US firms offering marriage advice

A number of firms based in the US are offering their employees training programmes in a bid to help them strengthen their marriages and relationships.

The Wall Street Journal reports that among the services currently being offered by US-based businesses are relationship tips which workers can listen to while driving, lunch time speakers, free marriage or relationship classes and corporate retreats.

According to the paper, evidence that stress derived from divorce and unhappy relationships can damage productivity in the workplace is encouraging a growing number of companies to offer training programmes to their staff.

One such company is X-nth Inc, an engineering firm based in Orlando, Florida. Manager Ed Koplin has implemented a programme to help develop the social skills of his personnel, to help them both inside and outside of work.

He told the paper: "These are life skills that will help you at work and help you at home."

A recent report from the Marriage CoMission, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has revealed that businesses can lose up to $6 billion (£3 billion) a year through poor productivity as a result of employees who are stressed because of marriage or relationship difficulties.