ARAG(R) Study Reports Seven Out of 10 Employees Suffer Personal Legal Woes

Negative Impact Seen in Job Performance, Productivity and Morale
in Workplace
DES MOINES, Iowa--(Business Wire)--
An alarming number of U.S. employees spend valuable time during
their work days dealing with more than just regular job duties. For
many workers, their family, financial, home or automobile legal woes
compete for time and attention - resulting in lower job performance,
productivity and morale.

"Workplace effectiveness often drops when employees are
preoccupied with legal and financial concerns," says Cameron Sutton,
President and Chief Executive Officer, ARAG. "The impact, the
frequency and the complexity of legal woes can adversely affect
employees and the organizations for which they work."

A recent ARAG-commissioned study measured the impact of employee
legal woes, the use of legal services and employee attitude toward
legal services. The study, entitled "Measuring the Effects of Employee
Financial & Legal Woes," was conducted by Russell Research, which
interviewed more than 1,000 full-time employees, representing a
nationwide, demographically-dispersed base.

Among the key results of the ARAG Legal Woes study:

-- Seven out of 10 surveyed employees experienced one or more
legal woes during a 12-month period.

-- They spent, on average, 57 hours while at work, dealing with
legal woes.

-- Four of 10 employees said legal woes had a negative impact on
work performance (focus, stress, efficiency or effectiveness
on the job).

-- The most common legal woes involved issues of family care,
credit trouble, child custody, consumer fraud, home or
automobile purchase or repair and estate planning.

According to Sutton, "People have traditionally invested in life,
health, automobile and home insurance to achieve security and peace of
mind. They are becoming increasingly aware of the risks that legal
woes represent in their personal and work lives."

The Legal Woes Study indicated that one out of eight employees
worked for an employer that offers legal plans at work while seven out
of 10 said they believe legal plans would be useful in resolving
personal legal needs.

Because legal woes take a heavy toll on workplace productivity and
can affect business profitability, Sutton stated that concerned
employers are looking for effective ways to address this issue and
many are considering the addition of legal plans to their benefit
packages.

For further information about the ARAG study on "Measuring the
Effects of Employee Financial & Legal Woes," contact
Media@ARAGgroup.com. ARAG is a global leader of legal insurance. The
company has an international premium base of more than $1.75 billion
and protects 15 million individuals and their families - worldwide.
ARAG offers comprehensive legal plans that provide a clear path for
resolving legal issues. This enables people to protect their families,
finances and futures.

ARAG
Terry Birdwell, 515-237-0271
Fax: 515-246-8710
terry.birdwell@ARAGgroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008