3 ways to support financial literacy beyond April

Today is the last day of Financial Literacy Month. Make sure you're prioritizing financial wellness year-round with these top tips from employers and HR leaders:

HELP GEN Z GET THEIR FINANCES IN ORDER: Eighty-five percent of all employees are stressed about their finances, according to a recent survey conducted by financial wellness platform BrightPlan . Meanwhile, 86% of Gen Z are stressed about their financial situation, and lose eight hours of productivity a week — an hour more than the average. Much of that has to do with the fact that young professionals are facing unprecedented challenges like student loan debt, earning less early in their career, finding or keeping a job with economic uncertainty, trying to buy a first home, starting a family, or having young children.

"Emerging professionals have limited experience — if any — on how to navigate an economic downturn," says Joe Vangsgard, the chief marketing officer at BrightPlan. "Financial literacy is the lowest for Gen Z, too, so they tend to leverage friends, family, co-workers and social media for financial advice, which often results in serious financial mistakes, further setting back their ability to manage their money and work toward building wealth."?

Here's how to improve their financial outlook: Why 86% of Gen Z is stressed about their finances

COMBINE FINANCIAL WELLNESS WITH MENTAL HEALTH: The latest push on financial wellness has many advisers and employers alike doubting if it's just another trend.?A competitive labor market combined with integrations with payroll and other platforms have made it easier than ever to offer new solutions with little overhead. Entire new categories such as mental health have not only become normalized, but also gave way to new subcategories.?The real goal should be financial well-being, writes Sid Pailla, CEO of the Sunny Day Fund ?? .

Here's how to make this happen with the right combination of benefits: Why pushing beyond financial wellness to well-being matters

SUPPORT EVERYONE AT WORK: When employees are financially insecure, everything from mental wellness to work productivity can suffer. While benefits around saving and retirement can help everyone, employers should also recognize that each generation may need more specific support.???

"Everybody's at a different starting point, so it's really important to learn the ways in which financial illiteracy can hurt you," says David Straughan, a financial expert with MarketWatch Guides. "That can be everything from getting loans that have higher interest rates than you need to be paying, or paying for overdrafts and late payments which can impact your credit."?

Catch up on what employees in each age group need to improve their financial wellness: Struggling to support 4 generations with their financial well-being? Here's where to start