Research Report

Lived Experiences With Financial Wellbeing Tools, The Voices Behind The Data

In this latest research report, Zellis and The Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University explore the real experiences of employees using financial wellbeing tools.

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Download the Lived Experiences With Financial Wellbeing Tools Research Report

One solution, many different stories

For some employees, earned wage access replaces credit cards and expensive borrowing. For others, it helps bridge the gap between pay cycles, manage unexpected costs or avoid having to ask friends and family for financial support.

The research challenges the idea that earned wage access has a single, universal impact. Instead, it shows that outcomes depend heavily on individual circumstances, financial history and life stage. Understanding what employees would have done without access to earned wage access offers a more meaningful measure of its value and impact.

Read the first report: Financial Wellbeing in the workplace

The first report in this series draws on a large scale survey of 1,242 employees across the UK, conducted in February 2026, focused on users of workplace financial wellbeing tools including earned wage access and automated saving.

The findings provide a detailed picture of financial pressure, resilience and behaviour, revealing how pay timing, visibility and flexibility can act as levers for improved financial wellbeing.

Read the first report

Focus areas

Find out more about our latest focus areas within HR, Payroll, WFM, Talent Management and Benefits.

Inside the research

Beyond practical benefits, participants described the reassurance, control and peace of mind that earned wage access can provide during periods of financial uncertainty.

Yet the research also reveals an important contradiction. While employees value the flexibility and security of accessing earned pay, many still feel reluctant to discuss it openly. This highlights a significant opportunity for employers to normalise conversations around financial wellbeing and promote available support before employees reach crisis points.

The findings suggest that when organisations take a proactive approach, financial wellbeing tools can support both employee wellbeing and wider workforce outcomes, including retention and overtime participation.

Turn insight into action

These findings provide a roadmap for organisations looking to better understand financial wellbeing challenges and deliver meaningful support at every stage of working life.

For HR leaders

Use these findings to better understand the diverse financial challenges experienced across your workforce and identify where targeted support can have the greatest impact

For rewards and benefits teams

Reassess how financial wellbeing benefits are positioned, communicated and embedded throughout the employee journey, from onboarding through to ongoing engagement.

For people managers

Recognise that financial stress often sits behind employee concerns that may appear unrelated to work. Creating awareness of available support can help employees access assistance earlier.

For orgaanisational decision-makers

Explore how earned wage access can contribute to wider strategic objectives such as retention, resilience, workforce participation and employee experience.

Ready to turn insights into action?

Explore the evidence behind financial wellbeing at work and understand what genuinely supports employees under pressure.