Rise in UK workers seeking counselling for job stress and separation

As employees continue to struggle with the fallout from the pandemic, data released today shows an increasing number tapped into the health and wellbeing benefits offered by their employer and provided by Zurich UK during 2021.

Specifically, analysis of Group Protection customer data by Zurich’s Corporate Risk team revealed a 50% year-on-year increase in the number of calls to its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) in the last 12 months. The EAP is available to Zurich Corporate Risk customers who provide access to their employees as part of their benefits package.

Notably, and perhaps linked to the emergence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, November 2021 saw the highest volume of helpline calls over the 12- month period. Calls were up 16% from the previous month and nearly double (98%) the number made in November 2020.

Anxiety was the top reason for seeking help (seeing an increase in call volumes of 67%) but staff wanting advice for problems with their significant other also rose by 26%. Additionally, employees seeking guidance (non-legal) on separation and divorce issues jumped 73% year-on-year.

Job stress and bereavement, were other major triggers for employees to seek help, with call volumes relating to these issues increasing by 48% and 120% respectively.

Encouragingly calls relating to work related stress reduced dramatically during October and November 2021. This coincided with the end of the Government Job Retention Scheme (Furlough) and a general trend of employees transitioning back to their workplace.

The rise in EAP calls follows claims data released by Zurich UK in May 2021, showing 28% of all new group income protection claims for the previous year were for mental illness, making it the second most common reason for people to seek support, after cancer.

Nick Homer, Head of Group Risk at Zurich UK said:

“It’s highly likely that non-work factors such as problems with relationships, will affect everyone at some point in their working lives. But last year, there was a notable leap in people seeking support for relationship issues – which may be linked to the stress of the pandemic and home working. By offering employees somewhere to seek confidential and independent advice, it can help them to address such issues before they spiral.”

“We have also seen huge increases in requests for support for anxiety and work-related stress, which can be key contributors to workplace absence. Early identification of any illnesses, issues or mental health concerns can lead to swifter intervention, which in turn maximises the likelihood of a continued presence at work or the employee making a successful return. It is in an employer’s interest to offer the proactive and preventative care that will enable them to get the best from their employees, boost productivity and reduce the risk of mental-health related sickness or absence.”

Top 10 EAP Call Categories 2021

• Anxiety
• Low mood
• Partner
• Bereavement
• Depression
• Work-related stress
• Employment
• Concerns over own health
• Family
• Divorce & separation (Legal)

Zurich Corporate Risk’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is operated by Health Assured and offered to Corporate Protection customers.

The service provides Group Income Protection customers with up to eight structured sessions of face to face, telephone/video or online counselling, plus unlimited access to 24/7 support via its confidential helpline. In addition, comprehensive health and wellbeing support is available via a number of tools, including the My Healthy Advantage and Thrive apps.

Group Life customers are provided with telephone or video counselling support via a bereavement and probate focused service. This includes unlimited access to 24/7 support via its confidential helpline, plus comprehensive health and wellbeing support is available via a number of tools, including the My Healthy Advantage app.

Group Income Protection also provides access to valuable rehabilitation support from the early stages of absence to help aid an employee's recovery. The support provided by Zurich’s specialist in-house rehabilitation team can often be difficult to access through the NHS.

Notes to editor

Analysis of annual data from Zurich UK’s Employee Assistance Provider, Health Assured covering the period 1st Jan 2020 – 31st December 2021.

Calls to the helpline year-on-year grew 50% during the period. There were 6446 in the period Jan 20-Dec 20, rising to 9697 during Jan 21-Dec 21. The rise in calls is significantly more than the comparable increase in the number of customers who have access to the service Calls during Nov’21 (1159) were nearly double (98.46% increase) those made during Nov’20 (584).

Calls during Nov 2021 (1159) increased by 16% from October, which recorded the second highest number of calls in 2021 (998). Zurich Corporate Risk, provides life assurance products and is part of Zurich Assurance Ltd