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Employees Turning to Employers for Legal Services
Workplace Options Study Shows More than One Quarter of Workers Required Legal Advice Last Year
Contact:
Christine Hall
chall@capstrat.com
919-882-1998
09 July 2008 – Raleigh, NC – According to a national survey of working adults commissioned by Workplace Options (WPO), the largest provider of work-life employee benefits in America, more than one quarter of the working population required legal advice over the past 12 months. In addition, an April 2007 study by Russell Research found one in three employees had to take time off work (an average of 13 days) for a legal problem in the last year.
More companies are offering employees legal benefits through work-life providers or Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to help reduce the stress and difficulties associated with identifying trusted attorneys. The number of large companies offering group legal plans grew to 33% in 2007, a 6% increase year over year according to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management.
Often, employees turn to their EAP to deal with the stress caused by legal issues ranging from bankruptcy and foreclosure to divorce and estate planning. Employees may be encouraged to contact a lawyer for help with the issue at hand. However, employees are rarely able to speak directly with an attorney and experience frequent delays in obtaining appointments. Offering employees easy and fast access to prepaid legal consulting by phone or in-person can ease anxieties and reduce time needed away from work.
“Many employees faced with a legal problem do not seek professional assistance because they are apprehensive about the expense and their ability to identify a capable attorney,” said Dean Debnam, chief executive officer for WPO. “Receiving prepaid legal benefits like referrals or complimentary over-the-phone consulting from an employer makes lawyers more accessible.”
According to the WPO poll, more than half of respondents feel it is important for companies to offer legal benefits to employees and would use these services if offered.
Legal services, such as WPO’s Advantage Legal Assist, allow employees to obtain qualified legal support before their issues become performance obstacles. Advantage Legal Assist uses a trusted network of attorneys to provide local and telephonic legal resources for employees across the nation. This includes:
- Telephonic Advice Service for an immediate half hour of free legal advice by phone from an experienced private practice attorney in the employee’s home state
- Local Referral Service for in-person legal consultation with a conveniently located lawyer with the appropriate expertise. These local lawyers provide a free half-hour consultation and discounted fees (up to 25%) if additional assistance is needed
In addition to legal advice and preventive consultation, Advantage Legal Assist offers employees ID Theft Recovery services. ID Recovery provides employees with a toll-free 30-minute phone consultation with an identity recovery professional. These professionals can help assess an identity theft, create an action plan and provide the knowledge and tools to implement that plan effectively.
The national survey, conducted by the North Carolina firm of Public Policy Polling on May 12, 2008, polled 551 working adults. The survey has a margin of error of ± 3.7%.
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.
© 2012 Workplace Options, Inc. All rights reserved.
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