Most of us would agree that a company’s employees are its greatest asset and high employee productivity is the heartbeat of a successful business. But when staff are distracted and unhappy due to personal issues, their work suffers, and ultimately so does the company.

We all know that sometimes it is hard to leave personal issues at home when you come to work.

Businesses have traditionally tried to stay out of the personal lives of their employees. However, times are changing and there is no longer a defined line between work and home.

People are less willing to compartmentalise their lives.

Social media such as Facebook brings work to home and home to work.

The younger generations do not have the same level of tolerance for ‘old school’ rules of conduct and etiquette.

If their personal life is falling apart, chances are that those they work with will know all about it.

Whether its divorce or relationship breakdowns, family bereavement, child custody battles, financial stress or even domestic violence, it is well documented that when employees experience problems at home, they don't perform to their highest potential at work. Troubled employees often call in sick or aren't mentally present when they attend work.

As personal problems can lead to employees feeling disengaged in the workplace, employers should certainly considerer options to minimise this, given that the UK’s employee engagement deficit is estimated to be costing us all approximately £26bn in productivity each year.

Let’s take divorce as an example. Four out of 10 married couples will eventually part and there are now 4.9m divorced people in the UK, the highest number in Europe.

As people marry later, the average age for divorce has crept up to 42 years for men and 39 years for women – with their marriages lasting an average 11 years.

When we think of divorce in general terms we conjure up images of parents fighting, children crying, careers failing and bank accounts depleting.

What we have not considered in this cost equation is the bottom line cost to the economy via our businesses.

Research suggests that divorce can disrupt productivity of the worker for more than three years and in a year of divorce, employees lose an average of 168 hours of work time.

Companies can play an appropriate role in helping their employees navigate through these difficult times and one way of doing so is by including legal advice in an employee benefits package.

Whether offered as a voluntary or flexible benefit, paid by the company or your employees, there are a number of different models to meet your needs.

Most people will need a solicitor at one time or another but knowing how to choose the right solicitor can be difficult.

When employees have to deal with a legal matter and face the resultant uncertainty in their lives, productivity and motivation at work can often suffer. For employers, this can be a great concern as ensuring a sustainable and happy workforce is paramount to any business.

A package which offers employees more than just a salary is beneficial for both the employee and employer. In today’s world we never know when we’ll be faced with a problem that needs expert help and advice to solve it.

Giving employees access to a fast, discreet and affordable solution to their legal needs in just minutes – without the need to leave the office – can help reduce the impact of a personal issue on a business. It ensures that your employees are fully prepared, confident and reassured when legal matters arise and are less stressed at work as a result.

Give employees the benefits they value, and they'll be more satisfied, miss fewer workdays, be less likely to quit, and have higher commitment to meeting the company's goals.

While pensions, healthcare, holidays, childcare and work/life balance all feature high on employee benefits packages, legal advice should not be overlooked. Offering employees a personalised legal solution to their problem, at an affordable price with the support of expert and highly qualified solicitors, removes the uncertainty in using legal services and means your employees are free to focus on doing a great job for you.