More employers paying staff to stay ‘fiscally fit’

An increasing number of employers—including SunTrust Banks and Aetna—are giving money and other incentives to workers to encourage them to fund their emergency savings accounts, reduce their debt and attend financial education classes. Among employers with financial wellness programs, 17% offer incentives for participation, up from 10% in 2014, says an International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans report. Example: A Pittsburgh trucking firm gives $56 to workers who contribute at least $19 a week for six months to an emergency savings account without making withdrawals.