Legal & General is now including free face-to-face counselling as part of its Group Income Protection proposition.

Any employees covered by a Legal & General Group Income Protection policy can now benefit from up to five face-to-face counselling sessions if they need them.

Legal & General is offering these face to face counselling sessions as part of its enhanced Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) service, provided by global EAP provider PPC Worldwide.

Employees will generally be able to see someone within a 30-mile radius of their home or place of work.
The telephone based Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services are now also available to all employees whose companies have Legal & General’s Group Protection products, whether they are insured or not under the policy. Previously only employees insured under the policy could use these services.

Face-to-face counselling provides solution-focused therapy to employees that can help employers rapidly support the wellbeing of their staff. Key areas of assistance that are covered by these sessions include relationship issues, stress management, anxiety or low mood and substance related disorders.

Jim Islam, managing director of Legal & General Group Protection, said: “By adding up to five free face-to-face counselling sessions, our GIP customers will get an excellent service that will provide benefits to both employer and employee.

“Sometimes over the phone counselling is simply not enough and so we are very pleased to be able to offer these sessions to those that need them.”

Vanessa Sallows, benefits and medical underwriting director, Legal & General Group Protection, said: “Face-to-face counselling complements our early intervention and rehabilitation support, available to all our Group Income Protection customers.

“These sessions can help prevent employee absence by providing support whilst they are still at work. It is a valuable addition to our proposition and will help our employers to offer a new benefit to their employees at no extra cost.”