Global Expansion Marks 25th Anniversary
<p><strong>Raleigh, N.C. — May 22</strong><br />Twenty-five years after Workplace Options began offering work-life consulting and training services, the provider of work-life employee benefits spans four continents and 80 countries.<br /><br />The company, based in Raleigh, N.C., celebrates its 25th anniversary year with continued growth. </p><p>This month, Workplace Options will move into a new headquarters three times the size of its current center. </p><p>Global expansion includes the June 2006 purchase of Employee Advisory Resource in London, one of the United Kingdom's largest providers of employee effectiveness services. </p><p>In early 2007, Workplace Options acquired Dublin’s EAP Solutions, further extending its worldwide network of providers.<br /><br />"The changes we’ve experienced as a result of tremendous growth are matched only by the sweeping changes that have taken place across the work-life industry,” said Stephanie Fanjul, Workplace Options founder. “We’re proud to have reached this significant milestone.”<br /><br />Several key changes have transformed the work-life landscape since the early 1980s. Then, fewer than 5 percent of large employers offered work-life benefits to employees, while today more than 75 percent offer such benefits. </p><p>Also in the industry’s early years, work-life benefits consisted primarily of child-care resource and referrals. </p><p>Now, Workplace Options offers customizable solutions for all aspects of an employee’s life — including child care, elder care, financial, legal, wellness, identity threat recovery, training, concierge services and more. <br /><br />“What has carried us through the past 25 years is our willingness to be flexible and creative as we work to meet our customers’ needs,” Alan King, Worplace Options president, said. “We have become a full-service provider for our EAP clients, adding new services such as health risk assessments and eMindhealth, which offers network provider solutions for behavioral health companies.”<br /><br />The technology has changed too. Two decades ago, work-life employee benefits could be accessed only via the telephone.</p><p>Today, employees can access Workplace Options' services by telephone, e-mail or via instant messaging. Seminars can even be downloaded onto MP3 players and other portable devices. <br /><br />“We’ve grown alongside Workplace Options during the past 25 years, and amidst dramatic changes in the industry, they’ve always been responsive to our needs,” said Robert Levy, Corporate Counseling Associates president. “It’s a competitive advantage for us to have a work-life partner who isn’t afraid to be a creative leader in both technology and service.”<br /><br />Workplace Options' unique business model contributed heavily to the company’s growth. </p><p>In the mid 1990s, shifting buying patterns resulted in organizations looking to their employee assistance program (EAP) or health plans for work-life services. As </p><p>a result, the business was restructured — rather than sell directly to employers, the company instead partnered with EAPs and other third-party organizations to provide work-life services. </p><p>The decision paid off, making Workplace Options the ideal work-life partner for corporate America, and fueling its explosive growth in the 1990s.</p>
