Employee Assistance

Sometimes a company will approach me to see an individual member of staff. This ‘one-off’ arrangement makes sense at the time when everything is urgent and ‘now’.

However, it compromises the confidentiality of the individual and many employees tell me that they are reluctant to take their problems to human resources or occupational health.

Also, there are approaches to work with employees that are more effective than others. It is possible that referring staff to the first local counsellor available will not be helpful. Counsellors with specialist training in common social and psychological problems are likely to be more supportive. For example, alcohol and stress issues are known to decrease motivation and contribute to absenteeism.

An appropriately trained and experienced counsellor is likely to address such issues in a more practical and effective way. An organised employee assistance programme takes the urgency out of crises and enables a member of staff to seek a confidential Service directly. This programme provides systematic coverage of all staff and enables an employer to offer a staff care package that will be very welcome by individuals.

The programme has the additional benefit of integrating staff care, training and policy development. There are particular ‘problem’ areas such as health and safety or the management of challenging behaviour that benefit from a psychological input. This service is included in a standard employee assistance contract.

A free initial consultation is available to any company wishing to discuss this service in more detail. Alternatively, email and ask for further information.