Research: Healthy, Wealthy and Work-Wise

Around 60 per cent of UK employees are financially stressed – 18 per cent of them seriously so – placing Britain above the global average. This research report from Mercer considers the financial health of employees in 12 countries, and challenges employers to consider what their obligation is to help tackle this issue.

Key findings:

• The three top causes of stress were: general economic conditions (36 per cent); personal health (35 per cent) and worries about not saving enough for retirement (35 per cent).
• Women are more financially stressed than men, particularly when it came to saving enough for retirement – largely because of a 40 per cent pensions gap.
• Almost two-thirds of respondents say they expect to keep working when they retire, with seven per cent believing they will never give up work. More than two-fifths say they will keep working in retirement but at a slower pace.
• Employers responding to the survey identified several business benefits from improving an employee’s financial security. Nearly 60 per cent acknowledged that employees would be less stressed over financial matters at work which relates to the 46 per cent that expected an improvement in productivity.

This research examines the forces that have a profound impact on financial security and long-held beliefs about retirement. The 12-country study surveyed adults across six age groups, as well as senior executives in business and government.