Despite increased demand for earned wage access, misconceptions and underutilization persist among employers and employees
ATLANTA, Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Instant Financial, the pioneer of responsible on-demand pay solutions, partnered with HR Dive's studioID to find out how companies perceive and use earned wage access (EWA) as a benefit to attract, retain and engage employees. The study found that while many employers surveyed do offer EWA as part of their financial wellness offerings, the benefit is still underused and often misunderstood. Additionally, the survey explores some of the challenges that employers experience when implementing EWA, with roughly one-third of all respondents expressing confusion around eligibility, payroll integration, and buy-in from senior leadership.
"This survey highlights the opportunities that exist for organizations to adopt EWA, yet also brings to light how misconceptions can lead to a lack of program success," said Tal Clark, Instant Financial CEO. "It also called attention to the need to reassure companies that, in a time when there are many platforms on the market, our responsible approach to on-demand pay is easy to implement, and fee-free for employers and employees alike."
Additional findings from the survey include:
- Competitive Advantage - In addition to helping companies attract, keep and motivate employees, 45% of executives said they offered the benefit to be leaders in their field and 43% said they offered it to match the EWA offerings of the competition.
- More Than a Payday - The survey unveiled several areas where companies may be missing opportunities to optimize EWA: better linking EWA to DEI goals, addressing the perceived stigma of using the benefit among salaried employees, and better understanding the impact of EWA in the organization.
- Employer of Choice - For 71% of execs, the primary reason they don't use EWA is that employees haven't asked for it. But this may simply mean there's a lack of awareness among employees for the benefit, and it could provide a significant advantage if offered.
- Fee-Free For Everyone - HR execs are divided about who should pay for earned wage access: the employer, the employee, both or neither. Not all EWA providers offer the same fee structure, with some offering no fees to the company or workers.
- Confusion & Uncertainty - Execs who didn't offer it said they held off because of the following challenges: determining which employees were eligible (39%), integrating EWA into the payroll system (32%), getting senior leadership buy-in (32%), and affording it (31%).
To meet the demands of millions of employees and employers across the country, Instant offers the only on-demand pay solution that gives employees a full banking experience, free of predatory fees. With Instant, employees are able to get access to their earned wages at the end of every work day, with no cost to them or to their employers.
About the survey
HR Dive's studioID surveyed 158 human resources leaders to find out how companies perceive and use earned wage access as a benefit that helps attract, retain and engage employees. Most respondents were senior leaders in HR (82%), followed by C-suite execs (9%), senior leaders in information or technology (7%), and senior leaders in finance/accounting (2%).
Most (83%) have payroll as part of their responsibilities. The majority (83%) are decision-makers for employee benefits and policies, with the remainder serving as influencers (8%), evaluators (6%) and implementers (3%).
Almost all survey participants (75%) work for companies with 1,001 to 5,000 employees. Most have full-time salaried, full-time hourly and part-time hourly employees.
Download the complete survey results to find out how Instant's responsible EWA solution can make you an employer of choice.
About Instant Financial
Instant Financial is leading the charge to provide financial freedom and wellness to millions of workers in the United States through its earned wage access solutions. By enabling employers to allow employees to access their daily wages immediately after their shift, Instant Financial helps organizations improve retention and reduce absenteeism while helping employees take control of their financial freedom by bridging the gap between work day and payday. Learn more about Instant Financial at http://www.instant.co.
Industry Dive studioID
studioID is Industry Dive's global content studio, offering brands an ROI-rich toolkit: deep industry expertise, first-party audience insights, an editorial approach to brand storytelling, and targeted distribution capabilities. Its trusted in-house content marketers help brands power insights-fueled content programs that nurture prospects and customers from discovery through to purchase, connecting brand to demand. Visit http://www.studioid.com to learn more.
Media Contact
Nardos Yosef, Alloy, on behalf of Instant Financial, (855) 300-8209, [email protected]
SOURCE Instant Financial
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