More than half of workers cannot cover an unexpected $500 emergency expense from savings, while growing financial insecurity is forcing many to skip healthcare, delay essential purchases and miss work, highlighting the business case for stronger workplace financial wellbeing support.
More than half of workers are unable to cover an unexpected $500 emergency expense from savings, with rising financial insecurity increasingly affecting workplace performance, productivity and employee wellbeing, according to new research from SecureSave.
The 2026 SecureSave Financial Stress Survey carried out by found that 55% of employees could not pay for a $500 emergency from their savings, while more than a quarter (26%) have no emergency savings at all. The findings suggest financial resilience remains out of reach for many households despite continued economic uncertainty, with growing numbers of employees delaying essential spending, increasing debt and struggling to remain productive at work.
EMPLOYEE FINANCIAL WELLBEING
For employers, the research highlights financial wellbeing as an increasingly important workforce issue rather than simply a personal finance challenge. The findings build on a growing body of evidence that financial wellbeing has become a strategic business issue.
Fair Play Talks has tracked this trend for several years. In 2021, we reported that 95% of employers believed they had a responsibility to support employees’ financial wellbeing, while separate CIPD research urged organisations to take greater responsibility for helping staff manage financial pressures.
IMPACT OF FINANCIAL STRESS AT WORK
The survey found financial pressures are increasingly spilling into the workplace. Key statistics showed that:
- 56% report moderate to high financial stress.
- 38% have missed work during the past six months because of financial challenges.
- 28% say a financial emergency negatively affected their performance at work.
- 41% skipped a necessary expense – including medical care, meals, rent or car repairs – because they lacked sufficient emergency savings.
The findings reinforce previous Fair Play Talks reporting showing that employee wellbeing increasingly extends beyond physical and mental health to include financial security, with employers recognising that money worries can have a direct impact on engagement, productivity and retention.
One survey participant described the impact after an unexpected home repair: “My HVAC system failed unexpectedly during a heatwave, and the emergency replacement cost nearly $6,000 out of pocket. The stress of managing that unplanned expense while keeping up with work demands made it difficult to stay focused and productive for several weeks.”
FINANCIAL SAFETY NET
The research highlights how vulnerable many employees remain to unexpected costs. The report showed that:
- 26% have no emergency savings.
- 45% have less than one month’s expenses saved.
- 67% have less than three months’ emergency savings.
- 53% of women have less than one month’s emergency savings compared with 37% of men.
At the same time:
- 46% say their household spending has increased over the past year.
- 37% have increased their credit card debt.
- 25% have reduced, paused, borrowed from or withdrawn retirement savings.
- 23% are saving less for retirement than they were a year ago.
- 20% expect to retire at age 70 or older.
- 14% believe they may never retire.
The biggest contributors to financial pressure were:
- 78% cited the cost of living.
- 48% said incomes had failed to keep pace with inflation.
- 45% pointed to wider economic uncertainty.
FINANCIAL WELLBEING AND EMERGENCY SAVINGS
“For millions of workers without a financial safety net, a broken appliance, unexpected medical bill or car repair is a setback that can force difficult choices, from delaying medical care to taking on debt or tapping retirement savings,” Devin Miller, Co-founder and Head of SecureSave. “When employees have emergency savings, they are better prepared to manage sudden expenses without disrupting their financial wellbeing or work. This is also a practical way for employers to support financial wellbeing and reduce the impact financial emergencies can have on everyday life and work.”
SecureSave’s Co-founder Suze Orman added: “No one in this country should have to skip a meal or delay medical care because a car repair came first, yet that’s exactly what 41% of workers told us they’re doing. Emergency savings isn’t a luxury. It’s the difference between facing life’s surprises with confidence or with dread.”
EMPLOYER SUPPORT IMPROVES RETENTION
The research suggests employers have an opportunity to strengthen financial resilience while improving retention. Among the employees surveyed:
- 67% said a $200 annual employer contribution to an emergency savings account would reduce financial stress and improve workplace performance.
- 59% said it would make them more likely to stay with their employer.
Employees participating in employer-sponsored emergency savings programmes increased their average savings by almost 12% year on year, rising from $829 in June 2025 to $926 in June 2026. To date, SecureSave says it has helped more than 65,000 workers save over $170 million.
The findings reinforce earlier research covered by Fair Play Talks showing that financial wellbeing support can reduce employee turnover by almost one-third, demonstrating that helping employees build financial resilience is not simply good for wellbeing but also good for business.
WHY FINANCIAL WELLBEING AT WORK MATTERS
Financial stress is increasingly recognised alongside mental health, physical wellbeing and flexible working as a major factor influencing employee engagement, productivity and retention. Yet despite growing awareness, previous research suggests many employees still believe employers could do more.
Fair Play Talks previously reported that one in five employees said their employer was not doing enough to support financial wellbeing, highlighting an ongoing gap between employer intentions and employee expectations.
Combined with the latest findings, the research suggests organisations that invest in emergency savings support, financial education and broader financial wellbeing initiatives are likely to strengthen employee resilience while improving attendance, productivity and retention.
WHAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD DO NEXT?
The research suggests organisations should treat financial wellbeing as a core part of their people strategy rather than simply another employee benefit. Employers should consider:
- Introducing workplace emergency savings accounts or payroll-linked savings schemes.
- Offering financial wellbeing education alongside existing wellbeing initiatives.
- Providing access to financial coaching and debt management support.
- Reviewing pay, benefits and reward strategies to help employees manage rising living costs.
- Measuring the impact of financial stress on absenteeism, engagement and productivity.
- Training managers to recognise when financial pressures may be affecting employee wellbeing and performance.
- Promoting emergency savings as part of wider financial resilience programmes.
As financial pressures continue to reshape working life, emergency savings are becoming as important to employee wellbeing as mental health support, flexible working and career development.
Five years ago, employers were debating whether they had a responsibility to support staff’s financial wellbeing. Today’s research suggests the conversation has moved on. The challenge is no longer whether organisations should act, but whether they can afford not to. Employers that help workers build financial resilience are likely to see benefits extending well beyond individual wellbeing to productivity, engagement, attendance and long-term retention.
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