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Call Centres Calling EAP More Often than Other Industries
September 01, 2008
Toronto – Call centre employees access their employee assistance programs at a higher rate than other industries, and for a specific set of stressors related to their jobs. This latest study by the Shepell·fgi research group has identified not just what unique job stressors call centre employees have, but the drivers to create a call centre that is engaged and healthy.
“There is no question, working in a call centre is unique and has its own concerns,” said Rod Phillips, President and CEO of Shepell·fgi. “It is important we look at the health of this specific group of employees as half a million Canadians work in 14,000 call centres across the country – a number increasing by 27 per cent every year. It is critical to the Canadian economy that this group of employees be well and productive.”
Shepell·fgi found that, when compared to other industries nationally, call centre employees:
- Accessed EAP at a higher rate (7% vs. 5% of all other industries)
- Accesses were far more likely to be under 30 years of age (42% vs. 17%)
- Accesses were more likely to be for emotional (15% vs. 11%) and stress issues (19% vs. 15%)
The findings estimate that among 100 recent hires at a call centre, 14 per cent may be experiencing high levels of stress, and ten per cent may experience high levels of depression.
“This is a trend that employers need to be aware of because of the potential for this to negatively impact a business,” said Karen Seward, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Marketing. “On any given day, ten per cent of call centre employees call in sick, turnover is between eight and 50 per cent a year, and the cost of training a replacement for employees who leave exceeds $6,000 dollars. It doesn’t take long to do the math to figure out the impact of this on a company’s profits.”
The study also looks at what makes a successful call centre, including job redesign and use of surveys and integrated health management to find out the perception of call centre employees and where programs can be best implemented
“These employees have a high level of what can be best described at times as a repetitive stress injury – only because the work is with people that injury is on an emotional level,” said Paula Allen, Senior Vice President of Health Solutions and the Shepell·fgi research group. “If employers are aware of the unique stress of this role, and implements appropriate support programs, like Employee Assistance, then everyone in the organization will benefit.”
Download the full version of the Report
For further investor information, please contact:
Stephanie Baumann
Senior Manager, Marketing Communications
Shepell·fgi
Phone: (416) 355-5609
Email: sbaumann@shepellfgi.com
About Shepell·fgi
Shepell·fgi is Canada's leading provider of workplace health and
productivity services, including prevention-focused Employee Assistance Programs, Health and Disability Management, Organizational Health and Global Services. The company services over six million employees and their families across Canada, the United States and internationally. Shepell·fgi helps organizations maintain healthy employees and healthy workplaces.
The Shepell·fgi Research group, a division of Shepell·fgi, has a mandate to educate employers and business leaders on physical, mental and social health issues as these factors impact employees, their families and their workplaces. The Shepell·fgi Research Group offers a precise understanding of health and wellness trends by conducting sector and issue-based analysis. Since 2004, the Shepell·fgi research group has published thirteen issues based reports and seven sector based reports.
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