A new study of employee benefits reports that workers want financial advice at the office. Most believe that counseling programs would increase their productivity.

The data comes from an annual survey conducted by MetLife. According to a UK-based website:

The research found that 77 per cent of employees think their productivity would improve if they were offered money advice and guidance programmes at work, as just 37 per cent admit they are confident about their ability to make sound financial decisions.

In addition, 65 per cent of employers believe workers are less productive if they are worried about their personal finances, while 52 per cent think absenteeism rises when staff have to deal with money problems.

Let’s review that text carefully: the analysis does not prove that employees who receive financial planning services are more effective. Rather, it states that employees believe they would be more productive if they were offered some kind of money counseling at work.

In a broad sense, this information should not be surprising. After all, any benefit for employees—especially one that might be particularly valuable—will undoubtedly be well received. Of course stakeholders think they will be more productive if there are more visible signs of appreciation!

More importantly, however, this study highlights the importance of our own self-perception of productivity. Three-fourths of people believe they could get more done at work if they just received some financial consulting. How much more could they achieve if all their wishes were respected and evaluated?

At Slaughter Development, we help organizations to increase productivity and improve workflow by engaging stakeholders. When people believe they can get more done they tend to actually get more done! Empower your team to work smarter and collaborate more effectively. Contact us today!

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