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 Families and Work Institute argues that it doesn’t have to be this way. Employees benefit from having more supportive workplaces that are less likely to negatively affect their personal and family lives, the study asserts. Meanwhile, employers benefit from having a more engaged workforce, higher retention and potentially lower health care costs.

One approach to reducing work-life conflict is when the employer takes an active role in the lives of its employees, providing assistance in the form of day care support, concierge services and referrals for professional resources.

“Today, one of the biggest challenges employers face is making sure their talent is focused on the job at hand,” says Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych, a Chicago company that provides employee assistance programs. “The more services they can provide to help people navigate their personal lives, the higher the probability that those people won’t be impacted in their work.”