New year, new goals: For many people, January 1 marks arecommitment to being our best selves.

This isn’t just limited to being more productive or going to thegym three times a week; it extends to getting into financial shape, and people rely on theiremployer’s benefits package to help get there.

For people seeking help for achieving financial fitness,employers can reassess their benefits and position them in afinancial wellness light to help employees seethe value of what’s already offered.

Here's a deep dive on how to launch a financial wellness programto help ensure a financially healthy 2018 and beyond.

Risk management

Many employers offer basic insurance, like health, life anddisability insurance, to their employees as part of their benefitspackage.

While they’re not the flashiest benefits, they are some of thebest safeguards against any sudden changes to an employee’sfinancial situation thanks to an unexpected life change.

Life insurance gives an employee’s family a cushion to helpmanage debt bear additional costs, and potentially replace lostincome in case the worst should happen.

In addition to preventing minor illnesses from spiraling intomajor health conditions, health insurance protects againstincurring high, unpayable medical bills. Disability insurance isavailable to replace a paycheck if an employee needs an extendedamount of time off work.

Retirement readiness

There are three basic factors that predict how much money anemployee will have in retirement: how much they save, how well theyare diversified, and how much is eroded by fees. And there are twocritical ways employers and employees do both.

Assuming the employer offers a 401(k), the most comprehensivevehicle to allow employees to save for retirement, it shouldconsider adopting an auto-enrollment feature and adding aprofessionally managed account.

Both strategies encourage employees to save more for retirement,be well-diversified, and this eliminates the guesswork fromemployees.

Employers should set the default auto-enrollment contribution tosix percent and bump it up each year until it hits ten percent – nomatter the employees’ salary – to encourage them to save more.

Additionally, by adding a professionally managed account to a401(k), participants are more likely to receive actual advicetailored to their individual situation when they need it.

Company stock offerings

Every employees’ income and personal needs are unique. Eachemployee should be armed with information and specific advice onwhat all their benefits packages mean for them in concert withother potential savings strategies.

One potential savings vehicle for employees might be owningstock in the company for which they work. Employers should considerwhether or not they give employees stock as part of theircompensation package or provide an opportunity to buy companystock, potentially even at a discount. Employees then have adirect interest in the growth and success of the company, whilepotentially rewarding them in ways outside of a paycheck.

Either way, it’s important that employees understand the riskand rewards of owning stock in the company they work. Whileemployers aren’t required to offer advice, they should considerdoing so – and not just offering background materials that willnever be read.

Employers should consider offering a financial advisor to guideadvice across all investing and savings strategies, so that theyhave the employees’ entire financial picture in mind.

Compensation and bonus package

Compensation is an obvious tool to ensure employees arefinancially healthy – bonus packages, too, if it’s an offering thatorganizations are open and able to do.

Compensation and bonus packages are often the only vehicles thatyounger employees look at in regards to their financial picture,but, of course, it shouldn’t be. It’s also critical for employeesto use their salary and bonuses to save at least six months ofexpenses for an emergency fund.

Employers who are deeply committed to the employee financialjourney and employee success should ensure that they’re enablingstaffers to be financially aware and savvy by offering programs andadvice. Financial wellness equates to high productivity, lessabsenteeism, and more engaged workers.

Tom Conlon is Head of Client Relationship Management atBetterment for Business.