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Amy Lewis
Strategy Communications
Phone: 619-713-0622
Email: Amy@scpublicrelations.com

HELP YOUR EMPLOYEES HELP YOU

How Helping Employees Manage Personal Finance Can Increase Overall Work Production and Satisfaction

SAN DIEGO, January 14, 2008 – It’s a fact that employees stress over personal financial matters. With the recent increase in home foreclosures and defaults on credit cards we are seeing higher levels of employee stress than ever before. This stress is predicted to cost businesses $300 billion annually due to absenteeism; turnover; diminished productivity; medical, legal, and insurance expenses; and workers compensation payments.

Employee stress is detrimental to company profits, company growth and employee productivity. Sound too awful to be true?

Consider the following statistics: Three out of five employees say they are worse off financially this year than the year before.

* Nearly 40% of employees experience so much stress over personal finances that productivity suffers. (Overall, 59% of all Americans stress over finances)

* Almost half of U.S. workers say their stress has increased over the past five years.

* Workers can waste more than 20 hours of company time per month thinking about personal finances.

* Individuals with financial strain will blame their personal problems on undercompensation from the employer, rather than on their poor money management skills. Employees often “get back at the man” by reducing productivity to match their perceived under-compensation.

* Stress over financial matters reduces overall life satisfaction, causing reduced productivity and a stressed relationship between employees and supervisors. Overwhelming statistics demonstrate than with fewer financial concerns, our overall life satisfaction would increase by 30%. Financial stress is known to cause sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and general moodiness, which carries over to the workplace. So, why not help your employees help you by offering money management seminars? Many companies spend significant amounts of money on benefit programs such as physical fitness programs and mental awareness seminars, yet neglect to address employees’ financial wellness.

Debt-Free America is one of the companies that have begun to offer corporate training programs tailored to fit company employees’ needs. Their on-site counselors will deliver any kind of financial seminars directly to the organization. They also assist the company in tailoring the program to meet the organization’s unique needs. The cost is reasonable (radically less than the $100-150 yearly loss) and based on your organization’s needs and number of employees planning to attend.

“We have found that these financial programs are an added benefit to the company’s employees that we have worked with. The participants in the seminars walk away with a better sense of how to manage their finances, and feel more in control of their financial future,” says Gary Symington, President of Debt-Free America.

Remember, a happy person is a productive one! An overall improved satisfaction with one’s life will increase work productivity as well as marital and family relations. Additionally, happy employees make for a more pleasant work environment. Also, better financial management can also help give the individual a stronger sense of financial well being with will ease stress.

Debt-Free America is a 501(c)3 non-profit, community service organization offering confidential and professional credit counseling, debt management programs, and financial education to consumers nationwide. Debt-Free America is dedicated to providing FREE services to help financially distressed families and individuals effectively manage their personal finances. Debt-Free America is also dedicated to giving back to their community by volunteering, sponsoring non-profits and in their seminar messages. The Board members and operations staff have a longterm commitment to helping anyone in debt crisis, and even those not in a debt crisis. Debt-Free America has been in the business since 1997 and is now serving over 16,000 clients nationwide.

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