First Bus introduces Money First Aid training for staff

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First Bus is training staff across its business to help colleagues who may have
financial worries. FIRST BUS

First Bus has announced the introduction of Money First Aid training for 300 key members of staff, including all mental health  first aiders, well-being champions, and managers. This decision follows a successful pilot programme developed in partnership with Money First Aid that the company says has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants and demonstrated the value of equipping employees with the knowledge to support colleagues facing financial difficulties.

Money First Aid is a certified online training course designed  to empower employees to provide initial support to colleagues experiencing financial challenges. Similar to how mental health first aiders address emotional wellbeing, Money First Aiders can hold effective, confidential and compassionate conversations about money, and signpost colleagues toward appropriate resources and professional help.

Money First Aid training focuses specifically on financial challenges that are particularly difficult to talk about, creating an environment where these difficulties can be openly discussed without stigma. The initiative comes at a time when financial well-being continues to become an increasingly prominent issue in workplaces, with financial stress cited as a leading contributor to poor mental health. Through the training, First Bus is aiming to address those challenges head-on, by ensuring that its workforce feels supported and resilient. By targeting key roles such as managers and well-being champions, the training will mean that the 14,000 employees across all levels of the organisation have access to practical and compassionate financial support.

The pilot programme showcased the benefits of Money First Aid training in practice. Participants reported feeling more confident and better equipped to have meaningful conversations about financial stress, as well as being better prepared to signpost colleagues to additional support.

Gareth Hind, Director of Colleague Experience and Relations at First Bus, commented: “We’re proud to be deepening our partnership with Money First Aid and roll out this training more widely across the business. By continuing to work with Money First Aid we’re able to better support the financial well-being of our colleagues. We want to ensure First Bus is a great place to be, to work and to grow, and this partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to putting our people at the heart of our business.”

Rachel Harte, co-founder of Money First Aid, said: “First Bus is leading the way in demonstrating how employers can make a real difference to their teams’ financial well-being. We are excited to roll this out across First Bus and measure the positive impact this training will have on their team.”