Money worries are following many employees into the workday

A new Q2 2026 survey released by TELUS Health reports that cost of living was the leading financial concern among surveyed U.S. workers. The company says 64% reported money-related anxiety, while 15% said financial stress was hurting their productivity. Nearly one-third also said they did not feel safe discussing mental-health concerns with a manager.

These are self-reported survey findings from a workplace-health company, so they describe the respondents and do not establish that financial anxiety directly caused lower productivity. Still, they raise a useful question about whether workplaces treat money stress as part of employee wellbeing rather than a private failure.

Source: TELUS Health Mental Health Index release, September 2, 2026: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/telus-mental-health-index-cost-of-living-is-the-top-money-worry-for-58-percent-of-us-workers-as-financial-anxiety-hits-workplace-productivity-302866026.html

What kind of workplace support would feel genuinely useful when financial pressure is affecting concentration?