To explore how organisations can support financial wellbeing, we spoke to Jenny Wright, Regional Partnership Manager at the Money and Pensions Service and a member of the Leeds Mindful Employer Network Employer Steering Group; Diane Beckett, Rewards and Benefits Assistant at Medical Protection Society; and Cat Hardy, Talent Partner at Axiologik. Together, they share why financial wellbeing matters, how they're supporting their people, and what other organisations can learn from their experiences.

Why Talk Money Week Matters

Jenny Wright, Regional Partnership Manager, Money and Pensions Service

Could you introduce Talk Money Week and explain what the campaign is hoping to achieve?

Talk Money Week is an annual campaign that encourages people to have more open conversations about money. Organised by Money and Pensions Service and supported by a wide range of organisations across the UK, the campaign aims to break down the stigma that can surround financial matters and help people feel more comfortable seeking support when they need it.

Money affects many aspects of our lives, including our relationships, physical health and mental wellbeing. Yet many people still find it difficult to talk about financial concerns. Talk Money Week creates an opportunity to start conversations, share experiences and remind people that support is available. Ultimately, the campaign is about helping people feel more informed, connected and confident in managing their finances.

This year's theme is It All Counts. What does that mean, and why is the focus on realistic, manageable actions particularly important at the moment?

The theme It All Counts recognises that when it comes to money, even small steps can make a meaningful difference. For many people, financial challenges can feel overwhelming, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty or rising living costs. The idea behind the theme is that you do not need to make major changes overnight. Small actions, such as checking a bank statement, reviewing a household bill, starting a conversation about money, or seeking advice, can all contribute to improving financial wellbeing.

This focus is especially important because financial pressures can leave people feeling stressed, anxious or stuck. Encouraging realistic and manageable actions can help people build confidence, reduce feelings of overwhelm and create positive momentum. Celebrating small achievements reminds people that progress does not have to be perfect to be valuable.

Why can talking more openly about money make such a difference to people's financial wellbeing and their wider mental health?

Money worries are one of the most common sources of stress and can have a significant impact on mental health. When people feel unable to discuss financial concerns, those worries can become isolating and harder to manage.

Open conversations about money can help reduce shame and stigma, allowing people to realise that they are not alone in their experiences. Talking about finances can also help people access practical support, learn from others and make more informed decisions.

There is a strong connection between financial wellbeing and mental wellbeing. Feeling more in control of finances can reduce stress and anxiety, while improved mental health can make it easier to engage with financial planning and decision-making. Creating spaces where people can talk honestly about money supports both aspects of wellbeing.

Why do employers have an important role to play in helping people feel more confident seeking information or support about money?

Employers are uniquely placed to support financial wellbeing because the workplace is where many people spend a significant part of their time. Financial concerns do not stay at home; they often affect concentration, performance, confidence and overall wellbeing at work.

By creating a culture where conversations about money are normalised and support is visible, employers can help reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help earlier. This does not mean employers need to become financial experts. Rather, they can act as facilitators by signposting trusted sources of information, promoting employee support services and encouraging open conversations about wellbeing.

When employers demonstrate that financial wellbeing matters, it helps create a more supportive and inclusive workplace where people feel comfortable accessing the help they need.

What practical activities could employers of different sizes undertake during Talk Money Week, including those with limited time or resources?

There are many ways employers can get involved, regardless of their size or available resources. Here is the link to our Talk Money Week Toolkit .

Some simple ideas include:

• Sharing MoneyHelper resources through internal communications, newsletters or staff intranets.

• Encouraging managers to start wellbeing conversations that include financial wellbeing.

• Hosting a lunch-and-learn session focused on money and wellbeing.

• Inviting colleagues to share useful budgeting, saving or financial wellbeing tips.

• Promoting employee benefits, salary sacrifice schemes or financial wellbeing support that staff may not know about.

• Running a question-and-answer session with a trusted financial wellbeing partner or adviser.

• Displaying posters or digital messages that encourage people to seek support.

For smaller organisations or those with limited capacity, even a simple message acknowledging Talk Money Week and signposting available resources can have a positive impact. The most important thing is creating opportunities for people to reflect on their finances and know where to go if they need support.

Building a Financial Wellbeing Strategy that Makes a Difference

Diane Beckett, Reward and Benefits Assistant, Medical Protection Society

Tell us a bit about you and your role at Medical Protection Society

Our Reward and Benefits team work from the Leeds Head Office supporting nearly 1000 colleagues worldwide.  We have office locations in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa and the UK (Leeds and London), with colleagues also working in the Caribbean, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore. We operate as a not-for-profit organisation serving more than 300,000 members.

Why has financial wellbeing become such an important part of supporting employees at Medical Protection Society?

At Medical Protection Society, wellbeing has always been a key priority, and we’re committed to supporting colleagues through a wide range of benefits that make a real difference to their lives.

More than three years ago, we launched our financial wellbeing strategy in response to the rising cost of living. While the original drivers may have evolved, financial wellbeing remains just as relevant today. Ongoing economic uncertainty has kept money matters high on the agenda for many people, so ensuring colleagues have access to practical support, education and resources continues to be a key focus for us.

What financial wellbeing support have you introduced, and how have you encouraged employees to engage with it?

We’ve developed a broad range of financial wellbeing initiatives designed to support colleagues at different stages of life and in different circumstances.

We partner with Leeds Credit Union, enabling colleagues to save directly from payroll and access ethical, affordable loans.  Savings products directly from payroll deductions including a Christmas savings scheme, help support planning ahead and spread the cost of seasonal spending.

Offering a free mortgage advice service has helped colleagues secure almost £1.9 million in mortgage support.

Through our benefits platform, colleagues can also access SmartTech loans in partnership with Currys, allowing them to purchase essential household technology through 12 interest-free payroll deductions. This can be particularly helpful when unexpected replacements are needed and has been very popular with parents who have had to buy essential technology for children in education.

Alongside practical financial support, we actively promote free and impartial financial education through trusted providers, including Money Helper, HSBC and our pension partners, helping colleagues build confidence in managing their finances.

We also offer a comprehensive range of everyday savings opportunities, including cashback, retail discounts, supermarket savings, and discounted gym memberships. In addition, our participation in the Leeds City Council corporate discount scheme has proved particularly popular with colleagues.

Supporting affordable travel and commuting is another important part of our approach. We offer cycle-to-work schemes, access to city bike hire initiatives, train season ticket loans and discounted travel through a few Yorkshire bus operators.

Pensions remain a significant area of focus. We have a dedicated pension committee made up of colleague representatives who help drive awareness and engagement, working to help colleagues make informed decisions about their retirement planning no matter what stage of their career they are in.

Having all this support accessible through a single benefits platform has made a huge difference. Colleagues can easily explore, understand, and access their financial wellbeing benefits whenever they need them.

What impact have you seen so far, and what have you learned that could help other employers?

Over the last three years, we've seen consistently positive engagement across our financial wellbeing initiatives.

We track participation through applications, platform usage and colleague feedback, and the continued uptake demonstrates that colleagues value having access to a variety of financial support options. Our annual engagement survey also includes questions focused on financial wellbeing and benefits, giving us valuable insight into what is working well and where we can continue to improve.

One of the highlights came in 2024, when our benefits provider, Reward Gateway, introduced a new Best Financial Support Strategy for Employees category in its annual awards. We were delighted to win the award, particularly as we were shortlisted alongside several much larger organisations.

Perhaps our biggest learning has been the value of being open-minded and creative. Many of the initiatives we've introduced have required little or no financial investment, relying instead on partnerships, collaboration and a willingness to explore different ways of supporting colleagues.

How will you be marking Talk Money Week 2026?

This year, our focus will be on pension engagement, building on the Talk Money Week theme of “It All Counts.”

We’re planning a series of interactive quizzes and activities that teams can enjoy together, helping colleagues test and improve their pension knowledge in a fun and engaging way.

We’ll also be highlighting the concept of benefit stacking. For example, using one of our reloadable supermarket discount cards can generate significant savings over the course of a year. Those savings could then be redirected into increased pension contributions, helping colleagues boost their long-term retirement planning without increasing their overall spending.

It’s a great example of how small financial decisions today can contribute to greater financial security in the future.

Breaking down the Stigma around Money Conversations

Cat Hardy,Talent Partner, Axiologik

 Tell us a bit about you and your role at Axiologik

 I’m the Talent Partner here at Axiologik, a tech-for-good digital consultancy specialising in large scale digital transformation projects. I’m part of a 3 person People team where I own our end to end hiring and onboarding processes; and am actively involved with how we implement and evolve our DEI processes and support mental health and wellbeing within the organisation.

Why is financial wellbeing an area that Axiologik is looking to develop further?

It’s an area often forgotten about but is I believe on everyone’s mind and can cause an untold amount of stress and strain on people’s cognitive workload and mental health. Speaking from past experience and not having access to this sort of knowledge and support, I think it’s really important to share knowledge on financial wellbeing as it’s not something that is often discussed openly; and I’ve really benefitted from having access and points of reference to go to for my own past circumstances. It’s not necessarily something you can get educated on through school and not actively given through work unless you know who to ask and where to go for the answers, which can be a blocker.

You are planning a financial wellbeing webinar with Jenny. What prompted this, and what do you hope employees will gain from the session?

The session Jenny presented at the Leeds Mindful Employer Network Conference this year in May was useful and insightful, and the way she delivered it was very safe and open, with no judgement. I knew the topics she was discussing (pensions, saving money on bills, getting vouchers etc) would be interesting to a lot of our workforce and be useful.

How do you hope this work will contribute to employees’ wellbeing and to a culture in which people feel able to seek support without judgement?

I think talking about finances does have that old fashioned stigma attached to it as not being a safe topic to discuss, and I believe by openly talking, asking questions and providing the services and points of reference, we can break down that stigma and ensure we’re evolving those safe environments where people can talk and feel better for it. Money, cost of living etc is a silent stress indicator, I think uncovering the bias and removing some of the blockers by openly engaging with these services and actively offering out the details, more people will feel comfortable utilising them and relieve some, if not all the stress they’re feeling when it comes to financial wellbeing.

What are your priorities in terms of promoting financial wellbeing at work for the year ahead?

Encouraging people to use the services, educate themselves and their family on what financial wellbeing is and help remove some of that existing stigma.

Be more open at work if there are challenges or anxieties regarding financial wellbeing and encouraging those people to reach out to our Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) where they can be directed to the appropriate services or person as well as other cause for concerns.

Keeping the Conversation Going Beyond Talk Money Week

Jenny Wright, Money and Pensions Service

Where can employers find MoneyHelper's free resources and support, and how can they continue these conversations beyond Talk Money Week?

Employers can access a wide range of free resources, tools and guidance through MoneyHelper's website https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en . These resources are designed to help organisations promote financial wellbeing and encourage meaningful conversations about money throughout Talk Money Week and beyond.

However, financial wellbeing should not be treated as a once-a-year topic. Employers can continue the conversation by regularly sharing trusted information, including financial wellbeing within broader wellbeing programmes, training managers to signpost support and routinely reminding staff about available resources.

Creating an ongoing culture of openness around money can help people feel more comfortable seeking support whenever they need it. Small conversations held throughout the year can make a lasting difference to employees' financial confidence, resilience and mental wellbeing.

Thanks so much to Jenny, Diane and Cat for contributing to this blog.

Useful Links

Find out more about Talk Money Week 2026

Download the 2026 Participation Pack

Check out MoneyHelper Resources

Explore Financial Wellbeing in the Workplace: The Essential Guide for Employers from MaPs