Frequently Asked Questions
WorkLife Partnership works directly with employers to help address
employee retention, productivity, and engagement issues. WorkLife
Navigators help connect an employer’s frontline workforce to community
resources to support them in overcoming real life challenges.
Employer Members receive value by having access to a trusted,
compassionate, and impartial Navigator team who works directly with their
employees to help overcome obstacles that may impact their ability to be
fully present and productive at work. WorkLife Navigators are community
resource experts who provide one-on-one, confidential help to help
employees clear barriers to work stability. This translates to increased
retention and improved engagement by employees. Additionally, employees
who have access to a Resource Navigator services report feeling increased
loyalty to their employers. All Employer Members also receive a monthly
Dashboard that provides data and insights employers can’t find anywhere
else. This data can be used by employers to better understand—and begin to
address—the day-to-day challenges that are impacting their employees.
Other benefits include reduced time spent by HR and frontline managers in
helping employees manage personal challenges, support with annual open
enrollment from WorkLife’s expert Health Benefits Navigator, and quarterly
conversations where WorkLife’s expert account team helps employers
understand and act upon the data and insights we provide.
WorkLife works with employers across a range of sectors who share a
commitment to their employees’ long-term professional success. Members
have identified that their frontline or middle-skill employees often face
significant challenges due to the reality of living expenses and low wages.
They partner with us to complement their more traditional benefits. They
understand that WorkLife can provide support to strategically address
employee turnover, attendance issues, inadequate performance,
disengagement, or a lack of focus.
WorkLife services complement and enhance an Employer Member’s EAP
program. When approached by an employee seeking assistance with mental
and/or behavioral issues, WorkLife will refer employees to existing benefits
(like an employer’s EAP) and to community resources for professional
counseling or therapy. Understanding that mental/behavioral concerns are
often linked to other issues, Navigators help individuals address underlying
challenges as they strive to develop a plan for long-term stability. Oftentimes,
these additional challenges cannot be addressed by a specialized EAP
provider; although an EAP may provide the contact information for
community resources, our Navigators are committed to developing working
relationships with resource providers, enabling us to connect employees with
familiar and trusted contacts. Navigators help employees to both find and
navigate the resources needed to achieve stability.
Our Navigators come from a variety of backgrounds and human service
professions. Navigators bring the lived experience of the struggles/hardships
and the success of the populations they work with. All Navigators possess a range
of qualities and experience including customer service, case management,
communication modalities such as Motivation Interviewing and Trauma
Informed Care, problem-solving, goal setting, basic financial coaching, and
community resource expertise.
Confidentiality is one of the foundations of WorkLife’s service. We stress the
importance of our policy by explaining to all employees that any information
they share will be held in confidence unless the employee provides express
gives permission for their information to be shared for a specific purpose.
Asking for help is hard so we strive to make our services easily accessible and
familiar. As part of our service, WorkLife presents directly to employees,
managers, and supervisors to explain how WorkLife Navigators can support
a variety of work/life challenges. WorkLife recognizes the importance of
proximity in reaching your employees and will schedule times appropriate to
your business to connect with your workforce. These may include new
employee orientations, team/staff meetings, and company-wide events. In
addition, WorkLife will provide marketing collateral that may be distributed
among an employer’s workforce or posted in high-traffic areas.
WorkLife also uses an email/text campaign which employees may opt in to
receive notifications and reminders about WorkLife services directly. When
an employee reaches out to WorkLife, the Navigator will meet them at a time,
place, and via means (email, text, phone call) that is most convenient for
them. We emphasize our commitment to providing a safe and
nonjudgmental space where employees can share their concerns. While
many employees self-refer to a Navigator, we encourage managers and
supervisors to refer employees who may be showing signs of a work/life
the challenge, such as absences, attendance warnings, and/or performance
concerns.
WorkLife’s Employer Membership team serves as your primary point of contact in ensuring that services
are being effectively used and marketed inside a business. They are available to support the full cycle of
support from launch to contract renewal. All Employer Members have access to on-demand reporting
that is updated monthly. Reports include a variety of quantitative and qualitative impact measures. In
addition, WorkLife’s Employer Membership team will schedule Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with
all Employer Members to review key performance indicators, review visible workforce trends, and
discuss ways to ensure employees are aware of and accessing WorkLife services.
There is no time limit for services. We will serve employees until they feel
confident they have reached stability and feel empowered to address any
similar challenges in the future. Some employees report stability after only
one or two meetings with a Navigator or after referrals to community
resources have been made; others choose to participate in ongoing meetings
for steady support as they work toward achieving personal goals. Although
we strive to help employees develop long-term solutions, we recognize that
work/life challenges are usually unanticipated. We will work with employees
repeatedly when needed/requested.
We recommend that our services be available to all employees. While lower-
wage workers will be most likely to engage our Navigators, our experience
has shown us that employees at any wage level can experience work/life
challenges and may benefit from additional resources and guidance.
While WorkLife services are available to employees at all levels, navigators
can work closely with managers and supervisors to help them understand
WorkLife services and the process of making a referral to a Navigator.
WorkLife recognizes that managers and supervisors may feel overwhelmed
when employees discuss work/life challenges or may be unable to provide
them with adequate resources or support. WorkLife strives to help them
understand the warning signs of employees in distress and navigate the
unique challenges that come with absorbing the secondary trauma of their
direct reports. WorkLife can also support newly hired/promoted
supervisors/managers as they acclimate to their new roles.
Our Employer Membership team will work with you and your HR team to determine
the most effective way to launch the program to your managers/supervisors and
employees. In addition, WorkLife will help coordinate strategies to reach your entire
workforce including virtual tools and/or scheduling of Navigator onsite hours when
appropriate. Contact your business representative for more information about the
Launch process.
A Navigator reaches out to first schedule an appointment no later than the
end of the next business day. The initial meeting is scheduled for a time that
works best for the employee and typically takes about 30 min. During this
time, the Navigator will review an employee’s questions and concerns and
help them set goals that they will work on together. Navigators will provide
resources no later than 3 days after the initial meeting, but oftentimes sooner.
Navigators are available to meet virtually via phone, text, email, or video
conference. A Navigator may also meet an employee at their place of work
after arranging a confidential meeting space with the employer.
View our video on the navigator process to learn more.