{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"161989","rtpr_id":"nBw35Nlga-20261006","ticker":"ALIT","exchange":"NYSE","all_tickers":["ALIT"],"title":"Better Wellbeing, Bigger Worries: Alight Research Finds Financial Stress and Healthcare Complexity Continue to Challenge Employees","author":"Business Wire","published_at":"2026-10-06T13:05:00.214Z","article_body":"Better Wellbeing, Bigger Worries: Alight Research Finds Financial Stress and\nHealthcare Complexity Continue to Challenge Employees\n\nThe 2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study finds 45% of employees worry their\nmoney and savings won’t last and 67% regret a healthcare decision they made\nin the past year, highlighting the business imperative for employers to help\nworkers navigate their benefits.\n\nWhile employees report feeling more positive about their wellbeing, the gains\ntell only part of the story. According to research released today by Alight\n(NYSE: ALIT), financial and healthcare challenges still affect the workforce,\nand employees want support that makes these difficult decisions easier. Clear\ncommunication and practical guidance matter most when employees are making\ndecisions that affect their health, security, work and families.\n\nThe 2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alight.com%2Fthought-leadership%2F2026-alight-employee-mindset-study%3Futm_source%3Dleads%26utm_medium%3Dweb%26utm_campaign%3Dmindset_study_us_report_2026_ga%26utm_content%3DPR&esheet=54616768&newsitemid=20261006004320&lan=en-US&anchor=2026+Alight+U.S.+Employee+Mindset+Study&index=1&md5=a05b438b78f1040597548a732285f860)\n, a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. employees, finds that more employees are\nstruggling with financial uncertainty and healthcare regret. As many as 45% of\nemployees worry the money they have or save won’t last. As well, 67%\nregretted a healthcare decision in the past year, up six percentage points\nfrom 2025 and nine percentage points from 2024.\n\nAs U.S. workers navigate financial uncertainty, rising healthcare costs and\ncomplex benefits decisions, providing benefits alone may not be enough.\nEmployees increasingly need quality support at the right moments to understand\nand use those benefits effectively to help them make more confident decisions\nabout their health, finances and critical life events.\n\n“The findings from this year’s U.S. Employee Mindset Study reinforce a\nsimple but important truth: employees crave support that helps them lead\nhealthier and more financially secure lives,” said Laine Thomas Conway,\nEngagement and Enablement Leader for Delivery at Alight. “Employers can make\na meaningful difference by helping employees navigate complex decisions with\ngreater confidence and communicating their benefits strategically. When people\nfeel fully supported across the spectrum of benefits, they are better\npositioned to improve their wellbeing, strengthen their financial future and\nbring their best selves to work.”\n\nKey findings from the 2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study\n\nFinancial wellbeing is closely tied to productivity and retention\n\nFinancial pressures persist among employees, driven by overall economic\ninstability. The study indicates that half of all U.S. employees feel their\nfinances control their lives, while 41% say they are just getting by\nfinancially. The impact extends beyond finances, with the report showing a\nclear connection between financial wellbeing and the employee experience.\n\nThe workplace implications are significant. Employees with high financial\nwellbeing scores are 20 percentage points more likely to report being always\nor often productive at work than those with low financial wellbeing. While\nonly 32% of employees with high financial wellbeing report being open to other\njob opportunities, that figure climbs to 55% among those with low financial\nwellbeing.\n\nFor employers, the findings suggest that financial wellbeing is more than an\nindividual employee concern. Helping employees feel more financially secure\ncan also support a more productive, engaged and stable workforce.\n\nHealthcare regret is increasing as employees struggle with complex decisions\n\nHealthcare decisions are another growing source of uncertainty. Sixty-seven\npercent of U.S. employees regretted a healthcare decision in the past year, up\nsix percentage points from 2025 and nine percentage points from 2024.\n\nWhile the reasons vary, turning to non-medical professionals for advice or not\nasking questions at all before jumping into treatment top the list. What’s\nmore, 55% of respondents who needed a healthcare service in the past year\ndidn’t receive it, most often due to cost and long wait times.\n\nFor employers, the findings underscore the importance of helping employees\nbetter understand and navigate the benefits and resources already available to\nthem. When employees know where to find trusted support, they are more likely\nto use their benefits effectively instead of relying on guidance that may be\nunreliable or putting care on hold due to financial pressures, enabling more\ninformed healthcare decisions when it matters most.\n\nEmployees are worried about taking a leave of absence—and some aren't taking\nleave they need.\n\nFinancial and job-related uncertainty is also influencing employees’\ndecisions about taking leaves of absence. More than half (51%) believe taking\na leave could affect their career advancement, and 36% did not take a leave\nthey needed. Beyond economic and job stability concerns, 32% of U.S. employees\nwho did not take needed leave said the process was too difficult.\n\nEmployers have an opportunity to better support employees during critical life\nevents by simplifying the leave experience and providing navigation that\nguides employees throughout the process—from planning a leave of absence to\naccessing their benefits.\n\nAI use—and comfort—is increasing in the workplace\n\nU.S. employees are feeling hopeful about AI and the impact it is having on the\nworkplace, signaling a growing comfort with these tools. The U.S. Employee\nMindset Study found:\n\n * 64% of respondents report using AI at work at least once a week, while 28% use\nAI every day.\n * 53% are confident they can keep their stills relevant as AI grows.\n * More employees are hopeful (40%) or excited (38%) than concerned (23%) or\nsuspicious (21%) of AI.\nThe U.S. study’s findings also suggest that employees are embracing employer\nimplementation of AI tools in benefits communication. In fact, 65% of workers\nwould be interested in receiving personalized messaging from their employer\naround certain benefits and programs.\n\nTogether, these findings point to an opportunity for employers to blend\ntechnology with human expertise to make benefits easier to understand, more\npersonalized and more useful when employees need them most.\n\n“The conversation around benefits is evolving. Success is no longer measured\nby the breadth of benefits offered, but by the outcomes they help deliver,”\nsaid Rohit Verma, CEO at Alight. “Organizations invest significantly in\nbenefits, but where the investment delivers returns is when employees can make\ninformed, independent decisions that improve their health, financial security\nand overall wellbeing. As workforce needs become more complex, employers have\nan opportunity to use data-driven insights, personalization and scalable\nsupport models to help employees take action with confidence. The result is a\nworkforce that is healthier, more productive and better positioned for\nlong-term success.”\n\nAbout this study\n\nAlight’s annual Employee Mindset Study examines the current state of\nemployee wellbeing, workplace culture, total rewards and technology—with\ninsights garnered directly from the employees. These findings empower\nemployers to enhance their wellbeing and workplace strategies, ultimately\nboosting competitiveness, engagement, productivity and performance.\n\nFor the 16th annual 2026 U.S. Employee Mindset Study, we surveyed 2,500 U.S.\nemployees, working both full- and part-time for organizations with a minimum\nof 1,000 employees. Collected during May and June 2026, this diverse sample\nreflects a wide range of demographics and employment segments.\n\nAdditionally, for the first time, the Employee Mindset Study expanded to\nCanada, surveying 1,000 employees and producing a dedicated Canadian Employee\nMindset Report\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alight.com%2Fen-ca%2Fthought-leadership%2F2026-alight-canada-employee-mindset-study&esheet=54616768&newsitemid=20261006004320&lan=en-US&anchor=Canadian+Employee+Mindset+Report&index=2&md5=f13e6c6fc65dd096509cea08756b701c)\n. Similar themes are found among Canadian workers along with an even greater\ndesire for employer support and resources. The Canadian study also explores\ntopics specific to the benefits landscape in Canada, offering targeted\ninsights into employees’ unique needs and expectations.\n\nAbout Alight Solutions\n\nAlight is a leading benefits administration provider of health, wealth, leave\nand point solutions for many of the world’s largest organizations and over\n30 million people. Through the administration of employee benefits, Alight\nhelps clients gain a benefits advantage while building a healthy and\nfinancially secure workforce by unifying the benefits ecosystem across health,\nwealth, wellbeing, absence management and navigation. Our Alight Worklife®\nplatform empowers employers to gain a deeper understanding of their workforce\nand engage them throughout life’s most important moments with personalized\nbenefits management and data-driven insights, leading to increased employee\nwellbeing, engagement and productivity. Learn more at alight.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Falight.com&esheet=54616768&newsitemid=20261006004320&lan=en-US&anchor=alight.com&index=3&md5=369ecb9c147e0ff868a73b3018f88229)\n.\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006004320/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006004320/en/)\n\nMedia Contact\nTara Patwardhan\nmediarelations@alight.com (mailto:mediarelations@alight.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nBw35Nlga-20261006","title":"Better Wellbeing, Bigger Worries: Alight Research Finds Financial Stress and Healthcare Complexity Continue to Challenge Employees","author":"Business Wire","ticker":"ALIT","created":"2026-10-06T13:05:00.214Z","tickers":["ALIT"],"exchange":"NYSE","article_body":"Better Wellbeing, Bigger Worries: Alight Research Finds Financial Stress and\nHealthcare Complexity Continue to Challenge Employees\n\nThe 2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study finds 45% of employees worry their\nmoney and savings won’t last and 67% regret a healthcare decision they made\nin the past year, highlighting the business imperative for employers to help\nworkers navigate their benefits.\n\nWhile employees report feeling more positive about their wellbeing, the gains\ntell only part of the story. According to research released today by Alight\n(NYSE: ALIT), financial and healthcare challenges still affect the workforce,\nand employees want support that makes these difficult decisions easier. Clear\ncommunication and practical guidance matter most when employees are making\ndecisions that affect their health, security, work and families.\n\nThe 2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alight.com%2Fthought-leadership%2F2026-alight-employee-mindset-study%3Futm_source%3Dleads%26utm_medium%3Dweb%26utm_campaign%3Dmindset_study_us_report_2026_ga%26utm_content%3DPR&esheet=54616768&newsitemid=20261006004320&lan=en-US&anchor=2026+Alight+U.S.+Employee+Mindset+Study&index=1&md5=a05b438b78f1040597548a732285f860)\n, a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. employees, finds that more employees are\nstruggling with financial uncertainty and healthcare regret. As many as 45% of\nemployees worry the money they have or save won’t last. As well, 67%\nregretted a healthcare decision in the past year, up six percentage points\nfrom 2025 and nine percentage points from 2024.\n\nAs U.S. workers navigate financial uncertainty, rising healthcare costs and\ncomplex benefits decisions, providing benefits alone may not be enough.\nEmployees increasingly need quality support at the right moments to understand\nand use those benefits effectively to help them make more confident decisions\nabout their health, finances and critical life events.\n\n“The findings from this year’s U.S. Employee Mindset Study reinforce a\nsimple but important truth: employees crave support that helps them lead\nhealthier and more financially secure lives,” said Laine Thomas Conway,\nEngagement and Enablement Leader for Delivery at Alight. “Employers can make\na meaningful difference by helping employees navigate complex decisions with\ngreater confidence and communicating their benefits strategically. When people\nfeel fully supported across the spectrum of benefits, they are better\npositioned to improve their wellbeing, strengthen their financial future and\nbring their best selves to work.”\n\nKey findings from the 2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study\n\nFinancial wellbeing is closely tied to productivity and retention\n\nFinancial pressures persist among employees, driven by overall economic\ninstability. The study indicates that half of all U.S. employees feel their\nfinances control their lives, while 41% say they are just getting by\nfinancially. The impact extends beyond finances, with the report showing a\nclear connection between financial wellbeing and the employee experience.\n\nThe workplace implications are significant. Employees with high financial\nwellbeing scores are 20 percentage points more likely to report being always\nor often productive at work than those with low financial wellbeing. While\nonly 32% of employees with high financial wellbeing report being open to other\njob opportunities, that figure climbs to 55% among those with low financial\nwellbeing.\n\nFor employers, the findings suggest that financial wellbeing is more than an\nindividual employee concern. Helping employees feel more financially secure\ncan also support a more productive, engaged and stable workforce.\n\nHealthcare regret is increasing as employees struggle with complex decisions\n\nHealthcare decisions are another growing source of uncertainty. Sixty-seven\npercent of U.S. employees regretted a healthcare decision in the past year, up\nsix percentage points from 2025 and nine percentage points from 2024.\n\nWhile the reasons vary, turning to non-medical professionals for advice or not\nasking questions at all before jumping into treatment top the list. What’s\nmore, 55% of respondents who needed a healthcare service in the past year\ndidn’t receive it, most often due to cost and long wait times.\n\nFor employers, the findings underscore the importance of helping employees\nbetter understand and navigate the benefits and resources already available to\nthem. When employees know where to find trusted support, they are more likely\nto use their benefits effectively instead of relying on guidance that may be\nunreliable or putting care on hold due to financial pressures, enabling more\ninformed healthcare decisions when it matters most.\n\nEmployees are worried about taking a leave of absence—and some aren't taking\nleave they need.\n\nFinancial and job-related uncertainty is also influencing employees’\ndecisions about taking leaves of absence. More than half (51%) believe taking\na leave could affect their career advancement, and 36% did not take a leave\nthey needed. Beyond economic and job stability concerns, 32% of U.S. employees\nwho did not take needed leave said the process was too difficult.\n\nEmployers have an opportunity to better support employees during critical life\nevents by simplifying the leave experience and providing navigation that\nguides employees throughout the process—from planning a leave of absence to\naccessing their benefits.\n\nAI use—and comfort—is increasing in the workplace\n\nU.S. employees are feeling hopeful about AI and the impact it is having on the\nworkplace, signaling a growing comfort with these tools. The U.S. Employee\nMindset Study found:\n\n * 64% of respondents report using AI at work at least once a week, while 28% use\nAI every day.\n * 53% are confident they can keep their stills relevant as AI grows.\n * More employees are hopeful (40%) or excited (38%) than concerned (23%) or\nsuspicious (21%) of AI.\nThe U.S. study’s findings also suggest that employees are embracing employer\nimplementation of AI tools in benefits communication. In fact, 65% of workers\nwould be interested in receiving personalized messaging from their employer\naround certain benefits and programs.\n\nTogether, these findings point to an opportunity for employers to blend\ntechnology with human expertise to make benefits easier to understand, more\npersonalized and more useful when employees need them most.\n\n“The conversation around benefits is evolving. Success is no longer measured\nby the breadth of benefits offered, but by the outcomes they help deliver,”\nsaid Rohit Verma, CEO at Alight. “Organizations invest significantly in\nbenefits, but where the investment delivers returns is when employees can make\ninformed, independent decisions that improve their health, financial security\nand overall wellbeing. As workforce needs become more complex, employers have\nan opportunity to use data-driven insights, personalization and scalable\nsupport models to help employees take action with confidence. The result is a\nworkforce that is healthier, more productive and better positioned for\nlong-term success.”\n\nAbout this study\n\nAlight’s annual Employee Mindset Study examines the current state of\nemployee wellbeing, workplace culture, total rewards and technology—with\ninsights garnered directly from the employees. These findings empower\nemployers to enhance their wellbeing and workplace strategies, ultimately\nboosting competitiveness, engagement, productivity and performance.\n\nFor the 16th annual 2026 U.S. Employee Mindset Study, we surveyed 2,500 U.S.\nemployees, working both full- and part-time for organizations with a minimum\nof 1,000 employees. Collected during May and June 2026, this diverse sample\nreflects a wide range of demographics and employment segments.\n\nAdditionally, for the first time, the Employee Mindset Study expanded to\nCanada, surveying 1,000 employees and producing a dedicated Canadian Employee\nMindset Report\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alight.com%2Fen-ca%2Fthought-leadership%2F2026-alight-canada-employee-mindset-study&esheet=54616768&newsitemid=20261006004320&lan=en-US&anchor=Canadian+Employee+Mindset+Report&index=2&md5=f13e6c6fc65dd096509cea08756b701c)\n. Similar themes are found among Canadian workers along with an even greater\ndesire for employer support and resources. The Canadian study also explores\ntopics specific to the benefits landscape in Canada, offering targeted\ninsights into employees’ unique needs and expectations.\n\nAbout Alight Solutions\n\nAlight is a leading benefits administration provider of health, wealth, leave\nand point solutions for many of the world’s largest organizations and over\n30 million people. Through the administration of employee benefits, Alight\nhelps clients gain a benefits advantage while building a healthy and\nfinancially secure workforce by unifying the benefits ecosystem across health,\nwealth, wellbeing, absence management and navigation. Our Alight Worklife®\nplatform empowers employers to gain a deeper understanding of their workforce\nand engage them throughout life’s most important moments with personalized\nbenefits management and data-driven insights, leading to increased employee\nwellbeing, engagement and productivity. Learn more at alight.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Falight.com&esheet=54616768&newsitemid=20261006004320&lan=en-US&anchor=alight.com&index=3&md5=369ecb9c147e0ff868a73b3018f88229)\n.\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006004320/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006004320/en/)\n\nMedia Contact\nTara Patwardhan\nmediarelations@alight.com (mailto:mediarelations@alight.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-10-06T13:05:00.251243149Z","server_sent_at_ms":1791291900251},"received_at":"2026-10-06T13:05:00.358Z","source_url":"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006004320/en/"},"analysis":{"id":"150493","press_release_id":"161989","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Professional Services","sector":"Industrials"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"other","narrative":"Alight released its 16th annual 2026 U.S. Employee Mindset Study, a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. employees, finding 45% worry their money and savings won't last and 67% regret a healthcare decision made in the past year.\n\nThe research links financial wellbeing to productivity and retention, noting employees with high financial wellbeing are 20 percentage points more likely to report being productive and less open to other job opportunities.\n\nThe release is thought-leadership marketing for Alight's benefits administration and navigation business, expanding for the first time to a 1,000-employee Canadian survey; it contains no financial results or business actions.","sentiment":"neutral","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Survey-based thought leadership reinforcing demand for Alight's benefits navigation services -- suppress for news alerts, useful for sector color."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"pct_ai_weekly_use":"64%","pct_just_getting_by":"41%","pct_healthcare_regret":"67%","survey_respondents_us":2500,"pct_worry_money_wont_last":"45%","survey_respondents_canada":1000,"pct_finances_control_lives":"50%"}},"quotedText":"The conversation around benefits is evolving. Success is no longer measured by the breadth of benefits offered, but by the outcomes they help deliver","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Laine Thomas Conway","role":"Engagement and Enablement Leader for Delivery at Alight"},{"name":"Rohit Verma","role":"CEO"},{"name":"Tara Patwardhan","role":"Media Contact"}],"products":["Alight Worklife","2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study","Canadian Employee Mindset Report"],"companies":[{"name":"Alight","ticker":"ALIT","relationship":"filer/author"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"Issuer-authored thought-leadership research survey with no financial results, guidance, contracts, or strategic actions. Marketing content supporting Alight's benefits navigation positioning."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"ALIT"},"globalImportance":10,"audienceRelevance":8,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"thought-leadership-research","issuerAuthored":true,"householdBrandBoost":0}},"event_type":"other","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"neutral","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"Alight released its 16th annual 2026 U.S. Employee Mindset Study, a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. employees, finding 45% worry their money and savings won't last and 67% regret a healthcare decision made in the past year.\n\nThe research links financial wellbeing to productivity and retention, noting employees with high financial wellbeing are 20 percentage points more likely to report being productive and less open to other job opportunities.\n\nThe release is thought-leadership marketing for Alight's benefits administration and navigation business, expanding for the first time to a 1,000-employee Canadian survey; it contains no financial results or business actions.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"pct_ai_weekly_use":"64%","pct_just_getting_by":"41%","pct_healthcare_regret":"67%","survey_respondents_us":2500,"pct_worry_money_wont_last":"45%","survey_respondents_canada":1000,"pct_finances_control_lives":"50%"}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Laine Thomas Conway","role":"Engagement and Enablement Leader for Delivery at Alight"},{"name":"Rohit Verma","role":"CEO"},{"name":"Tara Patwardhan","role":"Media Contact"}],"products":["Alight Worklife","2026 Alight U.S. Employee Mindset Study","Canadian Employee Mindset Report"],"companies":[{"name":"Alight","ticker":"ALIT","relationship":"filer/author"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-5.3-flashx","prompt_hash":"sha256:5c812bd9e28b810d","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-10-06T13:05:06.052Z","global_importance":10,"audience_relevance":8,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap","eventGravity":"thought-leadership-research","issuerAuthored":true,"householdBrandBoost":0}},"durationMs":5661,"modelName":"glm-5.3-flashx"}}