Introduction
Think financial stress doesn’t exist in your company? Think again.
• 93% of women feel stress when it comes to managing money – regardless of their household income or education.
• 70% of women feel they do not have enough money for retirement.
When it comes to financial worries, women in the workplace often face unique challenges that go unnoticed. Even if they’re earning steady paycheques, many female employees grapple with juggling responsibilities like caregiving and managing the household – both of which hamper their ability to take on more demanding roles. At the same time, women are confronted with planning for an extended retirement due to longer life spans compared to men.
The result? Overwhelming stress that impacts not just their financial well-being but also their productivity, engagement, and overall job satisfaction.
The underlying issue is far more reaching than the level of salary they receive.
Don’t get me wrong, more money can help alleviate financial stress – if it’s managed well – but it’s not always a feasible or lasting solution. Many female employees may not want or be able to take on the increased responsibilities required for a higher-paying position. In such cases, salary growth is capped, leaving them stuck in a cycle of financial strain.
Employers, too, face limitations. While offering pay raises may seem like the easiest way to support employees, it’s often not sustainable across the board. And more importantly, it doesn’t address the deeper, more pervasive issues contributing to financial stress.
This is where Corporate Solutions for Women’s Financial Health can make a real impact. Financial insecurity is often rooted in issues like an absence of financial guidance and poor financial literacy. By providing personalized financial education, planning resources, and workplace benefits that empower women to manage their money effectively, companies can help break the cycle of stress and uncertainty—ultimately creating a healthier, more engaged workforce.
While the amount of pay is often at the forefront of everyone’s minds, what is actually needed is education and employer support on how to make the most of one’s financial resources – i.e., strategies for paying down debt, improving their cash flow, creating a personalized investment portfolio, and building a tax-efficient retirement plan.
That’s where a financial wellness survey comes in.
By asking the right questions, companies have an opportunity to uncover the underlying fears and undisclosed challenges of their female workforce to create targeted, meaningful solutions that truly make a difference.
This is not just about ticking a box for wellness initiatives, it’s about empowering women to thrive financially, and in turn, improving retention, strengthening the leadership pipeline and bolstering the corporate culture and bottom line.
Closing The Disconnect Between Employer Perception and Employee Reality
In our eight years of practice as financial wellness consultants, we’ve uncovered three key misconceptions that often impede both corporate and individual prosperity. These misunderstandings create barriers to meaningful financial empowerment for employees—especially women—and prevent companies from fully supporting their workforce.
- Employers misread silence for financial stability.
Just because women don’t openly express financial stress doesn’t mean they’re not experiencing it. Discussing money comes with shame and stigma, and so many women carry financial burdens silently they believe they should manage on their own. This silence often misleads employers into thinking that financial wellness isn’t a pressing issue, leaving critical needs unaddressed. - Employers avoid money conversations, believing they’re too personal.
While money is deeply personal, it’s also universal—it impacts everyone, every single day. Many companies shy away from financial wellness initiatives out of fear they’re crossing a boundary. However, avoiding these conversations overlooks the fact that financial stress directly affects productivity, engagement, and mental health. By fostering support through empowering education around money, employers can make a significant impact on their employees’ well-being. - Employees are influenced by prevalent financial myths.
Many employees are influenced by social media’s oversimplified or misleading financial messages—like the idea that earning more, sticking to strict budgets, or jumping into trends like cryptocurrency will solve all their problems.
In reality, they lack foundational skills like financial literacy and long-term planning. They look to their employers—often their first source of financial security through steady income or a retirement plan—for guidance and trust. Companies that step into this role can build loyalty and help employees navigate a path to true financial stability.
By addressing these misconceptions head-on, companies can shift the narrative, empower their workforce, and create a workplace culture where financial wellness is prioritized and celebrated.
The Saij Elle Impact: Corporate Solutions for Women’s Financial Health Through Smarter Surveys
At Saij Wealth, we’ve developed a smart financial wellness survey designed to make a profound difference for women and the organizations they work for.
We ask targeted and thoughtful questions. Our survey is crafted with care, using behavioral finance principles to ask the right questions—the kind that go beyond surface-level concerns. We focus on revealing hidden fears, unspoken stressors, and the gaps between what women think they need and what will truly empower them.
We uncover the real priorities that goes beyond pay and what we believe is the key to solving their financial stress.
And armed with the insights from the survey, we help companies design tailored approaches that address the real needs of their female workforce. This ensures every dollar spent on wellness initiatives makes the right impact, avoiding wasted resources and maximizing the return on investment.
We invite companies to participate in our financial wellness survey or book a discovery call with one of our team members.