Research By The Hartford And ComPsych Finds Baby Boomers` Caregiving Duties Impact Jobs And Health

Stressed-out Sandwich Generation needs help, says insurer`s expert at conference

SIMSBURY, Conn.--(Business Wire)--
The demands of balancing a full-time job and caring for an injured or ill family
member is a major source of stress for many Baby Boomers and is impacting their
productivity and their health, according to new research by The Hartford
Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) and ComPsych Corporation.

The Hartford`s Barbara Campbell announced the survey`s findings today at the
Behavioral Risk in the Workplace Conference organized by the Disability
Management Employer Coalition and offered recommendations on how employers can
provide the Sandwich Generation with much needed assistance.

"Our research found a troubling trend of Baby Boomer caregivers being pushed to
their limits. They are worried about their ability to manage both their work and
home life," said Campbell, regional vice president in The Hartford`s Group
Benefits Division. "We hope to raise awareness among employers about this risk
to their employees` health and productivity because they play a key role in
bringing workers` lives back into balance."

A majority of Baby Boomers said they are stressed out about caregiving and, at
the same time, are worried about how their caregiving is impacting their job,
according to The Hartford`s survey of Americans born between 1946 and 1964 who
accessed ComPsych`s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Conducted in February
2010, the joint survey by The Hartford and ComPsych found younger Baby Boomers,
ages 45 to 54, are carrying the largest burden of family care responsibilities,
with more than half saying they`ve taken time off from work to due to their
caregiving responsibilities.

Work Worries & Caregiving Concerns

More than 80 percent of Baby Boomers said they feel moderate to high levels of
stress related to the care or support they are giving to children, spouses
and/or parents.

In addition, nearly half of young Baby Boomers surveyed (46.6 percent) reported
feeling worried about how caregiving is impacting their job. It was their No. 1
concern, while older Baby Boomers, who are 55 and older, were most concerned
about postponing retirement as a result of their role as caregiver.

Younger Baby Boomers` worries could be linked to the fact that more than half of
this group (68 percent) said they have missed work or left early from work due
to their caregiving duties in the last six months. Half of those workers said
they missed eight to 16 hours of work in the previous six month.

"A day or two of work might not seem like much," Campbell noted. "But in today`s
business environment of streamlined workforces, any absence can impact
productivity."

More than three-quarters of Baby Boomers reported taking up to 16 hours of paid
vacation time to care for another person. "Our research found that while many
Baby Boomers are under pressure on all sides, they are using their paid time-off
as an extension of their hectic lives rather than a vacation," Campbell said.

Campbell said an analysis of leave data by The Hartford1 found that Baby Boomers
take more leaves due to their illness than any other age group of workers. "We
are concerned that many Boomers are either becoming sick or hurt as a result of
prolonged stress," she said. "In addition, stress can impact their ability to
recover from an illness or injury."

TLC for Caregivers

Campbell offered these recommendations to employers on how they can help relieve
the pressure felt by Baby Boomer caregivers:

* Assessment - Analyze data about your employees` absences. You must first
understand the issues affecting your team in order to effectively provide help.
* Benefits - Review the health and wellness benefits being offered to your
staff. Consider offering EAP services, which provide legal, financial and
emotional support. Another option is telecommuting and/or flexible work
arrangements, which would help with the issue of episodic caregiving, a common
occurrence found by The Hartford`s survey.
* Communication - Raise awareness among your workforce about the tools available
to help with work-life balance. Frequent communication can reinforce the message
that employees can access the EAP whenever they need help.

About ComPsych

ComPsych® Corporation is the world`s largest provider of employee assistance
programs (EAPs) and is the leading provider of fully integrated EAP, behavioral
health, wellness, work-life, crisis intervention services and HR and FMLA
administration services under the GuidanceResources® brand. ComPsych provides
services to more than 13,000 organizations covering 33 million individuals
throughout the U.S. and more than 100 countries. By creating "Build-to-Suit"
programs, ComPsych helps employers attract and retain employees as well as
improve employee productivity and performance.

About The Hartford

Celebrating nearly 200 years of helping its customers achieve what`s ahead, The
Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is an insurance and wealth management company. Through its
unique focus on customer needs, the company serves businesses and consumers by
providing the products and solutions they need to protect their assets and
income from risks and manage their wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 100
company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one
of the world's most ethical companies. More information on the company and its
financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.

HIG-L

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking
statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should
consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to
differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the
other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no
obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

1. The Hartford`s analysis of leave data for 91,080 individual employees at 171
employer clients.

The Hartford
Kelly J. Carter, 860-843-9420
kelly.carter@hartfordlife.com
or
ComPsych
Jennifer Hudson, 312-595-4048
jhudson@compsych.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010