Lack of Time, Personal Conflicts Are Top Barriers To Fulfilling Job Responsibilities, Employees Say

WESTPORT, Conn., December 21, 2004 – When it comes to fulfilling their basic job responsibilities, 22 percent of employees cite a lack of adequate time and 16 percent cite office politics and/or personal conflicts as their top barriers, according to a November poll conducted online by LifeCare^®, Inc., the exclusive provider of Life Event Management^® Services. Conducted last month among the employees of its 1,500 client companies, the poll also revealed several other key barriers to employee productivity.

		15 percent say they aren't rewarded appropriately;
		15 percent say they don't have the proper tools or resources;
		8 percent say they don't clearly understand what is expected of them;
		7 percent cite caregiving responsibilities that get in the way;
		and 17 percent cite “other” as the main barrier to on-the-job productivity.

“A high quality work/life program—such as LifeCare—can help eliminate or reduce many of these productivity barriers,” says Jeffrey A. Burki, LifeCare's chief strategy officer and co-founder. LifeCare's basic child and adult care services, for instance, save client employees literally thousands of hours every year in locating reliable, affordable care. And as people's personal lives get busier, Concierge Services can take the pressure off by providing fully personalized, round-the-clock assistance. Burki also notes that LifeCare offers a number of specialized educational materials and seminars that address time management and how to resolve personal conflicts—the top two productivity barriers.

A Holiday Tradition To Be Broken
Burki points out that productivity always takes a bit of a hit at this time of year. “And people's stress levels rise, too. Naturally, some of this can't be helped. The combination of work and family responsibilities, shopping, travel, entertaining—they can all take a toll. But the time has come to break this particular holiday tradition!” That's why Burki's company is reminding its clients and their employees that help is available 24/7 through LifeCare.

LifeCare specialists will be standing by throughout the holidays to deliver helpful advice and timely resources that address the full spectrum of holiday challenges—everything from time management to budgeting tips to stress busting and beyond.

One of the most popular forms of stress-reduction assistance that LifeCare is offering this year is its online Discount Center, which makes shopping and gift-giving less expensive and far more convenient. LifeCare's Discount Center offers discounts and special deals on literally hundreds of products and services, including computers and electronics, movie tickets, video rentals, books, CDs and DVDs, restaurants, theme parks and much more. According to Burki, the convenience and money-saving features of the Discount Center have particular appeal at the holidays when people are looking to avoid traffic snarls and checkout lines. In the first two weeks of December, some 21,000 client employees visited the Discount Center in search of gift, travel and entertainment bargains.

Burki offers one last piece of advice to workers everywhere: “Even if you don't have access to LifeCare, be sure check with your employer about the work/life or EAP program that is available to you. These programs can be a tremendous help—especially at this time of the year.”

Notes to Editors

Jeff Burki is available for interview.

LifeCare^®, Inc. is one of the largest privately owned employee benefits organizations in the U.S. and the exclusive provider of Life Event Management^® Services. With more than 20 years of experience in delivering highly personalized counseling, education and referral services, LifeCare helps employees manage the day-to-day challenges of their lives. In turn, LifeCare helps employers improve employee commitment, recruitment, retention and workplace productivity. LifeCare currently serves 1,500 client companies with 4.5 million individuals within health plans, governmental agencies, unions and corporations. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.

Media contact: Jim Derivan
LifeCare, Inc.
pr1@lifecare.com
203-291-4196