this is how companies help those who separate – Corriere.it

Babysitting fee, mental health help desks, fertility treatments, menstrual leave, bereavement leave for pets. In recent years, corporate benefits have evolved to keep pace with the new needs of employees seeking a positive work-life balance. Some companies in the United Kingdom and the United States have thus launched a new experiment: the divorce benefit, a support designed for those who separate from their spouse.

Psychological assistance or targeted permits are generally offered to workers going through the divorce process and who need time for legal advice. Some companies also offer flexible working arrangements to allow their employees to take care of personal matters related to the dissolution of marriage, such as meetings and court hearings. Of course, these are experiments. Benefits are not yet a widespread phenomenon, but according to some English psychologists they can be essential for supporting employees in times of stress.

For example, major UK employers including Metro Bank, NatWest, PwC, Tesco and Unilever and Vodafone have partnered with the Positive Parenting Alliance to promote more family friendly policies for employees going through divorce. But the most significant case of experimentation comes from the United States. Hearst publishing company launched a divorce benefits program for its 12,000 employees through a partnership with SupportPay, a payment and management platform that makes child support easier for parents, in September 2022. for employees who are facing a separation, it has also included free therapy and legal assistance sessions. A survey conducted by Good Housekeeping with SupportPay found that employees going through a divorce often experience work-related disruptions, including long-term loss of productivity (81%), increased absenteeism (73%) and a decline in health and financial well-being (67%).