Lifestyle Elements in The Advertiser

Hired help eases the work strain
Cara Jenkin, CareerOne Editor | From: The Advertiser | December 28, 2010

HELPING OUT: Concierge Emma Jones with Internode chief executive Patrick Tapper and chief operations officer Liz Cornelissen. Picture: DEAN MARTIN Source: The Advertiser

EMPLOYERS are hiring personal concierges for staff to help them so they are more focused at work.

[Do you need staff to be more focused at work? Click here to find out how we can help!]

Increasing work demands and pressure at home makes it difficult for employees to keep up with chores, family and workloads.

Companies are allocating staff the services of a concierge, either a set amount of hours each month or through a gift voucher, to help them out at home.

Concierges tailor their service to the employee’s needs, from running everyday errands to picking children up from school.

The 2010 Australian Work and Life Index, released by the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work and Life, found South Australians have experienced the greatest increase in work-life interference in the past two years of all states.

Lifestyle Elements owner Abbie Allen said an employer first approached her about two years ago to provide services to his staff.

She said she now had three regular clients and other companies who bought vouchers.

“It all stemmed out of stress and hard work,” she said.

“People were having sick leave for stress and different things like that.”

Internode chief executive Patrick Tapper said its 10 executives and senior managers received an allocated number of hours each month to use a concierge.

“We take a lot of their time, even after work,” he said. “This is one way to help them in their home life.”

[Do you need staff to be more focused at work? Click here to find out how we can help!]