More and more employees are turning to employer-provided support for their financial and health questions, a global survey by employee support service provider Workplace Options found.
While overall use of Workplace Options’ services remained constant between January 2014 and March 2016, the number of employees looking for financial help increased an average of 38.3 per cent globally. The greatest increase was in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region at 60.2 per cent, while the lowest was in Central and South America at 12.2 per cent.
In North America, there were marked increases in the use of financial consultations (31.2 per cent), child care (14.6 per cent) and health and wellness (11.4 per cent) services.
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“This data shows employers around the world that employees are now more concerned with physical and financial health than at any point in recent history…” said Dean Debnam, chief executive of Workplace Options, in a release. “If you’re an employer looking to get the most out of your workforce, you might want to evaluate what kind of support you’re offering in these areas.”
The rise in demand for these services reflects employers’ focus on health and wellness programs, as well as employee concerns about spending habits, he noted.
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“The burden of responsibility on an individual to plan for their own financial future has never been greater,” Debnam said. “Employers should consider what they can do to help reduce the stress and anxiety that their employees are obviously experiencing related to money habits.”
The study also found fewer employees globally sought child care and elder care information, and almost half (48.7 per cent) of employees using the service were looking for legal assistance.