How $750 Grants Can Help Solve the $4.7B Productivity Problem
Canary’s first Strengthening the Safety Net report reveals a powerful insight: a median grant of just $750 can significantly ease financial hardship for employees.
The cost of financial stress is staggering — $4.7 billion in lost productivity annually — yet targeted relief makes a measurable difference:
- 59% of highly stressed employees reported lower stress four months after receiving aid.
- 75% said the funds provided crucial “breathing room” during their crisis.
- 92% felt more positive about their employer.
Emergency relief isn’t just a compassionate offering — it’s a smart investment in retention and productivity.
Key Trends to Watch
- a rising demand for natural disaster support: the ability to respond quickly is becoming increasingly vital, and many organizations are finding it challenging to manage these urgent needs internally.
- a surge in housing insecurity-related grant requests: requests related to eviction and forced move are on the rise, reflecting a broader national
concern around housing insecurity. - a growing need for third-party relief funds: third-party relief funds, like Canary’s Grant Circle, are becoming an essential resource for
organizations as their teams face increasingly uncertain times. These
A trusted employee financial health solution for people-first organizations:
"Supporting our employees' financial wellness is essential to strengthening a dynamic, caring global work community in a changing world. We're proud to partner with Canary to offer an employee relief fund that helps our people manage complex financial lives."
“As a company, our mission is to provide the best care to our clients and patients and, to do that, we believe that we must take care of our team members in the same way. That is why we have invested in creating our own employee relief fund to serve our team members when they face qualified financial hardships. We are passionate about creating a safety net for our team during some of life’s most difficult moments.”
"Our fund is making a difference in the lives of our associates, and we appreciate the third-party administration of this fund by Canary to ensure anonymity and integrity of the process."
Read more about Grant Circle,
Canary’s employee relief fund solution
Ready to give your employees access to inclusive financial support?
Talk to our team about how you can ensure your people have access to financial relief when they need it most.
