FirstAssist

Managers have turned to their Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) to support stressed staff during the recession according to FirstAssist call figures.

The number of calls into the management support and consultation line rose by almost 20% in the period from September 2008 to the end of August 2009, compared with the same period the previous year.

This 24 hour management support and consultancy line is available to all people managers who can use the service to refer an employee for direct support or simply call to talk to a professional about how best to tackle managerial issues such as dealing with stressed employees

FirstAssist have also reported some significant increases in other call volumes this year, with key issues, depression and anxiety rising by 25% and work related stress cases up by over 50% - a clear indication of the emotional toll the recession is having on the UK workforce.

Evidence that the calls are linked to the unstable economic environment can be illustrated by the fact that employment related counselling calls as a whole are up by nearly 30% and callers needing emotional support regarding redundancy increased by a staggering 178%.

Marcia Chambers, Manager of the Counselling Department comments: “Managers need to be able to support staff in the midst of a financial crisis, or who are worried about their own or their partner’s job security.  Most managers are not trained to do this, so it is vital for them to have somewhere to turn.  It is good to see that they are using their EAP to ensure that this expert support is available to their employees to help them deal with the situation before it adversely affects performance at work.”

The effects of financial difficulties are evident in other subject categories within the FirstAssist EAP call statistics. Finance related counselling calls are also up by 12%, showing the strain the recession is having on employees’ financial situations.

“Most of these concerns or issues will result in reduced employee performance and add to already high levels of stress.  Putting a proactive support service in place will allow managers to respond earlier to employees exhibiting signs and symptoms of stress, worry or anxiety whether it is related to the current economic situation or anything else” says Marcia.

“Through the management consultation and support service, we can help managers to familiarise themselves with signs and symptoms of issues such as anxiety or stress, so support can be offered earlier.  The service can also be invaluable for managers to develop their ‘soft skills’.  It can also help them to improve morale and train managers on how to support their teams through these times of change”

Kevin Dewhurst, Sales and Marketing Director at FirstAssist says the company have put a particular focus on this element of the service during the recession, driving usage through new promotional tools including a DVD module and a Managers Guide which summarises the service and provides scenarios. 

“We are raising awareness of this aspect of the service in order to support our clients in optimising utilisation and generating greater value from their investment in the EAP and it’s clear that managers are viewing the EAP as a vital management tool during this downturn” says Kevin.

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EAPs are designed to offer 24/7 support to assist in the identification and early resolution of employee concerns before they affect performance or lead to absence. 

Purchased by businesses as a benefit for employees, an EAP offers counselling, support and information services to organisations and their employees on a range of personal and work related issues. Services are delivered primarily over the telephone or online, and face to face counselling appointments can also be arranged for counselling.