The Freedom of Pay, a new study from the Dayforce WorkWell Initiative, looked at how pay frequency shapes workers’ lives far beyond payday. The results show that when workers can access their pay more often, they gain greater agency and control over their lives. The report identified several areas in which employees would benefit most.

Financial health. For workers with poor financial health, small shifts in pay frequency could make a huge difference. Forty percent of all surveyed workers said increasing their pay frequency would help them manage paying bills, but this number rose to 61% for workers who rated their financial health as poor.
Mental health. As many as 43% of all workers surveyed said more frequent pay would be very or extremely helpful to their mental health. This number rose to 55% among those who reported struggling in this area.
More predictable spending. Workers who are paid weekly or biweekly are better able to line up income with recurring expenses such as rent, groceries, child care or prescriptions. This consistency matters, especially for families living paycheck to paycheck.
Equity. Being paid at least once a week was especially important for Black and Latino respondents (two-thirds of whom wanted this option) and respondents younger than 30 (63%). Both groups also were more likely to report that this pay schedule would be very or extremely beneficial to their mental wellness.

Instant Insights /

40% of workers say more frequent pay helps manage bills, study finds

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