For drivers, waiting for pay comes at a cost, as 65% of drive share staffers say they’ve had to borrow cash via payday loans, credit card advances, or from friends and/or family, according to a recent survey from Everee, a payroll staffing company. For financially rattled U.S. workers, cash flow is king — which is why more employees are asking, or demanding, to get their wages paid as speedily as possible. Instant Financial’s 2024 Wages and Wellbeing research underscores “fast pay” staff preferences, as 86% of employees said they wanted same-day payments. That’s up from 2022, when 70% of employees reported wanting same-day pay. Bigger corporations are also receiving the “pay faster” message from their staff — and some are accommodating them. Amazon enables warehouse associates to access their paycheck cash daily through a third-party payment platform. Walmart has linked up with payment provider Even to give its 1.4 million employees early access to paychecks. Hilton has aligned with payment provider DailyPay to deliver pay in real time. Leevers Supermarkets provides on-demand pay to its 500 staffers. Payment industry specialists say that consumer payments, in general, have accelerated in every facet of life. Burgeoning employee money management angst has accelerated the push for early pay. “With rising inflation and higher costs for necessities, individuals benefit from more choice and access to their wages and tips.” Otherwise, workers may turn to payday loans or other unfavorable options. “Those options lead to absenteeism and turnover for employers,” Tal Clark, CEO of Instant Financial, an employment pay benefits firm said.