Midlife health support and financial wellbeing education are becoming critical retention tools for UK employers

Midlife health support and financial wellbeing education are becoming critical retention tools for UK employers

New research linking midlife health support to employee retention highlights the growing importance of financial wellbeing education in UK workplaces. This article explores how structured e-learning can help employers reduce financial stress, improve engagement and strengthen long-term loyalty.

Published:

Midlife Health, Retention and the Role of Financial Wellbeing Education in UK Workplaces

A pair of recent articles, one from LiveCareer UK and the other from Workplace Journal, have put a number on something many HR teams already suspect: 91% of women said they would be more likely to stay with an employer that actively supports midlife health needs. That figure comes from LiveCareer UK’s Midlife Divide Report, and it ought to make anyone responsible for retention sit up.

A quick caveat. The survey behind that headline was conducted among 898 working women in the United States, not the UK. But the themes it raises are ones that UK workplaces are wrestling with right now, and arguably with even more urgency given recent legislative changes: the link between midlife support and loyalty, the gap between what employees need and what employers offer.

What the research actually found

The LiveCareer data paints a detailed picture. Flexible schedules came out on top (58%) as the most valued form of support, closely followed by paid leave or mental health days (56%) and more women in leadership roles (54%). Manager training on menopause was cited by 37%, and 23% felt menopause remains misunderstood and poorly addressed at work.

What stood out most, though, was how many women are managing on their own. In the absence of workplace support, 58% turned to therapy or mental health services, the same proportion made changes to exercise or diet, 52% used HRT or other medication, and 29% adjusted their work hours. Fewer than 2% said symptoms hadn’t affected their work at all.

Two-thirds said both gender and age shaped how seriously their health concerns were taken. That’s a culture problem, not just a policy gap.

The UK picture on midlife and work

We don’t need to rely solely on American data here. The CIPD’s own research into menopause in the workplace, based on a survey of over 2,000 women aged 40 to 60 in the UK, found that two-thirds of those experiencing symptoms said the effects at work were mostly negative. Over half could think of a time they’d been unable to go in because of their symptoms. And one in six had considered leaving their job because of a lack of support.

There’s a regulatory dimension too. The Employment Rights Act now requires organisations with more than 250 employees to publish menopause action plans; voluntary submission to a Government portal opens in spring 2026, with mandatory reporting following in 2027. Research by VinciWorks suggests only 29% of organisations have committed to publishing a plan on schedule. Meanwhile, 74% of the HR and compliance professionals they surveyed said menopause needs stronger legal protection at work. The gap between where the law is heading and where most employers currently stand is considerable.

Where financial wellbeing fits in

Here’s the part that often gets overlooked. Midlife isn’t just a health moment. It’s a financial one. Mortgages, school fees, ageing parents, pension contributions that suddenly feel more real and more urgent. Layer health challenges on top of that and you’ve got a compounding effect: someone who’s already anxious about money is going to find it much harder to cope with everything else.

The UK data on financial stress at work is stark. The Zellis Financial Wellbeing Report 2025, which surveyed 2,500 employees and 500 business leaders across the UK and Ireland, found that 89% said financial stress had affected their working lives. Almost half said it made concentrating harder. More than a quarter said it reduced their productivity outright.

The CIPD’s Good Work Index 2025 tells a similar story: 31% of employees said money worries had negatively affected their performance. For those earning under £40,000, it was 37%. Sleep loss, stress-related health problems, difficulty making decisions - the effects show up across the board.

And yet, according to the CIPD’s Reward Management survey, just 18% of organisations have a financial wellbeing policy in place. Only a fifth more were planning to introduce one. That’s a remarkable disconnect between the scale of the problem and the level of response.

Education as a practical response

Employers don’t need to overhaul their entire benefits programme to make a difference. One of the most practical steps is structured financial wellbeing education - the kind that helps people actually understand what they’ve got, what they’re building towards, and what their options are.

The evidence backs this up. Zellis found that employees who had access to financial wellbeing tools and used them regularly reported lower financial stress. 78% said they contribute more to the business when they feel confident about their finances. The CIPD found that in organisations with a financial wellbeing policy, 76% of employees felt in control of their finances compared with 64% where no such policy existed. Those with a policy were also far more likely to say their pay was enough to save for retirement (61% versus 41%).

E-learning makes this kind of education scalable. It can cover:

  • Understanding workplace pensions and employer contributions
  • Planning for retirement at different life stages
  • Budgeting through changing household circumstances
  • Long-term savings and financial resilience
  • Navigating life events like divorce, bereavement, caring responsibilities, etc. that affect financial planning

For someone in their forties or fifties, education that explains how pension growth works, what drawdown options look like, and how to assess whether they’re on track can be genuinely reassuring. When people understand what they’re receiving from their employer, they tend to value it more, and that matters for retention.

The retention argument

The LiveCareer findings are clear: meaningful support during midlife influences whether people stay. Financial wellbeing education is part of that picture.

The CIPD has found that 59% of UK employees think it’s important their employer has a financial wellbeing policy, and 65% said it would influence their choice of next employer. The Money and Pensions Service reports that over two-thirds of employees want more financial support from their employer. These aren’t fringe expectations: they’re becoming mainstream.

For SMEs, where budgets are tighter, e-learning is particularly useful. It avoids the cost of repeated in-person workshops while giving every employee access to the same reliable content. For larger organisations, it ensures consistency across sites and departments - something that’s going to matter when menopause action plans come under scrutiny.

A stage to invest in, not just manage

It’s easy to frame midlife as a risk, a period when experienced people might walk out the door. But it’s also the stage where employees bring the deepest expertise, the most developed judgement, and the kind of institutional knowledge that’s genuinely hard to replace.

Financial wellbeing education doesn’t replace medical support or HR policy. But it fills a gap that most organisations haven’t addressed yet. By helping employees understand pensions, savings and their long-term options, employers reduce the anxiety that builds when people don’t know where they stand.

For HR teams looking at the LiveCareer and Workplace Journal reporting, the takeaway isn’t just about writing another policy. It’s about education, communication and building the kind of confidence that keeps good people in the building.

How Aspina supports employers

Aspina provides structured e-learning focused on financial wellbeing and workplace pensions. Our modules are built to help employees get to grips with topics like pension contributions, retirement planning, budgeting through life changes, and understanding their workplace benefits, in plain language, without jargon.

For organisations looking to strengthen their midlife support, or preparing for the menopause action plan requirements ahead, financial education is one of the most practical and scalable places to start.

Sources