The Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) sector continues to face a growing workforce retention challenge, with attrition rates now among the highest in Southeast Asia. As competition for talent intensifies, employers are exploring new strategies to improve employee satisfaction and productivity.
One emerging solution is financial wellness. More companies are recognizing that financial stress directly impacts employee engagement, absenteeism, and long-term retention. To address this, several leading BPO firms are now integrating digital financial wellness platforms into their employee benefits programs.
Tendo by Tonik is at the center of this shift. The financial wellness platform recently announced new partnerships with Foundever and iQor, two of the world’s largest customer experience and outsourcing providers. These additions strengthen Tendo’s growing presence across the country’s BPO landscape.
Tendo Strengthens Presence Among Top Philippine Employers
With the addition of Foundever and iQor, Tendo expands its roster of major corporate partners, building on existing collaborations with Concentrix and Sutherland. The platform is now widely used across key industries, including BPO and manufacturing.
Currently, Tendo serves nearly one million customers nationwide. Through a single digital platform, employees can access salary-linked loans, high-interest savings options, free insurance, and financial education programs. These services aim to reduce financial pressure while helping workers build long-term financial stability.
According to Tendo CEO Mike Singh, financial wellness has evolved from a supplemental perk into a core workplace requirement.
“Financial wellness is no longer ‘nice to have.’ It’s a fundamental part of what modern employees expect from their employer,” Singh explained. He added that the growing adoption among top BPO firms reflects a broader industry shift toward scalable, digital-first employee support systems.
Employers Now Embedding Financial Wellness into Talent Retention Strategies
Human resource leaders from partner companies highlight how financial wellness programs are becoming integral to workforce engagement.
Jennifer Vargas, HR Director at Foundever Philippines, shared that the partnership strengthens the company’s holistic employee wellbeing program called Thrive at Foundever. Through Tendo, employees gain access to financial tools and educational resources designed to encourage healthier financial habits and long-term stability.
Meanwhile, iQor Philippines Benefits Lead Jude Mosquito noted that their collaboration with Tendo has already produced strong engagement among employees. He emphasized the platform’s accessibility and responsiveness, which helps improve benefit adoption across the workforce.
These initiatives reflect a growing industry mindset that financial support is not just a benefit, but an essential part of the employee experience.
Sutherland Demonstrates Measurable Impact Through Tendo Integration
Among Tendo’s long-standing partners, Sutherland provides a strong case study on how financial wellness programs can deliver measurable results.
Internally known as the Sutherland eWallet, the Tendo-powered platform has become a key component of the company’s employee benefits system. Grace Opiala, Director of Total Rewards at Sutherland, explained that the program allows employees to access financial assistance directly within their workplace ecosystem, reducing reliance on external lenders.
Beyond lending services, the program also includes savings options, rewards programs, and financial education webinars. According to Opiala, these features help employees feel supported not only financially but also professionally and personally.
Bernice Garcia, Associate VP for HR at Sutherland, shared that the partnership has produced clear operational improvements. Within six months of implementation, over 70 percent of employees were actively using Tendo. The company also reported improvements in net promoter scores, reduced attrition rates, and increased productivity levels.
Employee referrals have also surged, with more than half of new hires now coming through referrals influenced by positive feedback about the financial wellness benefit.
Financial Wellness Gains Recognition as a Business-Critical Investment
As organizations continue to recognize financial stress as a systemic workplace issue, platforms like Tendo are helping redefine employee benefits in the Philippines. By offering integrated financial services and education, companies can support employee wellbeing while improving workforce stability.
Tendo’s continued expansion, coupled with full employer retention across its partnerships, signals strong confidence in the platform’s long-term value. With BPO companies placing greater emphasis on employee resilience and satisfaction, financial wellness programs are likely to become standard components of modern workplace strategies.
