What Is Money Dysmorphia – and Why Should Your Company Care?
What Is Money Dysmorphia – and Why Should Your Company Care?
How would you describe your own financial situation?
“Pretty good.”
“I’m falling behind.”
“I don’t earn enough.”
Most people would answer something along those lines and many of them would be wrong.
This growing gap between how we perceive our financial situation and what it actually is has been given a name: money dysmorphia.
And for employers, this is a trend that can no longer be ignored.
How would you describe your own financial situation?
“Pretty good.”
“I’m falling behind.”
“I don’t earn enough.”
Most people would answer something along those lines and many of them would be wrong.
This growing gap between how we perceive our financial situation and what it actually is has been given a name: money dysmorphia.
And for employers, this is a trend that can no longer be ignored.
Iuliia Iushkova and Candace Quevedo
Iuliia Iushkova and Candace Quevedo
Dec 10, 2025
Dec 10, 2025
What is Money Dysmorphia?
What is Money Dysmorphia?
Money dysmorphia occurs when a person believes they earn much more or much less than others, regardless of reality.
In a society where salary is rarely discussed, and where social media makes everyone appear wealthy, relaxed, and carefree, it becomes easy to feel financially inadequate, even when the numbers say otherwise.
Research shows that around 43% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials experience some form of money dysmorphia.
That means nearly half of today’s workforce, and most of the future workforce, struggles with a distorted perception of their own finances.
In Norway, where the costs of living has increased significantly and salary transparency remains limited, these misconceptions can have major consequences in the workplace.
Money dysmorphia is not a medical diagnosis, but it can lead to behaviors that cause real challenges:
Persistent financial stress
Overspending or “shopping anxiety”
Long-term guilt
A constant feeling of not being good enough
And the consequences don’t stop at personal finances.
Employees who struggle financially, or simply believe they do, may face issues related to concentration, motivation, and productivity. They bring that stress to work, whether they want to or not.
Money dysmorphia occurs when a person believes they earn much more or much less than others, regardless of reality.
In a society where salary is rarely discussed, and where social media makes everyone appear wealthy, relaxed, and carefree, it becomes easy to feel financially inadequate, even when the numbers say otherwise.
Research shows that around 43% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials experience some form of money dysmorphia.
That means nearly half of today’s workforce, and most of the future workforce, struggles with a distorted perception of their own finances.
In Norway, where the costs of living has increased significantly and salary transparency remains limited, these misconceptions can have major consequences in the workplace.
Money dysmorphia is not a medical diagnosis, but it can lead to behaviors that cause real challenges:
Persistent financial stress
Overspending or “shopping anxiety”
Long-term guilt
A constant feeling of not being good enough
And the consequences don’t stop at personal finances.
Employees who struggle financially, or simply believe they do, may face issues related to concentration, motivation, and productivity. They bring that stress to work, whether they want to or not.
Why should employers care?
Why should employers care?
Financial stress is one of the biggest and most invisible productivity killers in Norwegian workplaces.
Employees who worry about money, even when they earn a reasonable salary, are more likely to:
Lose motivation
Become less engaged
Take more sick days
Make mistakes
Feel less connected to their workplace
Supporting employees’ financial security is not just a “nice benefit.”
It’s smart, sustainable, and beneficial for both people and business.
Financial stress is one of the biggest and most invisible productivity killers in Norwegian workplaces.
Employees who worry about money, even when they earn a reasonable salary, are more likely to:
Lose motivation
Become less engaged
Take more sick days
Make mistakes
Feel less connected to their workplace
Supporting employees’ financial security is not just a “nice benefit.”
It’s smart, sustainable, and beneficial for both people and business.
How can you support your employees?
How can you support your employees?
1. Be transparent about salary and market levels
If your company offers competitive salaries, employees should know it.
You don’t need full salary transparency, but providing information such as salary bands or market data helps employees understand their value.
When employees feel fairly compensated, unnecessary worry and doubt decrease.
2. Give employees more control over their pay
Often the problem isn’t income, it’s timing.
Imagine an employee faces an unexpected expense one week before payday.
Without access to earned wages, the solution often becomes:
Debt → Stress → Distraction → Reduced productivity.
These are challenges that can actually be prevented.
A simple and increasingly popular solution is flexible pay.
1. Be transparent about salary and market levels
If your company offers competitive salaries, employees should know it.
You don’t need full salary transparency, but providing information such as salary bands or market data helps employees understand their value.
When employees feel fairly compensated, unnecessary worry and doubt decrease.
2. Give employees more control over their pay
Often the problem isn’t income, it’s timing.
Imagine an employee faces an unexpected expense one week before payday.
Without access to earned wages, the solution often becomes:
Debt → Stress → Distraction → Reduced productivity.
These are challenges that can actually be prevented.
A simple and increasingly popular solution is flexible pay.
Flexible salary
Flexible salary
Flexible pay gives employees access to a portion of their earned wages before the regular payday.
Work a shift today, access earned wages tomorrow.
No loans. No interest. No risk. Just access to their own money.
For employees, this means:
Greater flexibility for unexpected events
Less need for credit
Better control of their finances
Reduced stress and worry
For employers, this means:
more satisfied, more focused, and more motivated employees.
At Celeri, we’ve made flexible pay easy to integrate into your business.
Setup is quick and secure: register employees, grant access, and the system handles the rest automatically.
A secure employee is a productive employee. Flexible pay contributes directly to that security.
Flexible pay gives employees access to a portion of their earned wages before the regular payday.
Work a shift today, access earned wages tomorrow.
No loans. No interest. No risk. Just access to their own money.
For employees, this means:
Greater flexibility for unexpected events
Less need for credit
Better control of their finances
Reduced stress and worry
For employers, this means:
more satisfied, more focused, and more motivated employees.
At Celeri, we’ve made flexible pay easy to integrate into your business.
Setup is quick and secure: register employees, grant access, and the system handles the rest automatically.
A secure employee is a productive employee. Flexible pay contributes directly to that security.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more?
Curious how flexible pay works in practice? Read more here.
Unsure if flexible pay is right for your company? Explore the myths and facts here.
Let’s give employees greater financial security and make your business even stronger.
Together with Celeri.
Curious how flexible pay works in practice? Read more here.
Unsure if flexible pay is right for your company? Explore the myths and facts here.
Let’s give employees greater financial security and make your business even stronger.
Together with Celeri.
See also:
See also:
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