How do employers benefit from providing group legal services?

As is true with employee assistance programs (EAPs) and other benefits, group legal services plans allow employers to help their employees resolve their personal legal problems before the problems become serious and require absence from, or inattention to, work.

Providing employees with access to legal representation has several advantages for employers. First, legal services benefits can help attract and retain qualified employees. In addition, if an employee comes to work with a legal problem, that individual might be less productive. The fact that the employee has access to legal assistance eases that burden and helps the employee focus on his or her job. In addition, many employers consider legal service programs as adjuncts to their work/life programs in that they help employees juggle work with life events.

Employee benefits. For employees, access to legal services levels the playing field when they are embroiled in disputes over, for example, car repairs or leases. Providing employees with a network of attorneys eliminates the need for searching for attorneys to handle specific matters. In many instances, premium payments can be handled through payroll deduction. For both employers and employees, legal services plans and prepaid legal plans are relatively low-cost benefits.