Feature: Health in the Workplace
Keep support in mind
By Sally Moore, MBACP (pictured), Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, Essence Counselling & Psychotherapy
Mental wellbeing in the workplace Over recent years, employers have become increasingly proactive in supporting their workforce with their health and wellbeing, through a variety of initiatives, from providing health insurance through to funding gym memberships. According to the Thriving at Work report (2017), roughly
15% of people at work experience symptoms of mental health conditions, and the cost to businesses is estimated at £33bn-£42bn. Roughly half of this cost is attributed to presenteeism; employees continuing to work while struggling with their mental health. It is recognised that organisations need their workforce
to be flexible and resilient in today’s fast-paced, ever- evolving business landscape. As I write this, we do not yet know the full extent of the impact that the pandemic has had on the mental health of our workforce. The report asserts that employers can have the greatest
impact in supporting the wellbeing of their staff. Among its recommendations, it advises that employers support staff by raising awareness of mental health and by providing tailored support. While the business case for promoting wellbeing in the
workplace is clear, my experience of working with organisations and small to medium businesses is that many employers are concerned about individual human cases, and show a genuine interest in the welfare of their employees. We know that stress, for example, is not always work-related. Pre-existing mental health conditions, and/or personal circumstances such as a bereavement, illness in the family, or a relationship break-up can have a huge impact on a person’s mental health.
Approaches to provision of talking therapies Providing talking therapies such as counselling or psychotherapy for employees is one approach recommended in the Thriving at Work report, under tailored support. The effectiveness of counselling in the workplace was recently reviewed by the Institute for Employment Studies (2020) in their report that confirmed that if
56 CHAMBERconnect Autumn 2020
implemented well, workplace counselling reduces sickness absence and presenteeism and increases job retention. So how as a business, do you go about this? Well, there
are a number of ways in which employers can provide this service. Some organisations offer an in-house service, either by employing a counsellor or by contracting externally for a counsellor to attend on-site. Other organisations subscribe to an Employee Assistance Programme where counselling can be accessed, or a health insurance provider who may also offer counselling as part of their package. Another approach is to contract with a local counsellor. If you are thinking about offering talking therapies to support
employees with mental health, it is important that you research the various ways in which it can be done, and decide which approach would be right for your business or organisation.
Finding a local counsellor/psychotherapist When providing talking therapies through contracting with a local counsellor or psychotherapist in private practice, there are some benefits and considerations to think about. A benefit of finding a local counsellor is that the
employee can choose who they see. Often, people will choose their counsellor based on how ‘friendly’ they appear in their photograph and online bio, making it easier for them to open up. They can also choose from a wider range of type talking therapies based on the descriptions and what they feel will benefit them most. It is important that the therapist is adequately qualified
and experienced. One way of ensuring this is by checking that they are registered members of organisations such as: British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), National Counselling Society, or United Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Online directories, such as the Counselling Directory, and
Psychology Today, can also be useful in finding a local therapist. These directories vet all counsellors and psychotherapists before they are listed, to ensure that they are qualified and registered with a membership body.
‘Workplace
counselling reduces sickness
absence and
presenteeism and increases job retention’
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
