Counselors help clients implement solutions to the issues in their lives or develop more effective ways of coping with challenges.
The Benefits of Workplace Counseling
Workplace counseling services can play a powerful role in supporting a healthy work environment. The benefits of workplace counseling for employees include:
- Easy access to trained counselors
- A safe space to talk about their problems
- Helping employees to better understand themselves
- Establishing or improving coping skills
- Developing effective solutions to problems
- Learning to look at issues with a more positive outlook and different perspective
While workplace counseling can be helpful to employees, there are also many benefits for employers:
- Improved employee performance leading to productivity gains
- Decreased employee absenteeism
- Lower turnover rates among employees
- Productive way to handle sensitive situations or staff members with problematic behaviors
- Establish reputation as an employer that cares about staff
Keys to success
Certain factors can impact the success of an employee counseling program. Confidentiality is essential – employees who participate in workplace counseling need to know that all communication with a counselor will be privileged. If employees don’t believe that their information will be kept private and confidential, they won’t use the program.
Qualification of the counselors is another factor that contributes to the success of a program. Counselors should be licensed psychologists or social workers with a good understanding of the employees’ work environment.
Easy access is another key to success. Employees should be able to get an appointment in a relatively short amount of time.
Workplace counseling has clear benefits for both employees and employers. Research has proven that there is a strong link between an employee’s psychological well-being and their productivity at work. When companies offer an EAP that includes confidential workplace counseling services, everybody wins. Employees can work through challenges in their life that may be impacting their performance. And employers can enjoy productivity gains while knowing that they’re helping to improve the lives of their employees.