The return is measurable — and almost always larger than the cost of the programme
A financial wellbeing programme delivers return across four distinct channels: reduced turnover costs, recovered productivity, pension and benefits efficiency savings, and employer NI reductions. Across most SME engagements, at least one of these channels alone covers the programme fee within the first twelve months.
Channel 1 — Retention savings
The cost of replacing an employee is the largest single return lever for most organisations. Estimates from the CIPD and others consistently place the cost of replacing a mid-level employee at between 50% and 200% of their annual salary, including recruitment fees, management time, onboarding, and the productivity loss during the transition period.
If a financial wellbeing programme reduces voluntary turnover by even one person per year in a 50-person team, and the average replacement cost is £20,000, the programme has generated a £20,000 return before any other factor is considered. In practice, the reduction is typically more than one person and the saving per leaver is higher.
Channel 2 — Productivity recovery
CIPD research finds that employees under financial stress lose an average of two to three hours of productive working time per week. The calculation is straightforward: number of financially stressed employees multiplied by average hourly cost multiplied by hours lost per week multiplied by working weeks per year.
For a 50-person team where 20 employees report financial stress, at an average hourly cost of £20 and two hours lost per week: 20 × £20 × 2 × 48 = £38,400 per year in lost productive output. Even a 30% reduction in this figure — a conservative estimate for an effective programme — represents over £11,500 in recovered productivity.
Channel 3 — Pension and benefits efficiency
Many SME pension schemes have never been formally reviewed since they were established for auto-enrolment. The combination of unconsolidated schemes, above-market charge rates, and contribution structures that are not optimised for the workforce commonly represents a material recurring cost.
In a recent Aetas engagement with an 85-person business, a pension review identified charge reductions saving £45,000 per year. This was the largest single return channel in that engagement and was identified in the first Audit stage, before any programme commitment was made.
Channel 4 — National Insurance efficiency
Implementing or optimising salary sacrifice pension contributions generates a direct, recurring employer NI saving. At the current 15% employer NI rate, the annual saving on a team of 60 employees contributing an average of £3,000 each through salary sacrifice is approximately £27,000 per year. This saving requires no change to employee net pay or pension outcomes.
Building a simple business case
A credible business case for a financial wellbeing programme needs only three inputs: estimated turnover cost savings, estimated productivity recovery, and estimated pension and NI efficiency gains. The Workplace Performance Audit provides these figures for your specific organisation before you commit to any programme spend.
The standard Aetas approach is to present the net position — programme cost against identified savings — in writing before any engagement begins. In most cases the savings identified in the Audit alone justify the programme fee many times over.
Common questions
How long does it take to see a return?
Some returns are immediate. Pension charge reductions and NI efficiency improvements typically take effect within three to six months of implementation. Productivity and retention improvements build over twelve to eighteen months as the programme embeds. Most employers see a positive net position within the first year.
What if the Audit does not find sufficient savings to justify a programme?
This happens, and when it does we say so. The Workplace Performance Audit is provided at no cost regardless of outcome. If the analysis shows that financial pressure is not materially affecting your workforce, or that the savings do not justify the programme cost, we will tell you that clearly and there is no obligation to proceed.
Can we measure the return ourselves?
Yes — and we would encourage it. The four channels above are all measurable with data your HR and finance functions already hold. We can help you build the framework, run the baseline measurement at the start of the programme, and repeat it at the twelve-month review to demonstrate what has changed.
What is ROEI?
ROEI stands for Return on Employee Investment — the commercial return an organisation generates from its total people cost. Most businesses have never calculated their ROEI, which means they have no baseline against which to measure whether their people spend is performing. The Workplace Performance Audit surfaces this figure for the first time.
Research on the commercial cost of financial stress in the workforce is published by the CIPD. Guidance on workplace pension efficiency and employer auto-enrolment duties is available from The Pensions Regulator. Independent guidance on employee financial wellbeing is available from MoneyHelper.
Get a clear picture of the return before you commit
The Workplace Performance Audit identifies the savings available in your specific organisation before any programme is proposed or costed.
Book a Workplace Performance Audit