(Frankfurt am Main, 02.03.2023)
The Frankfurt-based FinTech start-up Happy is launching the first Flexible Pay solution of its kind on the German market. The HR benefit allows employees to access a portion of their monthly salary early in the form of vouchers and is available immediately. The additional service is free of charge for companies and employees and works without integration into the payroll system. More than 100 companies have already registered for the solution.
According to a representative YouGov study (2023), more than half of the people in Germany complain about health problems as a result of financial worries. Financial stress can also reduce productivity at work and loyalty to the employer (PwC study, 2022). Internationally, companies are focusing on additional benefits in this context to increase the financial well-being of their employees. In addition to financial education content, this can also include the early drawdown of a monthly salary portion.
The HR solution Happy now enables companies in Germany to make up to 33 per cent of the salary available to employees in the form of vouchers before the end of the month. There are no costs for companies or employees. Integration into the payroll system is not necessary. So far, more than 100 companies are on the waiting list of the HR start-up. Internationally, flexible pay models are already widespread: in 2021, start-ups with flexible pay products raised over 1 billion US dollars in venture capital (TechCrunch, 2022). In Germany, the Frankfurt-based FinTech Happy fills a gap in the market.
Research cooperation on financial stress complements Flexible Pay solution
Happy enables the provision of vouchers via a smartphone app. For this purpose, the HR solution provider cooperates exclusively with a leading incentive marketing provider. This gives users access to a network of over 50 suppliers of everyday products throughout Germany. In addition to salary retrieval "on demand", the social impact start-up will offer insight into daily updated monthly earnings and will also include a financial education programme in the future.
"The current economic situation is pushing many people in Germany to their financial limits. Employers are being asked more than ever to assume their social responsibility. With Happy, we offer companies concrete and free assistance in contributing to the well-being of their employees," says founder Jan Riem.
The entrepreneur is currently planning a nationwide action week around the topic of financial health with the "Financial Health Week" from 13 to 17 March 2023. As part of this action week, Happy is launching a research project on the influence of flexible pay solutions on financial health in the workplace together with scientists from the Technical University of Munich and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. For more information on the action week, visit financialhealthweek.com.
The original press in release in German can be found here: https://www.pressebox.de/inaktiv/open-finance-lab-gmbh/erste-deutsche-flexible-pay-loesung-happy-soll-finanziellem-stress-vorbeugen/boxid/1148089
