Financial Stress to Financial Strength: Building a Data-Driven Wellness Strategy That Delivers ROI

Despite growing investment in employee benefits and wellbeing programs, many organizations continue to struggle with one critical challenge: translating financial wellness initiatives into measurable business impact. As financial stress increasingly affects productivity, engagement, and retention, HR and benefits leaders are under pressure to move beyond awareness campaigns and demonstrate clear ROI to executive stakeholders. In this session, Heidi Grecsek, Managing Director of HCM at Brandon Hall Group, explores the evolution of financial wellness from a passive, expected benefit to a performance-driving capability. Drawing on industry research and emerging best practices, we examine why many programs fail to drive adoption or outcomes, what employees actually need in today’s economic environment, and how leading organizations are using personalized, actionable solutions to drive engagement and measurable outcomes. Attendees will gain practical guidance on how to design and position financial wellness benefit strategies that improve employee outcomes while directly supporting business priorities. The session will highlight how organizations can measure impact in terms of productivity, retention, and risk, shifting financial wellness from a cost center to a driver of performance, improved business outcomes, and positive ROIs. Why This Topic: • Financial stress is a leading driver of reduced productivity and engagement • Organizations struggle to demonstrate ROI from financial wellness investments • Financial wellness is emerging as a key component of workforce performance strategy