EXCLUSIVE: Multinational engineering and design organisation Arup has launched a digital financial wellness tool for its 5,700 UK employees.
The online tool, which was launched on 22 March 2019, will be provided to UK-based staff, who are spread across 16 offices, for one year. Following this period, Arup plans to assess how best to move forward with the programme and roll it out further.
The initiative has been introduced with the goal of helping employees make sound financial decisions, and encouraging positive behaviours such as long-term saving and financial planning. The organisation is providing this in recognition of the role financial wellness has to play as a contributing factor to overall employee health and wellbeing.
Supplied by financial education provider Nudge, the tool will provide UK employees with a personalised platform, through which they can access financial education posts, as well as building action plans relating to their own specific goals.
The tool will also send out personalised notifications, providing tips, guidance and suggested actions that fit with lifestyle, legislative or organisational developments. Employees can choose to receive these via email, text or WhatsApp message.
Rachel Beattie, head of reward, UK, India, Middle East and Africa (UKIMEA) at Arup, said: “Financial wellbeing is an important factor in overall wellbeing. Offering personalised financial education will help our people to make sound financial decisions and encourage all important behaviours such as long-term saving.
“Communicating this information via email, WhatsApp or text message means that we can engage with our people more simply, quickly and effectively than ever before. [This service] supports our people whenever and wherever they [need] it.”
The launch of the digital tool was communicated to employees using a series of face-to-face presentations and masterclasses. These took place at the Arup offices in Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, London Manchester, Newcastle and Solihull. Information was also provided using email, video, flyer and intranet campaigns.
