62% of Employees Say Financial Wellness Benefits Miss the Mark

Sixty-two percent of employees want a different approach to financial wellness benefits, according to a new Inc.com report on worker sentiment — a signal that current programs aren't landing the way HR teams intended.

That figure matters for benefits leaders planning 2025 program budgets. If nearly two-thirds of a workforce say the offering isn't working, the problem likely sits in design and delivery, not in employee awareness. It also touches core people-process decisions: which vendors stay in the portfolio, how benefits communication runs, and whether financial wellness stays a retention lever at all.

What does the 62% figure actually tell HR?

The headline number points to a demand-side mismatch. Employees aren't saying they dislike the category — they're saying the current version doesn't serve them. That's a capability question, not a budget question.

For HR teams, the practical move is to audit what's actually in the financial wellness stack today. Typical offerings include education content, budgeting tools, and retirement plan access. Adoption data for each tells you whether employees use what's built. If utilization is thin and 62% still want something different, the portfolio needs a redesign, not a louder communications campaign.

Which adoption questions should employers ask vendors?

Vendor conversations should shift from product features to outcomes. HR leaders can press on three concrete fronts:

• Usage rates: What share of eligible employees activated the tool in the last 12 months, and how many returned after 30 days?
• Behavior change: Can the vendor show any measured improvement in savings rates, debt reduction, or emergency-fund balances?
• Segment fit: Does the product serve hourly workers and high earners equally, or does adoption cluster in one group?

If a vendor can't answer those questions with numbers, the 62% dissatisfaction figure suggests employees have already run the evaluation for you.

Why financial wellness still anchors retention strategy

Financial stress shows up in attendance, focus, and turnover. When a large majority of employees say the benefit isn't working, that stress stays unaddressed — and the retention case for the program weakens.

The Inc.com report frames the gap as employee-driven: workers have a specific alternative in mind, not just a complaint. Employers who miss that signal risk paying for benefits that don't move engagement metrics while competitors design around what employees actually requested.

What should HR do before the next enrollment window?

Short answer: ask employees directly, before the next plan year locks in. A pulse survey on current financial wellness offerings costs little and produces the demand data most vendor decks lack. Pair it with utilization analytics from existing providers and the picture gets concrete fast.

The 62% figure is a market signal, not a verdict on the category. Benefits teams that treat it as an invitation to re-specify the program — with employee input and vendor accountability baked in — will enter the next enrollment period with evidence rather than assumptions. Expect more survey data like this as financial wellness becomes a standard line item in total rewards statements.