Episode 91: Beyond Earned Wage Access: How Financial Wellness Became a Retention Strategy

Earned wage access may help employees bridge financial gaps — but what happens when employers begin thinking beyond access alone? In this episode, recorded live from the 44th Payroll Congress expo floor, Brent Skinner speaks with Heidi Fava and Jaime McDougall about how Maxwell Group reimagined EWA as part of a broader financial wellness strategy. After discovering employees had paid tens of thousands of dollars in access fees through a previous provider, the organization partnered with Chime to deliver fee-free wage access alongside savings, credit-building, and financial education tools. The results included improved retention, increased employee savings participation, and measurable gains in financial stability — highlighting how payroll and workforce management are evolving into strategic drivers of employee well-being. Subscribe to HR.com YouTube channel: https://shorturl.at/dnDO4 ================================================================================ FOR MORE HR.com resources and content to stay updated or to help start or advance your HR career: https://www.HR.com/education https://www.HR.com/magazines https://www.HR.com/prepcourse https://www.HR.com/prime https://www.HR.com/researchinstitute https://www.HR.com/upcomingvirtualevents https://www.HR.com/upcoming_webcasts SOCIALS:   / hrdotcom     / hrdotcom     / hrdotcom     / hrdotcom