As we step into the new year, January marks a strategic time to focus on our financial wellbeing. The holiday season spending is behind us, resolutions are in place, and it's a great time to promote positive changes for our bank accounts (and beyond).
Recognizing the significance of this, workplaces are leveraging January's official theme, "Financial Wellness Month," to champion the cause of employee financial health. For HR and Benefits professionals, this presents a unique opportunity to reinforce the commitment to their employees' overall wellbeing and promote powerful financial wellbeing programs they may already have in place.
Why Financial Wellness Matters
Financial stress can significantly impact an individual's mental and physical wellbeing, leading to decreased productivity and increased absenteeism. As custodians of workplace culture, HR and Benefits teams play a pivotal role in fostering an environment that supports employees not just in their professional roles, but also in their financial health.
How to Acknowledge Financial Wellness Month in the Workplace this January
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Communication is Key: Start by communicating the importance of Financial Wellness Month to your employees. Craft engaging messages that highlight the connection between financial health and overall wellbeing. Encourage open conversations about money matters, breaking the stigma surrounding financial topics.
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Launch Fresh Initiatives: Collaborate with your workplace financial wellbeing program to launch targeted communication campaigns throughout the month. Promote workshops, webinars, or challenges that cover topics such as budgeting, investing, and retirement planning. Highlight image, text, audio, and video content to align with diverse learning styles, ensuring broad accessibility.
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Promote Financial Check-Ups: Encourage employees to take their financial check-up in January. For many individuals, taking a financial check-up may be the first time they see the many pieces of their financial lives put into a digital plan. LearnLux offers a comprehensive financial checkup feature with helpful guidance in language that's easy to understand for any level of financial confidence.
- Connect Employees with Financial Coaches: Each employee's financial situation is unique. The new gold standard in workplace financial wellbeing strategy is offering 1:1 guidance from trusted financial experts. Consider partnering with a financial wellbeing program with in-house Certified Financial Planner™ professionals. Encourage employees to meet with their Financial Planner to set goals for the year ahead, build/update their financial plan, and so much more.
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Align With Other Wellbeing Benefits: Financial wellbeing is just one pillar of a person's overall wellbeing. Align messaging this January with your physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, family planning and other benefits to integrate the financial health conversation into existing offerings. Ensure that employees are aware of available resources and understand how to access services for financial stress management in all areas of their lives.
Additional Key Dates in January
January is packed with opportunities to engage your workforce and support their wellbeing. Here are other important dates, holidays, and events to know:
January is Financial Wellness Month and National Poverty in America Awareness Month
- January 1st: New Year's Day
- January 1st: Check your credit score (every 3 months)
- January 3rd: International Mind-Body Wellness Day
- January 4th: National Trivia Day
- January 10th: National Cut Your Energy Costs Day
- January 15th: Dr. Martin Luther King Day
- January 28th: Data Privacy Day
Download the Financial Wellbeing Calendar
A Final Thought on Financial Wellness Month
Consider Financial Wellness Month each January as an opportunity to make a lasting impact on your workforce. By weaving financial wellbeing into the fabric of your workplace culture, HR and Benefits professionals can contribute to the holistic health of their employees. Let this month serve as a launching pad for a year filled with empowered financial decisions, reduced stress, and a thriving, resilient workforce.