Money Matters: P&G Empowers Employees to Improve Their Financial Wellbeing

Are you a saver or a spender?

Did anyone ever teach you how to manage your money? Do you know where to turn when you have a question? How people view their finances is often shaped by what they learn, or don’t learn, in childhood.

Some P&G employees say the educational resources P&G provides have empowered them to gain confidence on their financial wellbeing journeys. More important, they've been able to reach some meaningful goals.

P&G prioritizes Total Employee Wellbeing — in the areas of physical, mental, financial and work-life wellbeing — for every employee.

Setting Lifelong Goals for Financial Freedom

At 28 years old, Camila Sandoval is already a homeowner and has her sights set on lifelong financial goals.

Sandoval, who works in Employee Relations and People Services for P&G Guatemala, has always approached her finances with structure and intention. “I have always believed that saving money is not just for if something happens,” she said. “It’s to have a plan of how you want to live your life.”

From her very first job, Sandoval set up separate savings accounts to achieve three goals: buy a home, travel and retire. Shortly after joining P&G a year ago, Sandoval purchased her first home with her partner.

But it wasn’t until she joined P&G that she realized she could do even more with the right resources.

One of the first programs she used was P&G’s employee stock option plan. Sandoval used it to jumpstart her retirement savings, something especially important in Guatemala, where she says social security needs to be supplemented to fully provide for retirement.

She also worked with a financial counselor through the Employee Assistance Program to map out a long-term investment plan. At one point, Sandoval tried to open an account with an international broker and was denied because she lived outside the U.S. But with help from P&G’s program, she found a path forward. “With the guidance and the platform this program showed me, it was super easy for me,” she said.

Sandoval also tapped into other financial education tools offered by the Company. The results speak for themselves. Sandoval celebrated her birthday with her first cruise this year. “Before P&G, I didn’t even dream about going on a cruise. But with the work-life balance and the financial benefits that I received, I was like, this can be true.”

Breaking Taboos and Building Financial Know-How

Sabrina Fendrich, who works in Human Resources and is based in Germany, grew up in a household where talking about money was off-limits.

“When I was growing up, we didn’t speak about money,” she said. “So thinking about my finances when I entered adulthood, after I completed my studies and was earning my own money, that was something completely new to me.”

It wasn’t until she was expecting her first child that she realized how financially unprepared she felt. That moment was a turning point.

She turned to the wellbeing resources available through P&G for help. She started with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which gave her tools to prepare for parental leave. Over time, she also tapped into the dedicated financial education resources the Company provides, such as financial counselors. The experience was empowering. “They’re not meant to be financial coaches,” she said. “But they guide you through what is available to you and what to consider in your individual life stage or situation.”

The combination of self-guided learning and one-on-one support gave Fendrich the support she needed to build confidence and take action. She tackled everything from budgeting basics to understanding insurance options to planning for a home.

Fendrich says the impact on her mental and emotional wellbeing was just as significant as the financial progress. “When there's less stress around these things, I can bring the best version of myself to work,” she said.

Now, she’s encouraging others to talk more openly about financial wellbeing and use the resources available to them through P&G.

“The more open we are with them, the more relaxed we are and the less stress there is around these topics,” she said.

Finding Financial Security When You Need It Most

What started as a hesitant enrollment in a financial benefit became a powerful lifeline for Dr. Nousheen Irfan, Medical Lead for P&G Pakistan, when her family faced an unexpected crisis.

When Dr. Irfan joined P&G in 2018, her manager strongly advised her to enroll in P&G’s employee stock option plan. “He said, ‘You won’t regret it.” At the time, it seemed like a large amount out of her paycheck, but she reluctantly enrolled, setting aside a very basic amount. She also followed her manager’s advice to leave the fund alone and let it grow.

Last year, that advice proved to be life-changing when Dr. Irfan’s immediate family member needed costly medical treatment that wasn’t covered by insurance. “I simply didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I didn’t know where to arrange the funds. Then suddenly I had this thing in my mind that I was saving some money somewhere. When I checked, I was just so happy!”

She was genuinely shocked by the amount she had saved, but what was more valuable was the relief of knowing she could care for her family in that moment of need. She called her manager and told him he was right. “It was such a great help. It inspired me and affected me immensely,” she said.

Now a wellbeing champion for P&G Pakistan, Dr. Irfan advocates for others to be at their best. “Whether it's financial, physical or mental, I feel empowered that I have access to something important to my personal and professional wellbeing. Because if you are healthy mentally and physically and you have freedom financially, you can be a lot more productive at work, along with taking care of your family.”

Saving for a First Home

Ten months ago, Charlotte Hudson, who works in Human Resources in Northern Europe, and her partner bought their first home together.

It’s a dream they saved for years to achieve. But saving money was not something Hudson learned growing up. It’s a skill she developed with the help of the financial wellbeing resources at P&G.

At 18, Hudson moved to London to go to university. “I think that was the first moment I realized maybe I didn't know enough about how to manage my own finances as a young adult,” she said.

When Hudson joined P&G, she learned about the resources available to her as part of her benefits package. “It was really fascinating to me because it was this one-stop place that had all the information that I could possibly want to know about money matters,” she said.

Hudson used a financial health check tool to tailor the resources to her interests and needs.

That’s the process that helped Hudson save for her first home.

“We know that every single employee is going to go through life-changing events while they’re with us that have nothing to do with work,” said Sameh Magdy, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Global Talent Rewards, Employee, Labor Relations and Corporate Services. That’s one of the reasons P&G takes a holistic approach to supporting employees.

Hudson is grateful to work for a company that cares about its employees. “I think it’s really refreshing that the Company has noticed that if you don’t feel good about your financial wellbeing, then you’re probably not going to feel good when you come into work,” she said.

She loves that she had access to a quick, easy source she could trust. “Five minutes with a cup of tea on your break and you can make yourself feel so much better about a topic that maybe you felt a little bit overwhelmed about,” Hudson said.

LEARN MORE: Job Hunting? Don’t Overlook This Important Incentive

Turning a Saving Mindset into Smart Growth

Alyssa Appleby, a Process Engineer in the United States, was never the type of person to spend money on a vacation.

“My relationship with money growing up was kind of like, ‘Save it, hoard it,’” she said. But today, Appleby is not only putting her savings to work for her, she is also finding ways to spend a little, too.

Appleby began working at P&G out of college. While her savings account was steadily growing, her lack of financial literacy made her feel insecure about her financial stability. She wondered, “How could I put this to better use? Am I saving it the right way?”

She turned to a financial education service P&G offers to U.S. employees. “It was hassle-free. I just talked with my advisor about my current situation and what I wanted to get out of the meetings, and then he created a road map for me,” she said. Appleby met regularly with her advisor, who helped her set goals and determine the types of accounts that would meet her needs.

“It’s definitely been helpful to grow my financial stability to help reduce my stress, at work and at home,” said Appleby.

Magdy believes when employees feel supported by their company, it benefits everyone. “A company can only deliver the best results if our people are at their best and work as a team,” he said. “Can you imagine preparing for the Super Bowl with a team that’s tired, under mental pressure or has trust issues with their coach? No team can operate well with that dynamic.”

Empowering Appleby with the financial resources that help her be at her best is just one of the ways P&G is showing employees they are valued and rewarded.

Now, Appleby has a travel fund. “I’ll be going on my third vacation this year. But it doesn’t give me any anxiety because I know that money is saved specifically for this,” she said.