Most employees say they’re doing pretty well on a daily basis. But dig a little deeper, and the picture changes. A new national survey from New York Life Group Benefit Solutions finds that while workers rate their overall well-being at 7.5 out of 10, only 35% say they consistently feel resilient—meaning able to recover from stress, adapt to change, and sustain performance over time.
A recent InvestmentNews article highlighted the findings, which point to a growing disconnect between how employees feel on a given day and how prepared they are to handle disruption. And the biggest factor dragging down resiliency isn’t burnout or low morale—it’s money. Nearly half of employees cited personal financial stress as their top challenge, while 39% pointed to broader economic uncertainty. Burnout, by comparison, came in at 29%.
That gap between well-being and resiliency should get the attention of plan sponsors and advisors. Financial strain doesn’t stay at home. Employees report that it contributes to increased stress and fatigue in their personal lives, along with difficulty concentrating and lower job satisfaction at work. For employers, the downstream effects can show up as higher turnover, productivity losses, and rising benefit costs, especially during periods of economic volatility.
Many employers have invested heavily in wellness programs, and those efforts appear to be paying off on the surface. Sixty percent of employees rated their employer’s support for well-being as good or excellent. But resiliency scores remain stubbornly low, suggesting that programs focused solely on health or engagement may fall short if they don’t also address financial insecurity.
The survey uncovered an interesting perception gap as well. Seventy-five percent of employers believe they have a responsibility to support employee resiliency, yet only 43% of employees expect their employer to do so. That disconnect gives organizations and their advisors room to rethink benefit design and communication strategies around financial security and recovery support.
When asked where the biggest gaps exist, employers pointed to manager empathy and post-stress check-ins (33%), clear communication about available resources (33%), and flexible leave during illness or recovery (29%). Employees, meanwhile, said the supports that would make the biggest difference include paid time off, better work-life balance policies, and flexible work arrangements—all things that create room for recovery.
Income protection, retirement readiness, emergency savings support, and financial education all play a role in how well employees can withstand and recover from unexpected life events. Wellness programs that stop at morale-boosting without addressing financial insecurity may be leaving a significant gap unfilled.
As Scott Berlin, head of New York Life Group Insurance, put it, employers have a chance to move beyond traditional wellness programs and take a more holistic approach—one that helps employees recover from challenges, adapt to change, and stay engaged over the long term.
