When employees face tax or legal problems, they tend to be distracted in the workplace and may make use of company resources and time trying to resolve these issues. SMEs can now make this process easier by giving their employees access to legal and tax advice through a new product called Solace, recently introduced by Legal & Tax.
While it’s true that SMEs are often unable to offer their employees the same sort of benefits that large corporates can afford to provide for their staff, Solace is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, enabling SMEs to provide tax and legal advice and cover to their employees, no matter what they earn.
A better workforce
This offering protects SMEs and their employees from a range of risks and hassles, ensuring that companies enjoy the benefit of a productive and motivated workforce.
The product offers all of the Legal & Tax services, from legal cover and advice and tax consulting through to trauma assistance, debt counselling and even optional illness, injury and disability benefits.
Says Benjy Porter, CEO of Legal & Tax: “As an entrepreneurial organisation, Legal & Tax knows how important it is to have happy and well-adjusted staff. Happy employees are productive, effective and motivated. With this new product, our goal is to help businesses manage threats to the productivity of their employees.
Worry-free employees are happy employees
“Debt, legal and tax issues keep many people awake at night, especially low and medium earners who can’t afford legal and financial services.
“These are all problems that compromise workplace performance, cause unproductive hours in the office and increased absenteeism. Legal & Tax takes care of these issues for your employees so that they – and you – don’t need to,” continues Porter.
Often, employees need to borrow money from the business to deal with legal and tax headaches, adds Porter. If funds are needed to take care of expenses urgently, employees’ claims will be validated and paid out no later than 48 hours after approval.
What you’re covered for
The basic Solace product covers five core services:
- Comprehensive legal support including telephonic legal advice, face-to-face consultations when necessary, and negotiations with third parties on behalf of the employee.
- Tax advice and assistance including unlimited advice on any personal tax matters, face-to-face consultations when necessary, and communications with the South African Revenue Services (SARS). Tax advisors will also help your employees with registration as a taxpayer, provisional tax, assessment audits, objections assessment and general tax queries.
- Trauma Assist, which includes a panic alert with an ambulance facility and emotional and psychological counselling at the press of a panic button. Each employee’s family is covered by this benefit.
- Debt Counselling, where Legal & Tax’s in- NCR-Registered Debt Counsellors help financially stressed employees to manage their debt challenges.
- Employee Education, encompassing on-going education for staff about tax and legal matters.
There is an option for Solace-Plus, which provides seven additional benefits:
- Accidental death or disability cover.
- Body transportation cover in the event of death.
- Mobility cover if an employee is permanently disabled and suffers compromised mobility.
- Emergency rescue and transportation in the event of an accident.
- Hospital cash benefit for hospitalised employees.
- Cover for permanent disfigurement.
- Transportation for employees that experience any serious injuries that leaves them unable to drive over an extended period of time.
To find out more
For more information visit http://www.legalandtax.co.za, call 0860 LTS LTS (587 587) or email info@legalandtax.co.za.