Beckers Teaches Financial Wellbeing in South Africa

Earlier this year, LYRA, the wellness partner Beckers works with in South Africa, delivered a Financial Skills workshop for colleagues at the site. Since financial pressure and mental wellbeing are so closely linked, working with the same partner made sense. 

The framing was: how to build and maintain a budget, how to think about the difference between needs and wants, how to plan for unexpected situations, and how to keep everyday spending aligned with longer-term priorities.

The workshop was designed to be immediately applicable. Colleagues who attended described it as easy to relate to, and several noted it helped them see their own financial situation from a fresh perspective, encouraging a greater sense of control.

The workshop was designed as a starting point, not a complete solution. LYRA also offers confidential one-to-one guidance and debt counseling through the mental wellness hotline, and the workshop reinforced this option for colleagues who might benefit from more individual support. 

Several attendees indicated they would consider making use of the one-to-one service. The workshop’s role, in that sense, was partly to lower the threshold for reaching out.

The workshop builds on Beckers’ broader commitment to employee wellbeing, health and safety. Since the launch of Beckers’ global mental health program, sites have continued to identify opportunities to support employees in ways that are relevant to their local context. In South Africa, that meant focusing on financial skills and confidence as an important contributor to overall wellbeing.