Employees facing increased financial stress in week before payday

fastPAYE finds that almost 78% of UK workers are living payday to payday; anxiety likely to affect staff performance in the gaming sector

Almost half of UK workers who get paid monthly experience heightened money-related worries in the run up to payday, according to research by fastPAYE, the flexible wage application for the modern workforce.

Of those surveyed by the company, which launched a revolutionary wage management system last month that enables betting and casino businesses to pay staff wages on demand, 46% said that their financial concerns increased in the week before receiving their monthly wage packet.

This stress can lead to reliance on high interest credit options to tide workers over, with most people turning to credit cards to see them through the prolonged pay period. More than half of respondents admitted to using one often and at least 20% of those turn to plastic every month.

Overdrafts also provide a fallback with 40% going into the red as payday approaches, while a fifth of employees which took part in the research resort to costly payday loans that can have significant financial consequences.

Credit acquired is most spent on groceries according to the survey, shortly followed by bills, leisure activities and house repairs as workers living payday to payday struggle to cover unexpected costs when they arise.

Backed by sister company ShopWorks, a staff management system provider to some of the biggest gaming and betting brands including Betfred, PaddyPower, Gauselmann, Novomatic, Mecca and Grosvenor, fastPAYE’s research emphasises the impact of the four to five-week pay gap can have on employee financial wellbeing.

Commenting on the findings, Ian Hogg, chairman of fastPAYE, said: “The number of people going through financial anxiety because of the outdated monthly wage system often relied on by the gaming sector is concerning, especially considering that with new technology this stress can be lessened.

“Whether you’re a casino and betting company or a large retailer, if a staff member has money-related worries it is likely to affect their performance in the workplace. But by giving employees early access to a proportion of their earned wages, businesses can give workers greater control over their finances and in turn help to harness a happier workforce.”

fastPAYE launched in January this year to provide a cost-efficient, flexible alternative to the outdated monthly wage system. The application enables businesses to offer salary drawdowns based on completed shifts before payday, and since the fastPAYE model isn’t a loan, it charges no interest.

The company has a strong heritage in the gaming sector through ShopWorks, which has years of experience working in the industry, together with the technical expertise and understanding to address operators’ staff recruitment and retention challenges.