Covid cost employers $4.7 billion a week in lost productivity

Workers want better health care benefits once the pandemic is over, according to a survey by BrightPlan.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on employers, with financial stress costing the nation’s employers an estimated $4.7 billion a week, according to a survey by BrightPlan, a financial wellness adviser to retirement plans.

The survey of 1,500 knowledge workers at companies with 1,000 or more employees conducted in April and May, found that companies lost an average of 15.3 hours per week of productivity per employee due to financial stress. What’s more, 20% of employees said their financial health has worsened as a result of the pandemic and 46% said their productivity was lower.

Post-pandemic, 37% of employees responding to the survey said they wanted better health care benefits.

[More: Demand for financial wellness is overwhelming]