Financial stress over household expenses more prevalent amongst female employees

Recent research into the state of employee wellbeing revealed a number of factors that impact labour productivity. The research shows that financial wellness is a key factor influencing overall employee wellbeing and ultimately productivity. The research revealed specific gender nuances when it comes to financial wellbeing. The most notable of which was the main source of financial stress for women vs. men - more women than men attributed their financial stress to the pressures of caretaking responsibilities and the cost of maintaining a household. This is unsurprising when one considers that 42.1% of households in South Africa are headed by women[1]. These findings highlight the need for gender-informed employee experience and wellbeing initiatives in the South African workplace.