Leaving Behind the Silence That Surrounds Financial Wellbeing

As we look toward 2026, one truth has become increasingly clear: financial wellbeing is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ …it’s a core part of good work.

For too long, employers have acknowledged the connection between money and work only implicitly; now the data and lived reality are too obvious to ignore.

Employees carry financial stress with them into the workplace, and it affects much more than personal lives. Financial strain is linked to poorer mental health, diminished productivity and reduced focus, and this ripples out to impact attendance, performance and organisational health overall.

2025 was the year the silence finally broke. 2026 must be the year employers act.

Where Employers Should Focus in 2026

1. Making Financial Wellbeing a Strategic Pillar

Financial wellbeing now sits alongside mental and physical wellbeing as a foundation of good work. Organisations at the forefront in 2026 will:

• Provide tools that reduce income volatility and enhance emergency resilience
• Support savings, retirement planning and financial confidence
• Build cultures where money conversations are safe, stigma-free and supported
• Evaluate outcomes, not just uptake of programs

This turns performance management into performance optimization, creating the space for employees to feel supported and subsequently thrive.

2. Human-Centred Leadership

Great leadership in 2026 requires more than technical skill or process knowledge. It demands honest conversations, genuine curiosity about context and the humility to adapt to these contexts.

Leaders who are able to demonstrate this and lead by example will set the tone for trust and belonging, and that creates the space for those imperative conversations to take place, ultimately leading to a stronger and more united organisational culture.

3. Designing Work that Truly Works

Flexibility, autonomy and clarity of expectations aren’t just perks, they are productivity enablers.

When work accommodates people’s lives rather than competes with them, stress (especially stress caused by money) falls and people bring more of themselves to their roles.

4. Data-led Decisions Delivered with Humanity

People analytics will be invaluable in spotting patterns (e.g., financial vulnerability, absenteeism trends, or shifts in engagement) before small issues become crises.

But data must always be paired with humanity. Numbers tell us what is happening; human leadership tells us why and what to do next.

5. Support for Those Facing Harm and Instability

Paid domestic abuse leave, trauma-informed practices, and confidential support pathways show how the workplace can be a lifeline.

In 2026, organisations should strengthen these supports, recognising how deeply financial control and instability can intersect with employee wellbeing.

Financial wellbeing isn’t just about money. It’s about stability, dignity, choice and opportunity. When employers get this right, work becomes not just a source of income, but a source of confidence, capability and hope for all involved.

If 2025 was the year we acknowledged the problem, then 2026 must be the year we build the solution. If you would like to discuss how we can help support you in this, please do get in touch with me at therese@orgshakers.com