The pros and cons of earned wage access

Paywatch Malaysia Sdn Bhd co-founder and chief executive Richard Kim.

THE earned wage access (EWA) debate continues to rage on, despite the fact that most Malaysians have yet to hear of such a scheme, with it being the relatively new kid on the financial inclusion agenda block.

In a nutshell, EWA is the financial facility of allowing a company’s employees access to a portion of their wages before the traditional payday, usually to meet some immediate financial needs.