We're a third of the way through the year, and we took a look at the reasons why employees are calling us and some interesting trends.
It's somewhat unscientific, but the top five primary reasons for calling (note that some employees have multiple presenting issues; these are what are determined to be their primary issues) totaled the identical percentage year over year—just under 80% of the top 10 reasons for calling. And, those calling with stress and anxiety were at identical percentages, year over year, as well.
| Reason For Calling: | 2012 Rank to Date | 2011 Rank to Date | Trend—% to Total |
| Stress and Anxiety | 1 | 1 | Same |
| Family and Children | 2 | 2 | Down |
| Legal | 3 | 4 | Up |
| Marital and Relationships | 4 | 3 | Down |
| Work Conflict | 5 | 5 | Up |
Calls related to family and children remained the second most common reason for calling, but as a percent to the total, that category is trending down, year to date. Similarly, marital and relationships moved to fourth place from third place last year at this time, and is also trending down as a percent to the total. So, it appears that employees are having fewer issues directly related to their personal lives, which is a positive trend.
However, legal issues moved to third place compared to last year, with almost a 25% increase in calls compared to 2011 at this time. Work conflict also increased, although by a lesser percentage.
What does it mean? For legal issues, it's more difficult to analyze, because the reasons for calling vary widely. The numbers for work conflict make sense in the context of recent surveys showing decreased employee satisfaction—largely the result of a long economic slowdown and its effects in the workplace. For managers, it may be time to talk to employees more, or do a survey, to get a better sense of what's on their minds.
Another avenue to consider are our seminars and webinars on workplace conflict, incivility, bullying and harassment, and professional boundaries. All touch upon growing issues in the workplace that can lead to loss of productivity, lower morale and increased turnover. Your account manager can tell you more about them.
Pathways to Well Being Call VITAL WorkLife at 800.383.1908 or access resources through your VITAL WorkLife App