Financial pressure is becoming a more visible workplace risk for US employers, just as many are looking harder at employee benefits to contain rising healthcare costs.
More than a quarter of US workers, or 27%, said cost and affordability concerns contributed to acts of workplace incivility they experienced or witnessed in the second quarter of 2026, according to SHRM’s latest Civility Index.
That placed affordability among the five most commonly cited drivers of rude, disrespectful or discourteous behavior at work. SHRM’s workplace Civility Index reached 41.9 in the quarter, the highest level since tracking began.
The finding lands at an awkward point for employers. Cost reduction has overtaken attracting and retaining talent as the leading factor influencing benefits decisions, according to Lockton’s 2026 National Benefits Survey. Some 54% of employers ranked reducing costs as their top priority, up from 38% in 2025.
The shift toward cost control is changing the tone of benefits decisions, as employers search for savings across plan design, networks, eligibility and pharmacy benefits. At the same time, those savings can carry consequences for workers already struggling with household expenses.
Mercer found that 48% of large US employers expect to make medical plan changes for 2027 that will increase employees’ out-of-pocket costs, including higher deductibles or copays. Nearly a third already offer or plan to offer alternative medical plans intended to provide more affordable options.
“I think that anybody who’s been paying attention to the headlines is well aware that we’re experiencing an affordability crisis. I also think it’s safe to say in general, people are a lot less civil than they used to be. So it’s not surprising to hear that these two things are intersecting,” said Joy Awe, well-being manager at Insperity, an HR service and technology company in Kingwood, Texas.
SHRM’s data suggests affordability pressures are showing up in more than employee sentiment.
Workers who experienced or witnessed incivility reported losing an average of 33.8 minutes of productivity per incident. SHRM estimates that reduced productivity linked to uncivil behavior costs US organizations roughly $1.02 billion a day.
“What many people don’t consider is that financial stress doesn’t just stay at home; it follows people right to their desk. Their attention is focused on getting meals on the table or wondering how to pay their bills that month. That constant stress adds to mental burdens and sends employees into survival mode,” said Jackie Stinnett, vice president of people and great work at O.C. Tanner.
The data does not establish that higher deductibles or other benefit changes cause workplace incivility. But together, the findings highlight a growing tension in benefits strategy: employers are trying to reduce one of their fastest-rising expenses while employees are showing greater sensitivity to affordability.
That puts more weight on how cost-control measures affect the workforce, rather than simply how much they reduce plan spending.
Lockton also found that 81% of employers still consider employee impact a primary influence when evaluating benefit changes, even as cost becomes the dominant concern.
The issue is also not simply whether a company offers financial wellness or mental health support. Prudential research found a sizable gap between how employers and employees view existing support: 75% of employers believed they were doing enough to help workers manage medical costs, compared with 46% of employees.
That gap makes utilization and communication an increasingly important part of the equation. Financial counseling, budgeting resources, emergency savings programs and mental health benefits may have limited effect if workers do not know they exist or cannot easily use them.
“When employers provide financial wellness benefits, it helps create a sense of security and stability. If [employees] feel supported in that way, it reduces anxiety and builds a strong relationship of trust with their organization, allowing them to show up fully at work and in their personal lives,” Stinnett said.
