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18 Aug 2017

How an employee assistance programme can boost positivity in the workplace

Did you know that in a recent study conducted by Health and Safety Executive stress accounted for 45% of all working days lost due to ill health? (HSE, 2016). Stress in the workplace can create a negative atmosphere and lead members of the team to feel overwhelmed, unfocused and disengaged.

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Whether problems that are causing stress are personal- or work-related, employers can take steps to ensure they are monitored, addressed and resolved. An efficient and compassionate way to achieve this and restore positivity and productivity in the workplace would be to implement an employee assistance programme (EAP).

An EAP is a confidential counselling service that assists employees to talk through issues that are affecting them and causing stress in their daily lives. Through an EAP employees will have access to caring support, encouraging them to talk about problems that are putting them under strain.

Regular support can identify the reasons behind stress and provide coping methods. An EAP also comprises services such as telephone or online helplines along with guidance on employment and financial concerns. In addition, this programme supports employers too, as reduced stress in the workplace benefits the wellbeing of their team, productivity, and attendance.

Starting conversations

With technology and social media taking precedence over phone calls, discussions and activities, it’s important to encourage employees to talk openly about issues they are facing. Whilst opening up can be difficult, putting an EAP in place can tackle this head on and prevent stress from taking over.

In a report conducted by the CV Library, it was revealed that 25% of UK workers do not know how to deal with stress and keep problems to themselves (Source: CV Library, 2016). Individuals suffering from stress will find it impedes upon their work/life balance, affecting team interactions as well as their personal life outside work.

Demonstrating duty of care

All employers have a legal, moral and ethical duty of care to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure employee’s health, safety and wellbeing is looked after appropriately.

15.8% of employees in the UK admitted to being “too scared” to tell their employer that stress was the cause of their absence (Source: CV Library, 2016). In these instances, an employer is unable to demonstrate their duty of care to their employees as there is no system in place to ensure the reasons behind stress-related absence is dealt with.

An EAP is a great programme to help promote mental wellbeing in the workplace, allowing employers to openly tackle stress-related absence in a positive way, improving employers’ confidence in their team.

What next?

It’s important for an employee to take a holistic approach and ensure that underlying problems are dealt with, and implementing an EAP is an excellent way to do this. An EAP is a long-term commitment that can benefit your whole team, ensuring staff are supported and motivated by compassionate assistance.

This article is supplied by Busy Bees Benefits

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