Earned wage access, or EWA, is the latest perk that employees expect from businesses in every industry. But it’s impossible to ignore the unique benefits that it offers for employees in specific industries, including home care.

Let’s explore how EWA is specifically necessary in the home care space—and why home care employers should look into this option right away.

Home Care Employee Landscape 

The home care industry is a bit different than other industries in terms of what employees need and expect from employers. In the healthcare industry at large, pre-pandemic employee turnover was at an all-time high. The healthcare industry had the second-highest turnover rates of any industry, with only hospitality ranking higher.

The home care industry also has a higher-than-average percentage of low-income households, with nearly half of home care workers qualifying as “low-income” in 2019. The same 2019 study found that 39% of home care workers lacked affordable housing and 54% relied on some form of public assistance. Low-income employees tend to live paycheck to paycheck and may have an especially hard time coping with unexpected expenses. That’s where Keeper comes in.

Finally, this combination of high turnover and financial stress is especially problematic when patient care is on the line. When you fail to retain long-term employees and your workforce is worried about personal stress on the job, you have the perfect environment for mistakes, oversights, and patient danger. They deserve better!

Home Care Employee Benefits 

Because of this financial dynamic for home care employees, Keeper’s EWA offers benefits that really make a difference. First, home care employees benefit from access to their earned wage funds whenever the need arises. Whether they get an unexpected bill or just spend more than anticipated between pay periods, EWA funds come to the rescue. Before EWA, predatory payday loans were the main option for these situations.

Second, EWA gives employees an improved feeling of support from their employers. Offering this benefit is the perfect way to make sure employees feel proud to work in your organization.

Third, Keeper wants the best for your employees and their financial futures. We’ve designed the platform so that employees don’t arrive at their payday only to realize that that their pay has already been fully withdrawn. Instead, the Keeper app only allows financially responsible cash-outs. In addition, the budgeting and financial wellness tools in the Keeper app helps facilitate budgeting and financial wellness in the long term.

Finally, knowing that EWA is always an option leads to less financial stress for employees. As we all know, stress can spill over into all areas of life, so taking care of this issue at the source is great for employee health and well-being.

Home Care Employer Benefits 

Next, let’s take a look at employer benefits in the home care space. One benefit our Keeper partners love is that they have an easier time filling last-minute shifts with EWA. Why? Employees know that they can access their wages as soon as their shift ends, providing instant gratification that feels much more tangible than waiting until payday.

Because employees are starting to look for companies that offer EWA (especially in home care!), offering this benefit is a great way to stand out from competitors when you’re looking for new employees. Since many elements of the home care space are relatively standard company by company, EWA is a unique selling point.

Employee retention is also improved with EWA benefits. Our data at Keeper shows that retention improves by 25% after onboarding our offering. That’s a huge impact in an industry that desperately needs a retention boost.

Last but not least, for employers that can’t quite get employees to comply with EVV timekeeping, Keeper may be the unexpected solution. Employees can only access wages when they use EVV to clock in and out, so compliance increased by an average of 21% with our service. It’s the perfect way to get employees to switch to the automated process and improve your own bookkeeping internally.

Conclusion 

The home care industry plays a critical role in the health and wellness of our communities. Thankfully, EWA plays a critical role in the health and wellness of home care employees. Everyone wins!