Workplace benefits are one of the most powerful but underutilized tools for improving employee financial health. For the millions of workers earning  low-to-moderate incomes (LMI), these benefits can mean the difference between financial stability and financial stress. For employers, that financial stress is costly—representing up to $183 billion in lost productivity each year. Yet too often, workplace benefits are not designed—or communicated—in ways that meet employees’ real financial needs.

Benefits for the Future (BFF) is Commonwealth’s multi-year initiative to change that. We partner with employers and benefit providers to research, design, and pilot intentional workplace financial benefits—those that are outcome-focused, responsive to LMI workers’ needs, and additive to existing benefit offerings. Through the philanthropic support from JPMorganChase, our expertise and services are provided at no additional cost to employers.

Financial stress is a business issue.

Employees lose an average of 7 hours of productivity each week worrying about money, costing U.S. employers an estimated $183 billion in productivity each year.

Turnover is costly.

Nearly 74% of employees say they would leave a job for better financial benefits.

Benefits drive satisfaction.

While 97% of employers believe it’s their responsibility to support employee financial wellness, fewer workers feel their needs are being met—highlighting a critical gap.

What We Do

Through Benefits for the Future, Commonwealth works with forward-thinking employers and benefit providers to:

• Optimize existing benefits to increase utilization. We know it’s disappointing when benefits don’t see take-up, especially when they are in demand. Let’s change that!  
• Explore simple—yet impactful—ways to offer new benefits. We understand that cost and time constraints are barriers to acting on your ideas, particularly when the ROI is unknown. Leverage this opportunity to test things you’re curious about in creative ways, with the support of unbiased experts is research, benefits, and impact measurement.
• Help you tell the impact story. Benefits interact with and complement each other. It takes time and effort to analyze the cross-effects, measure results, and amplify what worked. Our signature Inform & Influence model gives you added capacity in these areas, which has historically influenced industries, policy, and systemic change.

Insights from Our National Survey

Recently, Commonwealth surveyed more than 2,000 workers earning LMI across seven industries. Findings show:

Savings is the top priority.

Retirement (44%)

Emergencies (36%)

Cost of living increases (27%)

Access gaps remain in the workplace.

21% of workers have no retirement benefit at all

27% have access but don’t use it

More than half don’t have access to medical or paid leave.

Unmet demand for emergency savings.

Only 9% have access to workplace emergency savings, though 25% say it would be among their top three most valuable benefits.

Communication is critical.

Half of workers want more frequent information from employers about benefits.

These insights point to a major opportunity for employers to design benefits that truly strengthen financial security while improving retention and engagement.