A follower once shared her dugaan with me.
Her payday falls at the end of the month. One year, just before Chinese New Year, she realised she didn’t have enough money to buy CNY goodies for her family. So, she had to wait till payday and by the time she received her salary, most of the goodies were sold out.
She told me, “I know it’s just cookies, but I couldn’t help feeling… pathetic.”
When I heard this, my first thought was, wouldn’t it have been nice if her company had an Earned Wage Access (EWA) platform? If she could have accessed just a portion of her already-earned salary earlier, maybe that sadness could have been avoided.
Now, for those who are not familiar, EWA allows employees to access part of their earned wages before payday. Not really a loan per se, just their own money accessed earlier, usually with a very small fee.
Tbh, like many HR professionals and business owners, I was initially skeptical too. I worried. Would it encourage poor financial habits? Would it disrupt payroll?
But after sitting down with Billy Lim, Country Manager of Paywatch, and hearing how EWA platforms can be designed responsibly, my perspective shifted.
RM100, RM200 might not mean much to some, but to many, it’s everything during tough times. Maybe it’s a time to look at EWA not as a risk, but as a compassionate benefit that, if managed well, can make a real difference for your people.
🎙️ Come listen to my full conversation with Billy – how he helped me see EWA from a whole new lens, and how it could transform workplaces for the better.
Watch here 👉 YT: https://youtu.be/bEMwBfxKSmc
xoxoxo, AuntyHR
