Financial wellbeing is becoming part of workplace wellbeing
Last updated: 19 October 2026
A UK employee financial wellbeing programme should include five things: financial education, one-to-one guidance or coaching, a clear route to regulated advice, practical tools, and a way to measure results. It should sit on fair pay, a written policy, manager training and regular communication, so people know what is on offer and feel safe using it.
Not because employers are expected to be financial experts, but because money worries don’t stay at home.
They show up in stress, distraction, lower confidence and employees who simply aren’t quite themselves.
More organisations want to support their people through financial pressure. The challenge is often knowing where to start, or how to approach conversations about money in the right way.
That’s where a clear policy can help.
What should a UK employee financial wellbeing programme include?
The CIPD, the professional body for HR, recommends that employers pay a fair wage, develop a financial wellbeing programme, communicate regularly, measure financial wellbeing and explain pay. A practical programme turns that into five parts.
- Financial education. Short, practical sessions and resources on budgeting, debt, saving, pensions and life events, so everyone has the basics.
- One-to-one guidance or coaching. A confidential space where employees can talk through their own situation with a qualified person.
- A clear route to regulated advice. Education and coaching help people understand their options. When someone needs a personal recommendation, for example on a pension or a mortgage, they need an FCA-regulated adviser. Make the route clear.
- Practical tools. An app or online hub that people can use privately, in their own time.
- Measurement. A short, anonymous survey of how secure and in control people feel about money, repeated over time, alongside take-up, absence and turnover.
Around those five parts, a good programme also has:
- A written policy, so managers know how to respond and employees know what is on offer. Our template below is a starting point.
- Manager training, so line managers can spot the signs and signpost, without giving advice.
- Signposting to free help, including MoneyHelper for free, impartial guidance and StepChange or Citizens Advice for free debt advice.
- Regular communication, at onboarding, pay reviews and key life moments, not only once a year.
Employees notice. In earlier CIPD research reported in its Good Work Index 2025 analysis, 59% of staff said it was important that their present employer has a policy to support their financial wellbeing, and 65% said it was important that a future employer does.
Lifetime’s workplace financial wellbeing programme brings these parts together: unlimited, confidential coaching, education, the Lifetime financial wellbeing app, and referral to FCA-regulated advisers for employees who need advice. Book a demo to see how it works.
This page is general information, not personal financial advice. Lifetime is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 225795).
Financial Wellbeing Policy
A practical starting point for your organisation
We’ve created a financial wellbeing policy you can download and adapt, giving you a clear and supportive framework to build from.
Inside, you’ll find:
- Guidance on supporting employees experiencing financial stress
- Advice for managers on approaching conversations around money
- Suggested resources and support you can offer
- Clear principles around confidentiality and fairness
It’s designed to help you take action with confidence, without needing to have all the answers.
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See what people say about Lifetime
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