‘Deskless’ workers need support with workplace benefits

Not every employee in a business sits behind a desk. How do employers engage and support “deskless” workers in their selection and use of workplace benefits? A panel discussed some strategies during Employee Benefit Research Institute Financial Well-being Symposium.

Deskless workers are a large and essential segment of the global workforce, representing between 70% and 80% of employees worldwide, said Kathy Slovin, vice president at Fidelity Investments. They include safety and security personnel, manufacturing workers, health care workers, hospitality workers, and construction workers.

Despite the diversity of roles, many deskless jobs share common characteristics. They include limited access to cell phones and technology during the workday, irregular schedules and hours, and lack of a centralized office location.

Slovin suggested several ways in which employers can engage these deskless employees with workplace benefits. They include collaborating with their benefits provider, using in-person communication, considering incentives, and leveraging frontline managers and influencers.

Deskless employees often overlooked

David John, senior strategic policy advisor with AARP Public Policy Institute, presented the results of a recent study that showed deskless employees are often overlooked in financial wellness offerings.

The study found employers struggle to engage deskless employees in workplace wellness offerings. Some reasons include:

• Most financial wellness programs are digital and designed for desktop use.
• Deskless jobs often involve inconsistent hours or physical labor, making it difficult for workers to attend webinars, workshops or lunch-and-learn sessions.
• Physical exhaustion and frontline demands often leave little time and energy for optional financial education.

John said the study showed the majority of workers who are less financially healthy expressed interest in financial wellness resources, and it is this group that may need the most help.

Employees who were most in need of help were those who are deskless, lower income (annual income between $40,000 and $64,000) and with a high school education or lower.

Deskless employees face a fear of financial insufficiency, limited liquid assets and lack of short-term and long-term planning. Their barriers to engagement with financial wellness benefits include confidentiality and privacy concerns, lack of relevant content, and limited time during the workday. The study recommended that employers can engage deskless workers through emails and workplace posters, on-demand mobile videos and after-work nudges.

Deskless employees need answers to three financial wellness questions, John said.

“How do I save for retirement, how do a manage my debt and how do I save for an emergency?”

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Susan Rupe is editor in chief, magazine, for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at susan.rupe@innfeedback.com.