In August 2022, I shared a blog post about the benefits of counselling in the workplace. It was widely-read and I received a lot of feedback on the content: in particular the section that asked if HR could provide workplace counselling.
Much of the feedback I received came from HR professionals who rightly bemoaned the fact that they are expected to take care of “anything to do with people” – including counselling and even intensive therapy!
HR and therapy are separate professions
Many of the HR professionals I speak to worry about those employees who need extra care, for example following a traumatic incident, bereavement, or diagnosis of a serious illness. They feel ill-equipped to provide the support needed, but because of those all-encompassing expectations around the HR role, are required to offer it all the same.
It’s true that HR is responsible for managing the employee lifecycle. Personal issues can become part of this, particularly when they result in long-term sick leave or team conflict. However, counselling and therapy are specialist services that must be delivered by qualified, registered professionals to be properly effective.
Why invest in external workplace therapy?
For some companies, the cost of therapy for employees may seem prohibitive, particularly since they are confidential services that appear difficult to measure.
Yet the benefits of professional therapy go far beyond the wellbeing of one employee (though of course, this is important). They extend to the workplace as a whole, particularly in establishing your company’s reputation as a caring employer. Along with reducing turnover, a positive employer reputation will help to boost engagement and productivity among your workforce.
With word-of-mouth recommendations and social media reviews becoming more and more prevalent in the world of recruitment, investing in employee wellbeing through targeted therapy can offer a clear advantage.
Objectivity matters
However qualified and empathetic your HR professional, they are not best-placed to provide the right therapeutic support, even in the unlikely event that they have time to offer it.
Employees may feel uncomfortable about sharing their personal trauma or challenges with the same person who manages formal company processes like disciplinary hearings, salary bands, and promotions. Even if they choose to, emotionally opening up to someone who doesn’t have the right qualifications and experience can do more harm than good.
By contrast, knowing that qualified, confidential, fully objective therapy is available from experienced professionals, can feel extremely reassuring to employees even before the first session is booked.
Going Beyond EAP
Many traditional Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) offer counselling and therapy services; commonly as part of a time-limited conversation over the phone with no review or follow-up.
While this can be sufficient for minor issues, if an employee is suffering from deep emotional trauma or complicated life-challenges, a more intensive approach may be needed to help restore them to their former contented, high-performing self.
Beyond EAP partners with enlightened HR professionals, to provide specialist employee support for life’s toughest challenges. Progress is monitored throughout the session-programme, and HR receives a confidentiality-protected End of Programme Report that details both the employee’s feedback and our recommendations.
Keep an eye out for the next blog post in this series: all about the employee therapy we provide at Beyond EAP. We’ll also be releasing an eBook that takes you inside a typical therapy session – perfect for those interested in learning more about our approach and why it’s so effective.
You can also contact us to discuss a specific employee or situation in confidence.