5 Ways Money Worries Show Up at Work - and How Employers Can Help

Financial stress has quietly become one of the biggest productivity challenges facing UK workplaces today. According to a survey of 2,500 employees and 500 business leaders across the UK and Ireland, almost all workers (92%) have experienced financial stress in the last year - and 89% say it has had a direct impact on their work.

The findings paint a clear picture: money worries don’t get left at the office door. They follow people into work, affecting energy, concentration, relationships, and decisions. And yet, only 47% of employees say their organisations provide financial wellbeing support.

For employers - particularly those dealing with ongoing cost pressures, labour shortages and rising absence - the implications are significant. But so too is the opportunity.

When asked what difference financial security makes, more than three quarters (78%) of employees said they contribute more to their employer when they feel financially secure. For younger workers (under 34), that number rises to 83%.

Financial wellbeing isn’t just personal. It’s organisational. It’s cultural. And it’s commercial.

(Source: People Management)

1. Tiredness and low energy
45% of employees say financial stress disrupts their sleep. Exhausted employees are less able to engage, connect, or perform at their best. Fatigue also increases errors, safety risks, and absence - especially for deskless workers, in manual, shift-based or customer-facing roles.

2. Poorer concentration and focus
38% report being less able to focus at work due to financial strain. Worrying about bills, debt or unexpected costs leaves less cognitive bandwidth for decision-making, planning and problem solving. Over time, that impacts productivity, quality and confidence.

3. Falling productivity
One in four employees (25%) say financial stress makes them less productive. That adds up to a major commercial challenge. In the UK alone, the Centre for Mental Health estimates that stress, anxiety and depression cost employers £1,035 per employee per year - with a huge proportion driven by lost productivity. 

4. Strained relationships and behaviour
Money worries aren’t just silent - they’re emotional. 19% of employees say they become less patient with colleagues or customers, and 17% feel less able to make good decisions. Financial stress can erode teamwork, morale, leadership trust, and customer experience.

5. Increased errors, presenteeism and absence
18% of employees say they make more mistakes at work because of financial strain. Others push through despite being mentally unwell. Presenteeism now accounts for the majority of productivity loss, costing employers an estimated £605 per employee per year, compared to £335 for absenteeism. 

And while business leaders feel these effects too, financial strain also impacts leadership capability - with 38% saying it makes communication with their teams more difficult. 

Unlike physical health challenges, financial anxiety is invisible. Employees often hide their stress until it reaches crisis point. Many feel embarrassed, ashamed, or unsure where to turn.

This silent struggle has implications not only for wellbeing, but also performance and retention. Barclays estimates that poor financial wellbeing costs employer's 4% of their payroll, through lost productivity and mental health-related issues.

While employers don’t need to become financial advisors, they do have a responsibility to ensure their people can access financial protection. The data shows that when employees feel secure, they give more, stay longer, and perform better.

Yet fewer than half of organisations currently offer financial wellbeing support.

This is where solutions like PG Protect can make an enormous difference.

Financial stress is not a short-term issue, and it won’t be solved through crisis management alone. As the cost of living continues to rise, more employees are dealing with ongoing, complex financial pressures that affect their health, confidence and performance over the long term.

That’s why a preventative approach matters. One that helps people manage everyday costs before challenges escalate, rather than stepping in only when employees reach breaking point.

For employers, prevention doesn’t mean becoming financial experts or prying into personal circumstances. It means creating an environment where people can access simple, practical financial protection that supports them through everyday life - especially when unexpected costs arise.

Health-related expenses are a common source of financial anxiety, particularly for lower-paid and frontline workers. When employees are forced to choose between their health and their finances, the impact is felt across wellbeing, absence and productivity. Providing accessible health cover can remove that pressure, giving people confidence and stability without placing additional strain on the business.

Crucially, prevention also needs to be flexible and inclusive. Many organisations are now recognising the value of benefits that work across different pay levels, working patterns and life stages. Simple funding models - including employee-paid options, employer contributions, or a mix of both - allow businesses to offer protection without increasing fixed costs.

In fact, with PG Protect, over 100,000 frontline workers already choose to pay for their own everyday health plans, demonstrating that when benefits are clear, affordable and relevant, employees see real value. This approach relieves pressure on employers while still ensuring people are protected.

Inclusivity is just as important as affordability. Not everyone engages with benefits through digital platforms or salary-based schemes alone. Reaching the hardest-to-connect employees requires a human approach - meeting people face to face, explaining benefits clearly, and ensuring no one is excluded because of how or where they work is what PG Protect stands for.

With 56% of organisations citing cost-effectiveness and absence reduction as key drivers when selecting health-related benefits, prevention isn’t just the right thing to do for people - it’s a smart business decision.

By embedding accessible financial protection into everyday benefits strategies, employers can reduce pressure, support wellbeing, and help people stay healthy, focused and productive. Not just in times of crisis, but all year round. 

Financial wellbeing isn’t a personal flaw.
It isn’t a private problem.
It isn’t a distraction from business priorities.

It is a business priority.

Employers who invest in financial protection and wellbeing now will build more engaged, loyal and productive workforces for the future.

And the organisations who act first will be the organisations that lead.

If you’d like help supporting your workforce through accessible, everyday health benefits that support financial peace of mind, speak to us about PG Protect.

Source:
People Management
Money and Mental Health Policy Institute