Media Coverage - 2008

Dec. 29, 2008

USA Today

Top Health Stories of ‘08: Hard Times Crank Up Stress

As the economy plummeted this year, stress soared and so did the number of Americans bringing their money-related mental health problems to therapists. Requests for counseling increased 40...

Read More ››

Dec. 22, 2008

Human Resources Report

Importance of Taking Precautions for Overseas Operations Underscored by Mumbai Attacks

In the wake of the November terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, that killed at least 160 people, U.S. multinational companies may be more aware than...

Read More ››

Dec. 12, 2008

Forbes

You Call This Christmas?

For the first time in 25 years, personal finance is the No. 1 cause of concern and strife among Americans, according to a firm that operates employee assistance services worldwide. Before the recession started wiping out...

Read More ››

Dec. 1, 2008

Money

The $250 Billion Injection:  What's in It for You

On Oct. 14, the U.S. Treasury announced it would spend $250 billion of taxpayer money to buy shares in U.S. banks. The feds hope that the infusion will resolve the financial crisis paralyzing the...

Read More ››

Nov. 26, 2008

U.S. News & World Report

Benefits of Older Workers

Increasingly, the contrasts between people in their 50s and 60s and younger millennial workers have caused a strange kind of generational workplace clash. The truth is, the American workforce needs the...

Read More ››

Nov. 17, 2008

Workforce Management

Changing Hearts and (Anxious) Minds

The financial crisis of the past few months has ratcheted up economic anxiety among American workers to severe levels, experts say. A recent poll by employee assistance program provider ComPsych found...

Read More ››

Nov. 6, 2008

USA Today

How Obama’s Win May Impact Americans’ Mental Health

Short-term relief from soaring stress levels is among the likely after-effects of Barack Obama’s Tuesday night victory, say experts in mental health. The emotion-filled election came at a time...

Read More ››

Nov. 6, 2008

MSNBC

Up All Night Worrying About Money

With today’s economic turmoil, it’s no wonder that people can’t get to sleep. A report released by ComPsych Corporation, a provider of corporate employee assistance programs, found that 92 percent of the workers...

Read More ››

Nov. 5, 2008

U.S. News & World Report

How to Handle Holiday Hard Times at Work

The holidays are the ultimate test of balancing both work-life and checkbook, especially this year. When profits and sales are down, employers may slice and dice bonuses, even for strong...

Read More ››

Nov. 1, 2008

Employee Benefit News

Benefits Pros Offer Their Peers Advice on Combating FMLA Abuse

Most HR professionals have seen it before:  the person who always uses FMLA to take leave on Fridays to get a head start on a summer weekend, or the worker whose back pain...

Read More ››

Oct. 29, 2008

Employee Benefit Adviser

Worried Workers = Productivity Drop

New research tells you what you probably already knew. Your client’s workers are worried and that worry means more stress, less productivity and potentially higher medical costs in the short and...

Read More ››

Oct. 28, 2008

CNN

Money Worries Rob Workers of Sleep, Study Shows

Nine of 10 American workers are losing sleep over financial worries, according to a survey released by ComPsych Corporation. Keeping up with the rising cost of living and credit card debt were top concerns...

Read More ››

Oct. 27, 2008

Reuters

Americans Losing Sleep Over Financial Crisis

If fellow workers seem groggier or grumpier than usual in the mornings, they are probably losing sleep over the global financial crisis, according to research released on Monday. Ninety-two percent of...

Read More ››

Oct. 27, 2008

The New York Times

Losing Confidence, and Sleep

A report released today by ComPsych Corporation, a provider of corporate employee assistance programs, found that 92 percent of workers are losing sleep because they are worrying about their...

Read More ››

Oct. 10, 2008

Risk & Insurance

A Conference to Bet On

The Las Vegas Convention Center, from Nov. 19-21, is where you’ll find all you’ll need to know at the 17th Annual National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference & Expo. Among the informative...

Read More ››

Oct. 8, 2008

Los Angeles Times

Plunge in Markets Brings Another Kind of Depression

Worries about home foreclosures, job losses and plunging stock prices have sparked a surge in mental health problems. “The closest I have seen to this in the last 10 to 20 years is the...

Read More ››

Oct. 7, 2008

ABC News

How to Conquer Recession Depression

With the stock market plunging and Americans losing their homes and jobs, it’s no surprise that mental health can take a nose-dive as well. In tough economic times, hopelessness and depression can encroach on our...

Read More ››

Oct. 1, 2008

Money

Psych Out

With the Dow sliding and financial markets in turmoil, stress is taking a financial toll on employees. Requests for therapists are up 20 percent in the past three months, says ComPsych, a large EAP. Biggest worry:...

Read More ››

Oct. 1, 2008

Continental

When the Going Gets Rough, Smart Employers Help Employees Cope

The conflicting demands of work and family are one of the major reasons so many American workers have come to feel angry and depressed. But in its 2008 National Study of Employers, the...

Read More ››

Sept. 30, 2008

Los Angeles Times

Coping With Anxiety on the Job

For all too many Americans, work is literally a pain in the neck. Workplace stress sends them home many nights fatigued and in need of a couple aspirin and a back massage. In the most recent StressPulse, a...

Read More ››

Sept. 14, 2008

Tribune Media Services

Help Is on the Line

Employee assistance programs have become a staple in many companies’ benefits packages. These programs allow employees and their household members to help manage issues that could adversely impact their work and...

Read More ››

Sept. 5, 2008

Washington Post

It Gets Better

It may be time to drop the stereotype of the older worker as unhealthy or slowing down. Workers in their 50s and 60s are more likely to exercise and eat healthy foods than their younger colleagues, a new report by ComPsych...

Read More ››

Sept. 1, 2008

HR Executive

Violently Ill

Each year, victims of domestic violence lose nearly 8 million days of work, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs and almost 5.6 million days of productivity, according to a 2003 study by the CDC. Denise Curran, a...

Read More ››

Sept. 1, 2008

Employee Benefit News

EAPs: Not Just Luck of the Draw

The EAP of the 21st century, when effectively implemented, is not merely the referral service of the past, but rather a start-to-finish case management and return-to-work program for employees suffering from...

Read More ››

Aug. 24, 2008

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Unfortunately, Therapists Find Business Booming

Financial stress, job layoffs, housing problems and the rising cost of living can complicate and heighten an already existing diagnosis of depression or anxiety, experts say. The lagging...

Read More ››

Aug. 24, 2008

The New York Times

After a Downsizing, How to Motivate?

The wobbly economy is producing a steady stream of layoff announcements – the number of extended mass layoffs rose 8 percent in the second quarter, based on preliminary numbers, versus the period a year...

Read More ››

Aug. 23, 2008

Chicago Tribune

Manners for Pleasure and Profit

Companies, cities and even countries realize that investing in politeness pays off, socially and economically. Employers are wary that incivility is on the rise in the workplace, where for the first time...

Read More ››

Aug. 15, 2008

TheStreet.com

Don't Let Foreclosure Destroy Your Sanity

Nearly 1.7 million homes have been foreclosed upon so far this year, and the related stress can lead to an increase in unhealthy behavior, like not eating or sleeping properly, self-medicating with alcohol...

Read More ››

July 28, 2008

Chicago Sun-Times

Economy Sends Many to Therapy

Economic woes are triggering stress among the working class, beset by breadwinner layoffs and hair-trigger tempers at home. But now even upper-middle-class people are taking a big hit to their emotional...

Read More ››

July 23, 2008

USA Today

Economy’s Stuck, but Business is Booming at Therapists’ Offices

The struggling economy is hurting many Americans’ mental health:  Anxiety, depression, sleep problems and money-rooted marital conflicts are growing, experts around the U.S....

Read More ››

July 23, 2008

Human Resources Executive

Financial Stress Squeezing Employees

Employee assistance providers are seeing a spike from callers in financial and legal distress, spurred on by hikes in adjustable-rate mortgages amid level wages and increasing inflation. Providing...

Read More ››

July 9, 2008

The Washington Post

The Productive Diet

Almost three-quarters of people who eat a healthy diet report being highly productive on the job vs. one-quarter of those who say their diet is poor or unbalanced, a new report from ComPsych says. The company, which...

Read More ››

July 7, 2008

Business Insurance

Productivity Research Is Food for Thought

If it’s true that we are what we eat, then it would seem logical that employees who eat healthy diets have more energy and are more productive than their junk food-binging counterparts. The...

Read More ››

July 1, 2008

HR Magazine

Easing the Burden of Employees’ Debt

As bad news mounts on the economic front, more employers are taking a strong proactive approach to help their employees better manage personal finances. Whether through workshops, courses, online resources or...

Read More ››

July 1, 2008

Employee Benefit News

Workers with Healthy Diets May Be More Productive

Employees with balanced diets have 10 times more energy, compared to workers with poor dietary habits, reports ComPsych in its 2008 Health & Productivity Index. The index shows only 5...

Read More ››

June 20, 2008

U.S. News & World Report

Healthy Eaters Are More Energetic Workers

One more reason for employers to start snooping in your brown bag:  A new study from ComPsych, a provider of employee assistance programs, found a significant correlation between...

Read More ››

June 23, 2008

Business Insurance

U.S. Companies Take EAPs Abroad

As more employers take advantage of the global economy and expand their operations abroad, many are choosing to take their employee assistance programs with them. International EAPs have been around for years,...

Read More ››

June 11, 2008

Newsday

Employees’ Requests for Financial Help Up 30 Percent

Whiplashed by economy, workers are seeking advice for debt management, possible eviction and garnished wages. At ComPsych Corp., a Chicago-based employee assistance provider, requests from employers...

Read More ››

May 15, 2008

USA Today

Foreclosures Take Toll on Mental Health

The escalating pace of foreclosures and rising fears among some homeowners about keeping up with their mortgages are creating a range of emotional problems, mental-health specialists say. Those include anxiety...

Read More ››

May 15, 2008

CNN

The Impact of High Energy Costs

This year’s gas prices combined with other troubling aspects of the U.S. economy have pushed some Americans to the tipping point. We know about the financial impact of the rise in foreclosures. But there is a health toll...

Read More ››

May 13, 2008

Workforce

The Benefit of Counsel

Prompted by the national mortgage mess and myriad other legal issues that people face, more employers are offering legal resources to employees. ComPsych, a Chicago-based employee assistance provider that offers a legal...

Read More ››

April 21, 2008

Fortune

Health Coaches Tackle Both Risks and Goals

Health coaching has gained traction as employers ramp up efforts to tackle workers’ multiple health risks, including physical inactivity, stress, tobacco use and obesity. “A lot of folks put their big toe...

Read More ››

April 17, 2008

ABC News

How’s Your Mental Health?

Eighty-two percent of employees report they take mental health days off work, according to ComPsych Corporation. Here are the reasons: 30 percent because of a family or relationship issue. 20 percent because of work...

Read More ››

April 16, 2008

NBC5

Eighty Percent Admit to Mental Health Days

A poll finds more than 80 percent of those asked admit to taking a “mental health day” even if they’re not really sick. The survey from ComPsych, a provider of employee assistance services, said almost...

Read More ››

April 10, 2008

HR Executive

Adapting to Absenteeism

Three in 10 workers surveyed by ComPsych Corp. said they had taken a mental-health day for family and relationship reasons. Twenty percent said they took off because of work stress; 15 percent cited personal issues; 12...

Read More ››

April 7, 2008

Crain’s Chicago Business

Winter 2008: The Last Straw

Richard Chaifetz is president and CEO of ComPsych Corp., a Chicago-based provider of employee-assistance and other corporate wellness programs. He says the company has seen an increase in mental-health...

Read More ››

April 1, 2008

HR Magazine

Family Issues Top Reason for Taking ‘Mental Health’ Days

Family and relationship issues top the list for why employees would take a so-called mental health day, according to a poll by ComPsych. Thirty percent of those surveyed cited family or...

Read More ››

April 1, 2008

Employee Benefit News

Extra Time off Can Foster Healthier Lifestyles

Employers may wonder exactly what would get their reluctant workers to choose healthy foods, exercise consistently and get the necessary preventive care. Cash may be the prevailing incentive...

Read More ››

April 1, 2008

Benefits Selling

Employers Can Help Boost Workforce Health

Better health is a goal many employees make each year, and a study from ComPsych shows that employers may be able to help more of those resolution-makers stick to their goals. Sixty-seven percent of...

Read More ››

March 27, 2008

BusinessWeek

Aftershocks at Bear Stearns

In a week it was all gone:  Bear Stearns' reputation, culture, identity; the savings of many of its 14,000 employees and possibly their jobs, too. A comedown of such magnitude would be traumatic for any...

Read More ››

March 25, 2008

NPR

The Mental Health Day: It’s Not Just about Work

Most of us can more than justify a “mental health day” from work -- on occasion. And a new study suggests that a lot of you out there agree. Eighty-two percent of employees admit to taking “mental...

Read More ››

March 23, 2008

Workforce Management

An Intriguing Development for Workplace Concierge Services

The hunger among employees for better work-life balance continues to increase. A survey conducted by ComPsych, the employee assistance program provider, also highlighted the strain...

Read More ››

March 13, 2008

Benefits Selling

Family Medical Leave Act Continues to Increase in Complexity

As the National Defense Authorization Act was recently signed into law, effectively expanding FMLA to give additional coverage to military personnel and their families, employers are...

Read More ››

March 2, 2008

Chicago Tribune

A Jump in Foreclosure-fighting Resources

Corporate employee-assistance programs are getting more calls for help with mortgage-related troubles, says John Jones, a financial specialist with Chicago-based ComPsych, a firm that runs EAPs. Jones...

Read More ››

February 14, 2008

Workforce Management

Democratic Leaders Oppose Revising FMLA Regulations

Earlier this week, the Department of Labor published a 477-page proposal that would revise the FMLA for the first time since it was enacted in 1993. The Labor Department didn’t...

Read More ››

February 1, 2008

HR Executive

The Dangers of Disability

When The Hartford, using data from ComPsych, compared short-term disability durations for employees from companies who used EAP services with those who did not, it found the EAP services tended to have a greater impact...

Read More ››

January 31, 2008

Employee Benefit News

FMLA Expanded to Help Military Families

The first-ever expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act went into effect earlier this week when President Bush signed the 2008 Defense Authorization bill. The bill provides additional FMLA...

Read More ››

January 23, 2008

Plan Sponsor

Employees Back Workplace Wellness Efforts

Many employees have apparently gotten the message about the benefits of healthy living and look for help in achieving that goal from their employer. That was a key finding of a new survey by employee...

Read More ››

January 3, 2008

Fortune

Don't Expect a Bigger Raise This Year

According to our crystal ball, your salary increase will be just so-so this year. You’re also more likely to catch a cold in the office. Here’s what to expect at work in 2008. A poll was conducted last month...

Read More ››

January 1, 2008

Benefits Selling

When the Boss Is Away…

Poll results from employee assistance provider ComPsych show that most workers say they are not affected by their boss being out of the office. Nearly one-quarter of respondents said they actually work harder while...

Read More ››
Displaying 1 - 60 of 60 total records