As the job market slows and economic uncertainty continues, benefits remain an important factor in influencing employee retention. According to the Payroll Integrations 2025 Employee Financial Wellness Report, 58% of employees say their benefits are the main reason they stay in their current jobs.
This signals a shift. Employees are prioritizing benefits that support financial stability and predictability. And employers are looking to do more, with 64% stating they could strengthen their support.
Financial Wellness Benefits Are Driving Retention
The report shows that the benefits most valued by employees are those that directly support financial security. Beyond health insurance and retirement, employees increasingly want tools design to support savings behaviors and help manage short-term financial cash flow needs.
When asked what would improve their experience, employees cited higher cost-of-living adjustments (57%), budgeting tools (44%), personalized benefit options (41%), and retirement guidance (43%). At the same time, employers identified emergency savings accounts (37%) and health savings accounts (32%) as high-impact additions to their benefits portfolios.
These numbers reveal a shared understanding: employees want stability, and employers are looking for ways to deliver it. High-yield employee savings accounts designed for emergency funds are among the most sought-after tools, providing employees with additional options to prepare for unexpected expenses.
Generational Expectations
The data shows that financial wellness expectations vary by generation, but the desire for stability is universal:
Gen Z workers prioritize health insurance (62%) and savings tools that help them manage everyday costs
Millennials value wellness and fitness benefits (43%) and want accessible ways to grow their money
Gen X employees focus on additional pay (43%) and financial flexibility
Boomers prioritize retirement plans and even pet insurance (27%)
Across all age groups, the pattern is clear: employees increasingly expect their employers to offer benefits that support financial education and access to financial tools. Benefits that include automated savings features, interest bearing accounts, or matching contributions are increasingly common components of benefits discussions.
Administration Burden
Even as employers recognize the growing importance of financial wellness, HR and payroll teams face a practical challenge. Too much time is spent on administrative work that limits their ability to focus on people.
The report found that payroll professionals spend an average of 11 hours a week on manual tasks related to payroll and benefits management. One-third of organizations say they are caught between managing compliance, processing updates, and juggling disconnected systems.
When asked what they would do if that time were freed up, 58% of employers said they would increase engagement and relationship-building with employees. Another 56% would educate employees on how to maximize their benefits, 51% would provide more individualized support, and 26% would build employee recognition or engagement programs.
Reducing administrative burden is not just about efficiency. It can create opportunities for deeper employee engagement and allow HR leaders to invest in programs that celebrate and retain their people.
Why Unified Financial Wellness Platforms Matter
To truly deliver on financial wellness, companies need simplicity and integration. A single platform that combines all essential financial tools can help streamline HR operations and simplify employee access to benefits
When all financial wellness tools live under one roof, payroll teams may reduce time spent on manual processes, and employees gain clearer visibility into their benefits and savings tools, and employers can add recognition and reward programs that reinforce financial well-being.
Instead of spending time on repetitive tasks, HR leaders can focus on the initiatives that matter most such as employee engagement, education, and recognition.
The Bottom Line
Benefits are no longer a back-office function; they are a retention strategy. As the report shows, 58% of employees stay because of their benefits, 64% of employers want to improve, and 44% of workers already feel supported.
The opportunity now is to take financial wellness further by connecting emergency savings to everyday pay, reducing administrative friction, and making recognition programs part of a broader culture of stability.
When employees feel both financially secure and personally valued, they are more than likely to remain engaged with their employers.
Chime WorkplaceTM offers a comprehensive, holistic financial wellness suite that provides your employees with access to education and fee-free features to help them progress along their financial wellness journeys. For more information, request a demo today.
