I wonder if Ed McMahon asked American Family Publishers for an advance on his pitchman pay. He’s been fighting foreclosure on his mansion in Beverly Hills.

You guys might think I’m crazy even suggesting he ask his employer for financial help but maybe I’m not that wacky.

Turns out some employers are actually helping their financially strapped workers. There was a great story in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that talks about how some companies are offering financial aid to employees who face foreclosure and a host of other financial problems.

At a time when corporate boards are paying out big bucks to dead CEOs, it’s nice to hear the working stiffs are being given a helping hand now and then:

In the wake of the mortgage crisis, a small but growing number of workers are getting help avoiding or coping with foreclosure from an unlikely source: their employers. So far, a handful of companies — from small manufacturers to large companies like home-financing behemoth Fannie Mae — are offering assistance, such as interest-free loans, grants and support in securing rental properties. They’re also beefing up their employee-assistance programs, or EAPs, and adding more educational seminars on personal finance.

A January survey of 329 human-resource professionals showed that in 2007, 20% of employers said they received more requests from workers for pay advances than the year before, reports from the Society of Human Resource Management. Thirty-nine percent of respondents also saw an uptick in withdrawals from retirement savings — widely seen as an indicator of financial woes.

Folks, what do you have to lose. Check out what your company has to offer. Many firms have always offered a host of services through EAPs that range from emotional help to credit counseling. It has always perplexed me that many employees never take advantage of such services. These programs are there for workers. Your employer counts the money laid out for such offerings as part of your compensation people.

And I’ve written recently on how many bosses are more open to allowing their workers to telecommute because of skyrocketing gas prices.

Obviously, you can pull money out of your retirement fund, and some employers are offering hardship withdrawals as an option. But most financial planning experts say this can come back to haunt you in the long run. It’s for retirement stupid!

My husband and I tapped into a 401K many years ago to help pay for a home and when he left that employer we got nailed with a huge tax bill and unreal penalties. It wasn’t worth it in hindsight.

Asking for a raise is probably a smarter idea.

I know, I know, it’s a tough economy and many employers are putting the clamp down on increases. But that’s what every employee thinks, so they may not be pressuring their managers for a pay hike, opening up the door for you. Supervisors usually have a pool of money they can divvy up among workers, and the managers I’ve talked to all say “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

So start squeaking people.

I’m not naive here. I know there will be lots of supervisors who couldn’t care less if you’re struggling to keep your home, or fighting off personal bankruptcy. But before you go groveling to a rich sibling, or generous friend, check out what your company has to offer.