What should work make possible for people? A living wage and essential benefits are foundational to financial health, helping workers cover everyday expenses, prepare for the unexpected, and plan for the future. 

While financial services providers may not set wages or determine an employer’s benefits strategy, they shape many of the products workers use to make sense of their financial lives—from bank accounts and retirement platforms to health savings accounts and AI-powered financial guidance. 

This Labor Day, as some of the country’s largest employers pull back on the benefits families depend on, financial services providers are primed to make a meaningful difference. Drawing on Financial Health Network research and conversations from EMERGE 2026, here are five ways providers can move beyond access to improve workers’ financial health. 

Earning a living wage is one of the strongest predictors of higher financial health. Yet even workers earning enough to cover their expenses can face a gap between when income arrives and when bills come due. More than half of Americans (51%) spent as much or more than their income over the past year, leaving little room to absorb unexpected shocks. 

Financial services providers can’t set a living wage, but they can design products that make it easier for workers to manage both income and expenses. Earned wage access (EWA), cash-flow forecasting, and alternatives to traditional overdraft fees can all help workers navigate short-term liquidity needs. 

Chime’s SpotMe offers one example. Built on the premise that cash crunches are a common challenge for millions of consumers, SpotMe provides eligible consumers with fee-free overdraft coverage as an alternative to traditional overdraft fees. Providers who design these products around actual cash-flow patterns, including irregular pay from gig work, variable expenses, and unexpected gaps, add flexibility when workers need it most.

The workplace remains the primary pathway for households to build retirement savings, putting recordkeepers, asset managers, and retirement platforms in a position to meaningfully influence workers’ long-term financial health. 

But offering a retirement plan doesn’t always mean workers will use it. Workers who were offered retirement plans with matching contributions were 21 percentage points more likely to participate than those who were not offered a match. For providers, integrating plan features like employer matching, automatic enrollment, and flexible contribution options can make it easier for workers to participate and save. 

This opportunity also extends beyond plan enrollment. As workers approach retirement, providers can help them navigate increasingly complex decisions through accessible, relevant guidance. Financial Health Network research with Silvur shows how thoughtfully designed digital advisory tools can help older adults engage with retirement planning resources, making key information easier to find.

Healthcare benefits are also financial benefits. Deductibles, premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and employer contributions all shape whether health coverage protects a household financially or becomes another source of financial strain. 

High-deductible health plans, for instance, can leave workers responsible for significant upfront costs. Health savings accounts (HSAs) can help households prepare for those costs, but similarly to retirement accounts, simply having access to an account doesn’t mean workers have the resources they need to use it effectively.

HSA and individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (IHRAs) administrators and benefits platforms have an opportunity to close that gap. Thoughtful product design, employer contributions, and clear communication can make these accounts easier for workers to use, and leave them better equipped to build financial resilience when healthcare expenses arise.

Nearly 1 in 4 workers provide unpaid care to an aging parent, child, or family member, with women shouldering the majority of both childcare and elder care in the U.S. 

Paid leave plays an important role in protecting workers’ financial health when caregiving responsibilities require them to step away from the workplace. Workers with access to paid caregiving leave are far more likely to be Financially Healthy (33% versus 20%) than those without it, and far less likely to be Financially Vulnerable. 

Employers ultimately decide whether paid leave is available, how generous it is, and who qualifies. But financial services and benefits providers can influence whether workers can successfully navigate the financial transition into and out of leave. Income replacement, short-term disability, and leave administration platforms help workers understand what support is available, how much income they can expect, and when payments will arrive.

As employers and their financial services partners lean into new AI tools, the financial stakes are high. If the data feeding those tools only reflects groups who are more likely to be Financially Healthy, these products will simply widen the gap for everyone else. 

Providers building the next generation of AI-powered workplace financial products have a responsibility to design with guardrails in mind. AI tools made for financial services need to be built with representative data, real-world context, and mechanisms to identify where guidance can fall short, especially for vulnerable populations.