How You Can Be A Hero To Your Employees – And Why You Can’t Afford to Wait

I was fortunate enough to learn the value of an honest day’s work from my immigrant parents. Each morning, they would get up early to run our family grocery store in Omaha, Nebraska, always prioritizing putting the customers first.

There are over 161 million working Americans in businesses large and small across the country. Like my parents, so many are putting in an honest day's work in their personal journey in achieving the American dream. A Pew study last year showed that a majority (53%) of Americans still believe in this dream. I am proud to say I’m one of them. But having lived them firsthand, I realize the financial challenges so many workers are facing, with more than half saying they are living paycheck to paycheck. 

So how can I and other business leaders help our team members on their personal path to greater success? 

It starts with understanding the true needs of these employees. Those who are living paycheck to paycheck are often burdened with financial stress that permeates in both their work and personal life. This stress is often a result of feeling out of control over their financial future knowing an unforeseen bill could turn their economic situation into chaos. A stressed employee is less engaged, less productive, and will likely quit sooner than others.  And that’s not only bad for the worker, but bad for business.  It’s not a surprise to see the results of a recent Gallup poll, revealing that companies with highly engaged teams show 23% greater profitability.

To alleviate this financial stress, for years employers have been turning to benefits ranging from retirement planning to credit coaching among others, spending millions every year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, companies typically spend around 30% of an employee's total compensation on benefits. But these benefits are not solving the root cause of the financial stress – a lack of access to cash.  Leading employers have now embraced an emerging solution that is shifting financial power back to workers, offering On-Demand Pay that empowers employees with choice and control over their financial lives.

These employers have been lauded as heroes by their employees.  When was the last time you received an email from an employee thanking you for a particular benefit you have offered?  According to a survey of 194 employers conducted by DailyPay in February, 2025, On-Demand Pay provided by DailyPay is the #2 most-adopted benefit for employers who offer it, second only to medical insurance. On-Demand Pay gives workers visibility into what they earn, access to their earned pay when they want it and the ability to save and make the most of their pay. Oftentimes, it’s the first app workers check in the morning and that last one they check at night. Having visibility of your real-time earnings helps you make better financial decisions every single day.

Why do employees send their HR teams thank-you notes when they have access to On-Demand Pay?  Because without On-Demand Pay, your team members are turning to costly options to make ends meet:  late fees, credit card debt, high overdraft fees or worst case, payday loans. This puts money back in the pocket of workers for the things they need and makes them feel their HR team is on their side.

On-Demand Pay is a solution that helps both workers and employers succeed together. And the best of all for businesses: workers who have control over when they get paid experience reduced absenteeism, longer tenure, and are the first to pick up extra shifts. Leading On-Demand Pay providers seamlessly integrate across HR tech stacks with fast time to impact, quick implementations and no change to payroll and payroll teams.

The onus is now on us to provide workers with benefits that have a truly powerful day-to-day-impact in their lives. It’s now become table stakes for workers. If you are one of the 96% of employers who feel responsible for their employees' financial wellness, then you can no longer wait to provide On-Demand Pay for your employees. Your team members inherently want to succeed for you—but they need our help in getting the tools necessary to bring their best selves to work every day. The choice is now up to you.