Everything You Should Know About EAP Counselling

In the current stressful and fast-paced world, it is not rare to find employees of any organization struggling with personal issues or workplace-related stress. Such issues can impact an employee’s low performance via low levels of productivity, enhanced absenteeism, and growing tension in workplace relationships.

A practical solution for such problems is EAP counselling or an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that includes workplace counselling. The employer typically bears cost of this counselling program.

Workplace Counselling

It is therapy provided to employees of a company, mainly through EAP, that offers employees a safe set-up to discuss any issues with which they are struggling. The EAP provides mostly in-person counselling and help-line service over the phone or the internet.

Since workplace counselling is short-term, the focus of such sessions is directed toward problem-solving. Clients are helped by counsellors to apply solutions for the issue plaguing their lives and develop more effective ways to cope with challenges.

Benefits

EAP services of workplace counselling play a decisive role in supporting a healthy environment at work. As per a 2012 study, which examined the results of more than 28,000 employees who took part in workplace counselling, it was revealed that 70% enjoyed improved satisfaction at the workplace.

Some benefits of workplace counselling include:

• A safe set-up to discuss problems with assured confidentiality
• Easy access to trained counsellors.
• Help employees understand themselves better.
• Enabling better skills of coping.
• Learning to face issues with a different perspective and a positive outlook.
• Developing superior solutions for problems.

Employers also enjoy the following benefits of EAP services:

• Productivity gains through enhanced employee performance.
• Reduced absenteeism of employees.
• Reduced turnover rates of employees.
• Best way to handle sensitive situations and wayward behaviour of employees.
• Develop a reputation as an employer that cares for its employees.

Uses

Organizations like to hire counsellors to deal with the following problems: physical health, relationship problems, traumatic events, emotional health, personal stress, work relationships, grief, family issues, phobias, work stress, and financial problems.

Why Employee Counselling?

Employees have to face several issues in life ranging from work-related stress (work pressure/ deadlines) and problematic relationships with colleagues and bosses to issues in their personal life (marital problems/substance abuse). Such issues tend to impact their performance at work and their career outlook.

Counselling involves providing advice, helping to sort their problems, and guiding them to solve work-related and personal issues. Employee counselling is intended to wrench positive results from de-stressed employees.

Factors Impacting Success

Some factors impact the success of an employee counselling program. These are as follows:

• Confidentiality: Employees who participate in counselling must be sure that the conversation with the therapist will be privileged information. If employees don’t believe the counselling will be confidential and private, they will not co-operate with the EAP.
• Expertise and qualifications of the therapist: Counsellors need to be licensed social workers or psychologists with much understanding of the environment at the workplace.
• Ease of access to counselling services: It must be possible for employees to get appointments with the counsellor within no time.

An attractive factor for the success of workplace counselling is that the therapist must be a patient listener. She must have the warmth needed to win employees’ trust so that the latter can share problems and thoughts without hesitation. Also, time should not be a constraint in this process.

In sum, when companies provide EAP counselling, it is a win-win for the company and its employees. Employees learn to deal with challenges in their personal and professional life, while employers can enjoy gains in productivity and assurance that they are helping in improving the lives of their employees.