The holiday season is meant to be a time of joy and celebration, but exchanging gifts, attending festive gatherings, and transitioning from one year to the next can raise financial concerns that employees need help managing. Holiday financial stress isn’t just an individual burden — it’s also an organizational one.  Here are four ways to help employees deal with financial stress during the holiday season.

Recognize the signs

Financial stress isn’t limited to dollars and cents; it’s correlated with other pillars of employee wellbeing.  For example, financial stress is linked to physical and mental health conditions such as high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Yet, employees often don’t seek treatment due to cost. This creates a chain of events that drives healthcare costs and prevents employees from showing up to work as their best selves.  The following are also signs of holiday financial stress in your workforce:

• Reduced productivity as employees worry about finances at work

• Higher turnover due to employees changing jobs for a pay increase or benefits that better support their financial lives

• Increased workplace safety incidents, especially in frontline roles

• Increased absenteeism as employees struggle with health issues brought on by stress or struggle to afford basic needs such as transportation to get to work

Leaders who proactively identify these indicators can connect employees with the support they need before their challenges mount. As part of Accolade’s Trusted Partner Ecosystem, Brightside Financial Care is the only solution built to improve the financial health of working families and serve the unique needs of the 70% of employees who are not financially healthy, while delivering employer ROI.

Provide empathic, confidential, human-led support

Employees facing financial challenges often feel shame about their situation. They won’t use financial wellness benefits such as CFP-led financial planning, fearing they’ll be made to feel bad about their predicament. Furthermore, employees facing financial challenges need real solutions: financial education, webinars, and retirement tools can’t help them.  That’s why Brightside Financial Care pairs each employee with a dedicated Brightside Financial Assistant who provides non-judgmental, empathetic, and personalized support. This is a real person the employee can trust is on their side, who meets them where they are and finds solutions for their challenges, while never profiting from the employee’s choices or actions.

Connect employees with relevant solutions

With just 30% of employees considered financially healthy according to Financial Health Network, many employees are hindered by several barriers which may include: debt, a low credit score, lack of savings and assets, and limited borrowing options. Without alternatives, they’re more likely to misuse solutions such as earned wage access, take on credit card debt, predatory loans, or even tap into retirement funds to keep up with holiday financial pressures. Once the holidays pass, these employees will be further financially burdened, and more stressed. Brightside offers real solutions for all employees’ financial needs, including connecting them with free local and government resources whenever possible; providing access to emergency money and safe loans regardless of credit score; debt and credit management resources that help them save money on interest and pay off debt quickly; and a free spending account and a free high-yield savings account to help employees manage money, build savings, and avoid fees.

Help employees address root causes of financial stress

Financial stress is often intertwined with life circumstances such as relationship and family issues, specific family holiday financial stress, medical needs, caregiving demands, divorce, or loss of a loved one - which can all feel heightened during the holidays. Because Brightside Financial Care integrates with other employer benefits, Financial Assistants also help employees navigate to relevant benefits (such as an EAP or legal aid) for a comprehensive approach. In addition, Financial Assistants use proven behavioral science techniques to make it easy for employees to take steps toward improved financial health, and build hope that they can set and reach financial goals that are important to them. Set your workforce up for a brighter 2025 Employers can provide vital support to help employees deal with holiday financial stress, tackle immediate challenges, and take continued steps that improve their financial stability.  Brightside’s proven outcomes include:

• 90% of employees report reduced financial stress after their first engagement with a Financial Assistant

• 50% of engaged employees start saving for emergencies from each paycheck

• 34% reduction in employees with subprime credit scores

• 80% increase in employees contributing to their 401(k)

• $1,200 back into the pockets of families who work with Brightside, on average

Employers who offer Brightside also see tangible benefits including lower healthcare costs, a 41% reduction in turnover on average, and employees who work 36+ more hours each year.  Give your employees the gift of financial health by incorporating Brightside Financial Care, part of the Accolade Trusted Partner Ecosystem, into your offering. To learn more about Brightside Financial Care or to schedule a demo, click here.