Frontline employees at organizations that use UKG can now reach Cash App’s account, direct deposit and tax-filing services through their HR and payroll platform, after the software company added the payment provider to its Frontline Worker Network.
The network, launched in 2025, connects workers with outside services directly through the UKG tools they already use for scheduling, pay and team communication. It is available to the employees of all UKG customers, according to the company.
“In a world where recruitment and retention is in a totally different market than it’s ever been, and it’s tougher than it’s ever been, earned wage access is something that we know employees want,” said Kayla Linn, chief people officer at Eventide | Tabitha. “It isn’t something that’s very commonly offered in our market. We wanted to be different and provide more to our employees than we ever have before, when financial situations arise.”
Earned wage access lets employees draw on pay they have already earned before their regular payday. UKG offers it through network partners Payactiv and ZayZoon to help workers cover bills or unexpected costs between pay periods.
“UKG is the center of gravity for frontline workforce operations, and that gives us an opportunity to support workers beyond the traditional boundaries of HR and benefits administration,” said Suresh Vittal, executive vice-president and chief product officer at UKG. “Through the Frontline Worker Network, we are bringing trusted services directly to employees in the flow of work — before, during, or after pay day, and through mobile tools like UKG Talk that help frontline teams stay connected.”
With the Cash App addition, workers can open accounts and set up direct deposit with providers including OnePay and Cash App. The goal is faster access to pay and a single place to manage everyday money, the company said.
At tax time, workers can use Cash App Taxes to file their returns. The service can draw on W-2 information already stored in UKG so employees can file more quickly and accurately, according to UKG.
“Our research with thousands of frontline workers shows that many feel their needs are not met as fully as those of office-based employees,” said Ben Eubanks, chief research officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory. “UKG’s Frontline Worker Network is designed to help close that gap by connecting workers with meaningful support — benefiting employees and helping employers attract, engage and retain the frontline talent their businesses depend on.”
UKG pointed to several figures to support its focus on financial pressures. Just 46 per cent of U.S. adults have enough savings to cover three months of expenses, according to Bankrate. Nearly one in five U.S. households is underbanked or unbanked, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Financial stress also follows employees to work. Employees under financial strain are five times more likely to be distracted on the job, and 57 per cent of employees say money is their top source of stress, according to 2026 research from PwC.
Employers that give workers more financial flexibility have a chance to improve retention, attendance and engagement, the company said.
UKG, based in Lowell, Mass., serves more than 65 million workers and more than 80,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, according to the company.
