Workplace Options News: Workplace Options Moves Into the European Work-Life Arena in Partnership With Employee Advisory Resource (EAR), a Division of Accor Services

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Workplace Options Moves Into the European Work-Life Arena in Partnership With Employee Advisory Resource (EAR), a Division of Accor Services

Strategic Partnership with Britain’s EAR Means Workplace Options’ EAP Clients Can Now Offer Work-Life and Employee Support Services in Europe

Contact:
Christine Hall
chall@capstrat.com
919-882-1998

26 June 2006 – Raleigh, NC – Accor Services and Workplace Option today announced that Employee Advisory Resource (EAR), one of the UK’s leading providers of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) and Work-Life services, will join forces with Workplace Options (WPO), the largest provider of Work-Life employee benefits in the United States and a current partner of Accor Services.

This strategic partnership will allow EAR’s growing portfolio of global clients to quickly and effectively extend coverage of their employee benefits outside the UK. It will allow WPO’s EAP clients to expand their work-life services internationally and will provide them with access to an extensive network of behavioral health providers throughout Europe. These combined forces will now be able to share ideas and investments, in order to bring innovative new products to the two most dynamic marketplaces for work-life and employee support services.

The partnership reinforces Accor Services’ global EAP/Work-Life strategy, which seeks to leverage shared quality/service standards and technology platforms with a strong local presence. Accor Services currently has EAP/Work-Life subsidiaries in the UK, the US, Australia and France. In addition, its rapidly expanding international network of affiliate partners enables Accor Services to provide EAP coverage in more than 35 countries and to reaffirm its leadership in the global HR benefit market.

Laurent Delmas, Managing Director of Accor Services UK, said:

“Our portfolio of international Blue Chip clients is increasingly telling us they need innovative products and services of the highest quality which are consistent across the geographies in which they operate. This is exactly what this partnership will deliver to our clients and their employees.”

Workplace Options’ Chief Executive Officer Dean Debnam said:

“This is an exciting development for both existing and prospective clients of Employee Advisory Resource and Workplace Options. Through this innovative partnership leading global businesses will get the benefits of one contract to cover their employees in more than 35 countries.”

“We are delighted to offer a truly international work-life service to our clients in the U.S.,” said Alan King, president of WPO. “This also allows us to expand our emindhealth network to include mental health professionals in 12 European countries.”

For further information please contact:
Sandy Egan, Director of Service Promotion
(919)834-6506 x2161
Email: sandye@workplaceoptions.com

About Workplace Options

Workplace Options helps employees balance their work, family and personal life in order to make their lives healthier, easier and more productive. The company's world-class employee support and work-life services provide information, resources, referrals and consultation on a variety of issues ranging from dependent care, legal and financial issues to stress management and wellness.

Drawing from an international network of credentialed providers and professionals, Workplace Options is the world's largest integrated employee support services and work-life provider. Service centers in Raleigh. N.C., London, Toronto and Dublin support more than 32 million employees in 20,000 organizations, across 170 countries. To learn more, visit www.workplaceoptions.com.