NEW YORK (MainStreet) — At 26 years old, Christopher Dailey is already a savvy investor. That’s because his mother, Angela, gifted him with one hundred shares of Apple following the release of the first iPod in 2001. At the time, the shares were priced at $17. “I sold my shares in 2008 at $117 during the crisis, so I paradoxically made and lost a ton of money,” said Dailey, who lives in New York City and works as an account executive at the nonprofit EVC Group, Inc.

In addition to making monthly contributions to his 18-month-old IRA, Dailey is also enrolled in his company's 401(k) program, contributing the maximum amount of money they will match, which is 3%.

“I would like them to match a higher percentage, but I can't complain,” Dailey said. “My company offers full health, dental and a 401(k) plan. I am sure that there is something more I could get on the financial assistance side, but I am not aware of what it is.”

A lot of employees know exactly what perk they'd like to see their company add to its arsenal of benefits: some 60% of employees want their employers to offer one-on-one financial planning assistance, but only 13% of employers currently provide one-on-one financial advising, according to a State Street Global Advisors Retirement Survey.

“As employers explore the tools and resources they would like to provide to employees, they find there’s a need for one-on-one advice,” said Megan Yost, head of participant engagement with State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) in Boston.

However, hiring financial advisors to work on staff at corporations is cost prohibitive in some cases.

“Anything that involves a human being giving the advice would be more costly than automation," said Nigel Aston, head of European defined contribution for SSGA in London.  

Among the automated tools that employees are seeking from their employers, 57% desire an online tool that aggregates financial information to help manage household finances, 52% want workshops and tools on budgeting and saving and 50% want workshops and tools on building healthier spending habits.

“We all know that financial concerns are usually top of mind for individuals and families but the findings from this survey clearly demonstrate how much concern individuals have about finances,” said Fredrik Axsater, global head of defined contribution for SSGA in London.

Financial wellness is important, because it impacts productivity.

Some 34% of employees say they would be more productive at work if they could manage their finances effectively. About 27% are stressed by health care costs, 21% by mortgage debt and 20% cited not having saved enough for retirement.

“Financial and workplace stressors have the greatest impact on work quality and productivity, which confirms what we are hearing from employers that we need to address workplace financial demands beyond retirement savings,” Axsater told MainStreet. Some 80% of employees think their employers should provide resources to improve their financial wellness and decrease their stress levels.

“Financial wellness is an emerging trend,” Yost told MainStreet. “There’s opportunity for a lot of providers, including financial advisors.”

--Written for MainStreet by Juliette Fairley