Inmanyprofessions,productivityisnotsomethingthatcanbeeasilyobservedataworkerlevel.Furthermore,evenifproductivitycanbemeasured,itisdifficulttoattributeanyfallinproductivitytooneparticularcause,duetothewidearrayoffactorswhichfeedintoproductivity.Numerousstudieshaveattemptedtoestablishthecostofpresenteeismassociatedwitharangeofhealthconditionsinanumberofdifferentindustries.Inmostcases,itisfoundthatthecosttoemployersofpresenteeismissignificantlyhigherthanthecostofabsenteeism.
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estimatesthatintheUK,thecostofpresenteeismassociatedwithmentalhealthissuesis1.5timesthecostofabsenteeismassociatedwithmentalhealthissues.8Basedontheresultsofoursurveynearlyfivetimesasmanyworkershaveexperiencedafallinproductivityatworkinthelastthreeyearsthanhavemissedadayatworkoverthelastyearasaresultoftheirfinancialsituation.Thisisnottomentionthe55%ofworkerswhoareatleastsometimesdistractedbyworriesovertheirfinances.Theseresultspointtoahighprevalenceofpresenteeismrelativetoabsenteeism.AdoptingtheCentreforMentalHealth’sassumptionthatpresenteeismis1.5timesascostlytoemployersasabsenteeismleadstoanestimatedcosttoUKemployersofover£0.9billionperyear.Thismeansthattogether,weestimatethatabsenteeismandpresenteeismcausedbyalackoffinancialwellbeingcostsbusinesses£1.56billioneachyear.
Productivityimplicationsforemployeesinmanagingroles
Theabovefindingsshowthattheproductivityimplicationsoflowfinancialwellbeingaresevereforindividuals.However,whenemployeeshavelinemanagementresponsibilitiesandshouldoversee,leadandorganiseotherworkers,thecostsfromlowproductivityanddistractionsarepotentiallymultiplied.ThecostofbadmanagementiswelldocumentedwiththeBankofEnglandevengoingsofarastopartlyblameitfortheUK’scumbersomeproductivityperformanceoverthepastdecade.9
Breakingdownthesurveyresultsbyemployeeswithandwithoutlinemanagementresponsibilitiesshowsaworryingpicture.Figure10showsthat3.8%ofemployeeswithmanagementresponsibilitieshavetakentimeoffworkduetofinancialworries,morethandoubletheshareforemployeeswhodon’toverseeotherworkersorcolleagues.Similarly,thosewithmanagementresponsibilitiesarealsomorelikelytohaveexperiencedadeclineinpersonalproductivitycomparedtotheirnon-managingcolleagues.
However,lookingatthefinancialwellbeingscoresforemployeeswithandwithoutlinemanagementresponsibility,ouranalysisfindsonlyamarginal,notstatisticallysignificantdifferenceinthemeanscore.Thissuggeststhatlowfinancialwellbeingisnottheonlydriverbehindtheincreaseinabsenteeismformanagingemployees.Thisresultisnotunexpected,giventhatmanagingemployeesonaverageenjoyhighersalariescomparedtotheirnon-managingcolleagues.Additionalresponsibilitiesandtasksthatcomewiththemanagingrolescouldincreasetheoverallstresslevelsamongthesegroupofemployeesandmightbeoneexplanationfortheincreasedrateofdaystakenoffworkanddeclinesinproductivity.
8TheSainsburyCentreforMentalHealthPolicyPaper8:MentalHealthatWork:Developingthebusinesscase
9https://www.managers.org.uk/insights/news/2017/march/boes-haldane-poor-management-to-blame-for-poor-productivity
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Figure10:Shareofemployeeswithandwithoutlinemanagementresponsibilitieswhohavetakentimeoffworkornoticedadropinproductivityduetofinancialworries
Source:Cebranalysis,YouGov
3.3 IndustryanalysisTheshareofworkerswhoreportedtakingtimeoffworkoverthelastyearasaresultoftheirfinancialsituationvariessomewhatbetweenindustries,asshowninFigure11below.Inthehospitality&leisureandconstructionsectors,theshareofworkerswhohavetakentimeoffinthelast12monthsduetofinancialdifficultiesis6%and4%respectively,comparedto1%ofworkersintheIT&telecommunicationssector.Ratesofpresenteeismaresimilarlyvaried:16%ofemployeesintheconstructionsectorsaidtheyhadexperiencedadeclineinproductivityatworkduetotheirfinancialsituation,comparedtojust7%intheretailsector.
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Figure11Ratesofabsenteeismandpresenteeismacrosssectors
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
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ComparingtheresultsshowninFigure11abovewiththeindustrybreakdownofourmeasuredfinancialwellbeingscoresrevealssomeinterestinginsights.AsshowninFigure12below,thereisastrongnegativecorrelationbetweenindustrymeasuresoffinancialwellbeingandtheshareofemployeeswhohavetakentimeoffworkduetofinancialworries.Thismeansthatanincreaseintheindustrymeasureoffinancialwellbeingisusuallyassociatedwithadeclineintheshareofemployeeswhohavetakentimeoffworkduetofinancialdifficulties.TheR-squaredvalueshowninthegraphsuggeststhat55.6%ofthevarianceintheshareofemployeeswhohavetakentimeoffworkcanbeexplainedbytheindustry-widefinancialwellbeingscore.
10
InManufacturing,IT&TelecomsandFinance&Accountingweseethathighfinancialwellbeingscoresareassociatedwithlowratesofabsenteeismrelatedtofinancialworriesintheseindustries.Forindustriesinthemiddlegroup,consistingofMedia,Construction,Medical&HealthServices,Legal,andTransportation&Distribution,weseethatfinancialwellbeingscoresneartheaveragescoreinthesurveyof50.4arepairedwitharangeofratesofabsenteeism.Forexample,whilethelegalprofessionandtheMedia,Marketing,AdvertisingandPR&Salesindustryhavenearlyidenticalfinancialwellbeingscores,thelatterexhibitsabsenteeismratesmorethantwiceashighasintheLegalindustry.HospitalityandLeisureistheindustrywithbyfarthehighestrateofworkerswhoatsomepointhavenotcomeintoworktoduetofinancialworriespairedwiththelowestaveragefinancialwellbeingscore.Retailworkersalsofarepoorlyintermsoffinancialwellbeing,thoughtheirratesofabsenteeismareonlyslightlyabovetheaverage.
Figure12:Absenteeismratesandaveragefinancialwellbeingscoresbyindustry
10Inthisinstance,R-squaredmeasuresthestrengthoftherelationshipbetweenindustrymeasuresoffinancialwellbeingandtheshareof
employeeswhohavetakentimeoffworkduetofinancialworries.Foranymodel,R-squaredassumesavalueofbetween0%and100%.AnR-
squaredvalueof100%wouldsuggestthatshareofemployeeswhohavetakentimeoffworkduetofinancialworriesinacertainindustrycanbe
completelyexplainedbythatindustry’smeasureoffinancialwellbeing.ThiswouldbereflectedbyaperfectstraightlinefitinFigures12and13.
Meanwhile,anR-squaredvaluecloseto0%wouldsuggestnomeaningfulrelationshipbetweenthetwovariables.
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Performingthesameanalysisfortheshareofemployeeswhohavereportedadeclineinproductivityduetotheirpersonalfinancialsituationyieldsalessclearpicture.ThedownwardslopingtrendlineinFigure13indicatesthatanegativecorrelationwiththefinancialwellbeingscorestillexists,butastheR-squaredvalueof3.3%shows,thisrelationshipismuchweaker.ThiscanlargelybeexplainedbytheinfluenceoftheRetailindustry,whereaverylowshareofemployeeshavereportedadropinworkplaceproductivity.Thiscouldpotentiallybeduetothenatureoftheworkintheindustry.
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Giventhatmanyjobsintheretailsectorarelow-productivityactivities,distractionsduetofinancialworriesorbecauseofanyotherreasonmightnothaveasmuchofanimpactonindividualworkplaceperformanceandmightthereforebeunderreported.ExcludingtheretailindustryfromtheanalysisbelowincreasesthestrengthofthenegativecorrelationbetweenpresenteeismandfinancialwellbeingscoressignificantlyleadingtoanR-squaredvalueof44.2%.Theseresultssuggeststhatfinancialwellbeingisausefulpredictorbothforratesofabsenteeismand(withtheexceptionoftheretailindustry)alsoforpresenteeismintheworkplace.
Figure13:Presenteeismratesandaveragefinancialwellbeingscoresbyindustry
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
Differencesbetweenindustriesintheratesofabsenteeismandpresenteeism,averageworkerproductivity,andtheoveralllevelofemploymentmeanthatthecostofalackoffinancialwellbeingvariessignificantlyacrosssectors,asshowninFigure14below.Highratesofabsenteeismlinkedtofinancialdistressamongemployeesinthehospitality&leisuresectormeanthatemployersinthis
11AccordingtothelatestONSLabourProductivityFigures,theRetailsectorranked54thoutof67sub-industrydivisionsintermsofoutputper
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industryarelosingover£200millioneachyearduetotheirworkers’financialdifficulties.Thisissuealsocostsemployersintheconstructionsectornearly£170millioneachyear.Meanwhile,highlevelsofemploymentinthemedical&healthservicessectormeanthatemployersarelosingover£100millioneachyearduetoabsenteeismandpresenteeismlinkedtoworkers’lowfinancialwellbeing.
Figure14Sectoralbreakdownofannualcosttobusinessesofalackoffinancialwellbeingamongemployees
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
3.4 RegionalanalysisTheresultsofoursurveysuggestthatthereisconsiderableregionalvariationintheprevalenceofworkplaceabsenteeismandpresenteeismasaresultoffinancialconcerns.InWales,nearlyoneinfive(18%)ofworkersreportedexperiencingsomefallinproductivityoverthelastthreeyearsduetotheirfinancialsituation.Thiscomparestojust5%ofworkersintheEastofEngland.TheEastMidlandshasthehighestratesofemployeeabsenteeismlinkedtofinancialdifficulties–12%ofworkersinthisregionreportedtakingtimeofffromworkoverthepastyearasaresultoffinancialdifficulties.
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Figure15Ratesofabsenteeismandpresenteeismacrossregions
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
Thedifferencesintheratesofabsenteeismandpresenteeismacrossregionsmeanthattheassociatedcoststoemployersalsovaryconsiderablyindifferentareas.TheworstaffectedregionsareScotlandandtheEastMidlands,wherebusinessesarelosinganestimated£289millionand£250millionrespectivelyeachyearasaresultoftheabsenteeismandpresenteeismthatarisesfromalackoffinancialwellbeingamongemployees.Only1%ofLondonbasedworkersinoursurveyhavetakentimeofffromworkoverthelastyearasaresultoftheirfinancialsituation.However,thehighnumberofworkersinthecapitaltogetherwithaboveaveragesalariesmeanthattheestimatedcostofalackoffinancialwellbeingtoLondon’sbusinessesis£173millioneachyear.
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Figure16Regionalbreakdownofannualcosttobusinessesofalackoffinancialwellbeingamongemployees
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
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4 EmployeroptionstoimprovefinancialwellbeingTheresultspresentedinSection4highlightthesizeableimpactthatemployees’financialwellbeingcanhaveontheirperformanceatwork,andcorrespondinglyontheirfirms’bottomline.Thisfinding,togetherwiththesubstantialshareofsurveyrespondentswhoexpressedconcernsabouttheirfinances,willnodoubtbetroublingforemployers–bothfromanemployeewelfareandfirmperformanceperspective.Employeesinoursurveyidentifiedlowpaytogetherwithhighhouseprices,rentalpricesandcostsoflivingasthelargestobstaclestofinancialsecurityandoverallbetterfinancialwellbeing.Thisisconsistentwiththefactthathouseholdincomeswerebeingsqueezedthroughout2017aspricegrowthexceededearningsgrowth.Whilewagegrowthpickedupslightlyatthestartthisyear,ithassincefallenback,andremainslowbyhistoricalstandards.Thatbeingsaid,workersinoursurveyalsohighlightedavarietyofavenuesthroughwhichfirmscanhelptoimprovetheiremployees’financialwellbeing.Theseincludecontributingmoretoemployeepensions,improvingunderstandingaboutmanagingmoneyandtheprovisionoffinancialeducation.
Figure17Largestobstaclestopeoplesecuringtheirfinancialfutures*
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
*questionasksrespondentstolistbarrierstofinancialwellbeingforUKsocietyasawhole.
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4.1 FinancialeducationOneoftheprimarywaysthatbusinessescanhelptheiremployeestomanagetheirfinancesisthroughtheprovisionoffinancialeducation.While35%ofsurveyrespondentsfeelthattheywouldbenefitfromit,justoneinsevenofthesearecurrentlyreceivinganyformoffinancialeducationfromtheiremployer.Giventhemajorimpactsoffinancialdifficultiesonemployeewelfare,productivityandfirmperformance,theprovisionoffinancialeducationrepresentsarelativelycost-effectivewayforemployerstolimitsomeofthesenegativeoutcomes.
Employeeinterestinfinancialeducationisrelativelyconsistentthroughouttheeconomy,withasimilarshareofworkersexpressinganinterestacrossthedifferentindustriescoveredbyoursurvey.However,thereisnotablesectoralvariationintheleveloffinancialeducationcurrentlybeingprovidedbyworkplaces.Forinstance,athirdofworkers(33%)inthefinance&accountingsectorarebeingofferedthisservicebytheiremployer,comparedtojust8%inretailandconstructionsectors.Furthermore,theindustriesthatarecurrentlycomingupshortwhenitcomestofinancialeducationarealsothosewiththelowestfinancialwellbeingscores.Figure18showstherelationshipbetweenemployersofferingfinancialeducationandfinancialwellbeingscoresbyindustry.TheR-squaredvalueof32%indicatesapositivecorrelationbetweenthetwovariables.
Figure18:Shareofemployersofferingfinancialeducationandaveragefinancialwellbeingscoresbyindustry
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
Asimilarpictureemergeswhenlookingatthebreakdownoffinancialeducationprovisionanddemandbyagegroup.Morethanathird(35%)ofunder35yearoldsinoursurveyarenotcurrentlyofferedfinancialeducationbytheiremployer,butwouldlikethisservicetobeoffered.Thisfallsto24%amongthe55andoveragegroup.
Amongthosecurrentlybeingofferedfinancialeducation,themostfrequentlycoveredtopicsaretherangeandscopeofemployerbenefitsandretirementplanning,whicharelistedby61%and58%ofrelevantrespondentsrespectively.Othercommonthemesaremoneymanagementandsaving,debt
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managementandsupportaroundmortgagesandproperty,whicharelistedby39%,24%and22%ofrelevantrespondentsrespectively.
Figure19Mostcommontopicscoveredbyemployerprovidedfinancialeducation
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
Overoneinfivesurveyrespondents(21%)saidthattheiremployerdoesnotprovideinformationonhowtomakethemostofthebenefitsonoffer,butthattheywouldliketheiremployertodoso.Thisisthereforeanareawhereemployershavesignificantscopetoimproveatrelativelylittleexpensebymerelycommunicatingthevariousbenefitsthatarealreadyonoffer.
While8%ofemployeesinoursurveyareprovidedwithgeneralinformationhighlightingstepstoimprovetheirfinancialwellbeing,afurther7%areofferedface-to-facecounsellingandadvicebyspecialisedstafforexternalconsultantstoaddressspecificquestionsandconcerns.
Lookingattheeffectofemployersofferingsupportwithfinancialplanning,weseethatthesub-groupofrespondentswhodidreceivefinancialplanningshowhigheraveragefinancialwellbeingscorescomparedtothosethatarenotofferedanyoftheseinitiatives.AsseeninFigure20,employeeswhoarenotbeingofferedanykindoffinancialeducationbytheiremployersscoreonaverage50.1pointsonthefinancialwellbeingscale.Thisisaround1.9pointsbelowthegroupofemployeeswhoarebeingofferedanytypeoffinancialeducation.12
12Differencesignificantatthe99thpercentile.
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Figure20:Averagefinancialwellbeingscores,employeeswithandwithoutfinancialeducationoffered
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
4.2 OtheremployerinitiativestosupportfinancialwellbeingAnimportantwayforfirmstopromotesavingamongworkersandtheiroverallfinancialsecurityisbymakingpensioncontributionsinexcessofthe2%legalminimum.Accordingtooursurvey,thisiscomfortablythemostwidelyadoptedinitiativebyemployerstoboostemployees’financialwellbeing,withtheemployersofmorethanathird(35%)ofemployeesofferingtoexceedthelegalminimumpensioncontribution.Accordingtooursurveyparticipants,thisisalsothemosteffectivewayforemployerstoboosttheirfinancialwellbeing,withmorethanfourinfivestating(82%)thatthiswouldbeveryuseful(51%)orfairlyuseful(31%).Theimportanceofpensionsasameansofsafeguardingfinancialwellbeingisdemonstratedbythelowopt-outratesfromauto-enrolledpensionplans.ArecentYouGovstudycarriedoutonbehalfofAegonandtheConfederationofBritishIndustryfoundthatonly16%ofbusinesseshadanemployeeoptoutrateinexcessof10%.13Whilemanyemployershavenowtakenthesteptooffertomatchpensioncontributionsabovethelegallyrequiredlevel,thereisevidencethatsomeemployeesarenotabletotakefulladvantageofthis.AseparateAegonstudythisyearidentifiedthataround55%ofworkersfindpensionsterminologyconfusingandabarriertoretirementplanning.14Thishighlightshowtheprovisionoffinancialsupporttoemployeesneedstobecomplementedbytheprovisionofinformationonhowbesttoutilisetheseopportunitiestoimprovefinancialwellbeing.
13Aegon,2017:Pensionemployeeengagementstudy
14Aegon,2018:Understandingemployeeperspectivesandengagement
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Figure21Measuresemployersarecurrentlytakingtosecuretheiremployees'financialwellbeing
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
Generouspensioncontributionsarebynomeanstheonlywayinwhichemployerscanimprovetheirworkers’financialwellbeing.Ashousepricetoearningsratioshavepersistentlyincreasedinrecentdecades,propertypurchaseshaveemergedasamajorsourceoffinancialdistress,afindingreinforcedbytheresultsofthissurvey.Just2%ofemployeesinoursurveyreceivesupportfromtheiremployerinpurchasingahouse.Somewhatunsurprisingly,morethantwothirds(68%)ofemployeesinoursurveyfeelthatemployersupporttobuyahousewouldimprovetheirfinancialwellbeing.
Whiledirectlycontributingtoemployees’housepurchasesislikelytobeaprohibitivelyexpensiveoptionformanyemployers,firmscanalsoassistworkersinthisareabysupportingsavingandinvestment.Forinstance,corporateISAsrepresentaconvenientandtax-efficientwayforemployeestosaveformajorpurchasesandimprovetheiroverallfinancialsecuritybyprovidingabufferforunexpectedshocks.Theresultsofoursurveysuggestthatfirmsarecurrentlyfallingshortinthisarea,withonly5%ofemployeesbeingofferedsupportinsavingandinvestment,comparedto67%whofeelthatthiswouldbebeneficialtotheirfinancialwellbeing.
Previousresearchinthisareasuggeststhatbothemployersandemployeesseetheprovisionandsupervisionofpensionsasanemployerresponsibility.Indeed,onestudyfoundthatover30%ofworkersbelievethattheiremployershouldtakeresponsibilityoftheirpension,comparedtolessthanaquarterwhofeltthattheythemselvesshouldbeprimarilyresponsibleandlessthan10%whoviewedthisasthegovernment’sduty.15Meanwhile,anotherstudyfoundthatmanyemployersviewworkplacesavingsandinvestmentplansasa‘nicetohave’optionratherthanacorepartoftheemploymentpackage,whileothersarereluctanttostrayintotherealmofofferingfinancialadvice.16Thecontrastingattitudesheld
15Aegon,2018:Understandingemployeeperspectivesandengagement
16Aegon,2017:Workplacepensions–employerunderstanding
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
Myemployermakesthelegal
minimumpensioncontribuion(currently2%)
Myemployerpaysabovethelegalminimum(i.e.morethan2%)
Generalinformaion
highlighingstepstoimprove
financialwell-being
Face-to-facecounsellingand
advicebyspecialisedstaffor
externalconsultantstoaddressspecificquesionsand
concerns
Myemployerofferssupportinsavingandinvestment
Myemployerofferssupportinbuyinga
house
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towardsthepensionplansandadviceonsavingsandinvestmentislikelytounderpintheapparentshortageofemployerprovisionofthelatterhighlightedbyoursurvey.
Figure22Usefulnessofemployerinitiativestoimproveemployees’financialwellbeing
Source:YouGov,Cebranalysis
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
Payingabovethelegalminimum
pensioncontribuions
Generalinformaion
highlighingstepstoimprovefinancial
well-being
Supporttobuyahouse
Supportforinvestmentandsavingsdecision
Supportfordebtmanagementissues
Face-to-facecounsellingand
advicebyspecialisedstaffor
externalconsultantstoaddressspecificquesionsand
concerns
Useful Notuseful
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5 Conclusions
Financialwellbeingisatopicofincreasingimportanceforbothemployeesandemployers.Agrowingbodyofliteratureisexaminingthedeterminantsoffinancialwellbeinganditsimpactonemployeeperformance.Understandingworkers’financialneedsinacomprehensivewayisthereforebecomingincreasinglyimportant,notonlyforemployerswhowanttoattractandretainthebesttalentbutalsoforfinancialreasons.
OurreportaddstothisbodyofliteraturebyquantifyingandexaminingthefinancialwellbeingofUKworkersusingaquestionnairebasedscaledevelopedbytheUSConsumerFinancialProtectionBureau.Basedona2,000employeesurvey,conductedbyYouGov,weareabletocomparefinancialwellbeinginarobustandsystematicwayacrossvarioussub-groups.
ThehighestfinancialwellbeingscoreshavebeenrecordedacrosstheIT&Telecoms,Finance&Accounting,andManufacturingindustries,whiletheemployeesintheRetailandHospitalityandLeisuresectorrecordedthelowestaveragescores.Acrossindustries,financialwellbeingiscloselyrelatedwithincome,thoughitisnotidenticaltoit.
Ourresearchfoundthatemployersshouldtakethefinancialsituationoftheiremployeesseriously,giventhesignificantcostsassociatedwithlowfinancialwellbeing.Respondentswithlowfinancialwellbeingscoresaremorelikelytomissworkduetoworriesrelatedtotheirpersonalfinancialsituationandarealsomorelikelytohavenoticedadeclineintheirworkplaceproductivity.
Weestimatethataround520,000privatesectoremployeeshavehadtotaketimeoffinthelastyearduetotheirfinancialwellbeing,leadingtoalossofover4.2milliondaysofwork.Giveninformationabouttheincomelevelsoftheseemployeesandfurtherinsightsabouttheassociatedspill-overcostsarisinginaffectedworkplaces,weestimatethecostofworkplaceabsenteeismtostandat£626millionperyear.
Moreover,employeesinfinancialdistressaremorelikelytobedistractedatworkwhichhasconsequencesfortheirworkplaceproductivity.Morethanoneinten(11%)ofsurveyrespondentshaveexperiencedatimeinthepastthreeyearswherethathasbeenadeclineintheirpersonalproductivityatworkduetoproblemsrelatedtotheirfinancialsituation.Thisaddsanother£0.9billionperyeartothecostforUKemployers.Intotal,weestimatethatabsenteeismandpresenteeismcausedbyalackoffinancialwellbeingcostsbusinesses£1.56billioneachyear.
However,employershavenumerousoptionstoincreasethefinancialwellbeingoftheirstaff.Financialeducation,i.e.theprovisionanddisseminationofinformationregardingfinancialplanningbytheemployer,hasbecomeincreasinglycommoninrecentyearsandcanhelpemployeesnavigatetheirfinanciallifemoreeffectively.Indeed,ourresearchshowsthatthoseemployeeswhohaveaccesstofinancialeducationthroughtheiremployershowhigherfinancialwellbeingscoresthanthosewhodon’t.Otherwaysofsupportingemployeeswiththeirfinancialplanningisviapensioncontributionsabovethelegalminimum,adviceonhowtomakethebestofthebenefitsandplansthatemployersalreadyofferaswellassupportforsaving,investmentanddebtmanagement.
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Appendix:MethodologyConsumerFinancialProtectionBureauWellbeingScale
Scoringsheet
Table1ScoringSheetPart1
Thisstatementdescribesme
Completely VeryWell Somewhat VeryLittle Notatall
I could handle a major unexpected expense
4 3 2 1 0
I am securing my financial future
4 3 2 1 0
Because of my money situation, I feel like I will never have the things I want in life
0 1 2 3 4
I can enjoy life because of the way I’m managing my money
4 3 2 1 0
I am just getting by financially
0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
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I am concerned that the money I have or will save won’t last
Table2ScoringSheetPart2
Thisstatementappliestome
Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never
Giving a gift for a wedding, birthday or other occasion would put a strain on my finances for the month
0 1 2 3 4
I have money left over at the end of the month
4 3 2 1 0
I am behind with my finances
0 1 2 3 4
My finances control my life
0 1 2 3 4
FinalScoretable
Table3FinalScoretable
TotalResponse FinalScore*
0 14
1 19
2 22
3 25
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4 27
5 29
6 31
7 32
8 34
9 35
10 37
11 38
12 40
13 41
14 42
15 44
16 45
17 46
18 47
19 49
20 50
21 51
22 52
23 54
24 55
25 56
26 58
27 59
28 60
29 62
30 63
31 68
32 66
33 68
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34 69
35 71
36 73
37 75
38 78
39 81
40 86
*FinalScorecalculatedontableforself-administeredquestionnairefor18-61yearolds
Moreinformationonthescaleandunderlyingmethodologycanbefoundat:
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/financial-wellbeing-scale/