|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Date: November 18 2004, Hervey Bay FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Demand grows for anti-stress counselling in the workplace To safeguard themselves, employers need to be able to prove that they took every reasonable measure possible to protect staff from work-related stress and that effective remedial action was taken when trauma-inducing incidents took place at work. As ever, the United States leads the field when it comes to litigation. Work-related stress claims are mounting to such an extent that virtually every sizeable company there has an employee assistance programme (EAP) in place. These programmes provide confidential counselling to employees and their families, to help resolve problems that affect their personal lives and work performance. They are usually developed through a joint initiative between employers and employee representatives, with the help of retained professional advisers. EAPs deal with all kinds of human problems: harassment, bullying, violence, marital trouble, money worries, bereavement, emotional difficulties and addiction problems. While many of these are private issues, they often affect an employee's performance at work. If this is the case, he or she has the option of contacting a suitably qualified counsellor through the company's in-house or outsourced EAP. In Australia, EAPs are beginning to catch on in the private sector, having been implemented for a number of years in public sector organisations such as Education Queensland and the Queensland Health, which employ their own internal EAP consultants. Private firms tend to hire external programme mangers on a consultancy basis. "Because of the highly confidential nature of these voluntary programmes, outsourcing can be a more attractive option in smaller firms, as the consultant isn't a company employee," says Elizabeth Benson-Stott, Director of the Hervey Bay based firm, Aggregate Corporation. The company was set up two years ago in response to the growing need for counselling intervention and crisis management in the workplace. "The counselling provided by an EAP is usually a focused solution. Problems tend to be resolved in a maximum of six to eight sessions, although these can be extended if the employee wants to continue with the therapy. "All the counsellors providing these services are qualified and experienced, so the quality of service is kept as high as possible. In some companies, take-up by employees has been as high as 10 per cent, but 5 to 7 per cent is the norm." Elizabeth says that Aggregate Corporation’s programmes have the added benefit of including training for managers and supervisors in how to deal with troubled employees: by acquiring useful diagnostic skills early on, they can help prevent a build-up of tension in the workplace. The programmes work on the basis of self-referral: employees are never "told" to use an EAP but voluntarily choose to ring a dedicated Freecall 1800 helpline number. Following initial questioning by phone, they are put in touch with a counsellor qualified to deal with their specific problems. Additional counselling can be provided by e-mail and telephone: in the near future, Aggregate Corporation envisages counselling sessions taking place on webcams as well. So, how does an employer know if the programme is working or not? “The level of confidentiality makes it a stress-free option for staff who are experiencing personal or work-related difficulties." --- ends --- For more information contact: 
top |
|||||||
