Human Resources: Canadians In The Workplace Working Harder To Maintain Their Relationships

Marital/relationship issues are on the rise, but that may be a good thing, according to a report released by Warren Shepell Consultants Corp., Canada´s leading provider of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and related organizational health and wellness services.

The Marital/Relationship Issues: An EAP´s Perspective report is based on a three-year study of 40,000 cases assessed by Warren Shepell´s EAP. The three relationship categories studied were marital/relationship, separation/divorce and domestic violence.

"It is reasonable to assume that marital/relationship issues are at the root of much productivity loss for Canadian employers, including increased absenteeism for personal and family issues," says Rod Phillips, President and CEO of Toronto-based Warren Shepell Consultants Corp."

Marital cases are defined as individuals (adults) who engaged in counselling for any reason related to their intimate relationship with a significant other. Counselling for marital issues may comprise either individual or couples counselling.

Of the three types of marital cases seen, the marital/relationship issue sub-category is the most frequently assessed (73.9%), has become more prevalent over the past three years and is causing greater levels of stress among EAP clients. Separation/divorce (23%) remains stable and domestic violence (3%) is slightly declining.

According to the report, 62.1% of all marital/relationship cases represent individuals seeking counselling to improve the quality of their relationships rather than seeking counselling for issues related to separation/divorce. Compared to a Canadian divorce rate of over 50%, this reflects well upon the health of relationships within the Canadian workplace/EAP user population. Evidence shows that improved communication, conflict resolution and connection in relationships are contributors to better physical and mental health.

Marital problems are among the common issues presented to Warren Shepell´s EAP, currently comprising close to 30% of all EAP cases.

Added Phillips, "what is encouraging to Warren Shepell, is that these numbers indicate that Canadians in the workplace are looking for solutions when seeking counselling when it comes to marital relationship issues and are approaching the EAP for help."

The Report also cited...

Over 90% of client cases revealed a stress level of high or moderate. The data also showed that across all marital cases, there is a statistically significant rise in levels of high stress over the three-year period. This means that more people are reporting higher levels of stress as it relates to their relationship.

Across all marital cases, Personal Stress (24.6%), is the most reported secondary issue followed by Separation (9.2%), Depression Symptoms (6.8%), Communication - Other (6.0%), Child - Related Issues (5.4%), Parenting (4.5%), and Life Transition (4.4%)

As a secondary issue, domestic violence appears ranked ninth in the marital/relationship issues sub-category and eighth in the separation/divorce sub-category - with anger also ranking in the top ten in both instances. These factors suggest EAP providers and clinicians must be diligent in assessing and intervening in cases of domestic violence.

Other noted trends among the secondary issues relative to marital/relationship problems: the percentages of child-related issues are declining, whereas communication issues are on the rise. Life transitions are also increasing as a contributor to marital/relationship problems.

"These two trends in combination suggest the influence of shifting demographics, that is, our aging population. This may be a warning bell for EAP sponsors that they need to respond to the specific emerging needs of their employees," said Phillips.

About Warren Shepell

Founded in 1979 by Dr. Warren Shepell, Warren Shepell Consultants Corp. is a leading provider of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and related organizational health and wellness services, offering services to over 3,000,000 employees and their families in more than 2,000 organizations in Canada, the United States and internationally. www.warrenshepell.com.