Friends Provident has launched a new group risk product that will offer help and advice for both employers and employees on sickness absence.
The support package - free to all new and existing group income protection policyholders - is aimed at helping organisations reduce absence in the workplace. With the average absence period 7.4 days per employee per year many employers are looking to manage their cost base effectively.
Key elements of the new programme include up to six face-to-face or telephone counselling sessions, as well as a proactive debt management service involving hands on support from qualified money advisers who will talk to creditors on behalf of the individual concerned.
The service also provides help and advice for those who care for children, elderly or disabled relatives, and also practical human resources and legal guidance for employers.
Declan White, group risk marketing manager, said: "In today's tough economic climate it is increasingly challenging for companies to manage a healthy workforce.
"Our new service will give employers a helping hand and provide them with expert guidance they can rely on and make accessible to their employees. The programme has been designed specifically to meet the needs of both companies of all sizes and their employees with the aim of supporting and promoting a healthy and productive workforce."
The package also includes dedicated websites for employees and employers and critical incident support services to help employers tackle accidents in the work place.The services are provided by Workplace Options, a provider of employee assistance programmes and integrated work-life services both in the UK and across the globe.
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