Employee Counseling and

Wellness Services

Presented By: Name Roll No.1. Ashutosh Sharma 62. Ankita Natal 123. Ravi Anand 184. Rohan Charly 245. Rose6. Abha 547. Shashank Shekhar 668. Pallav 489. Pratik Colamba 6010. Divya Varghes 6911. Vishal Kumar 7112. Pritee S-213. Priyanka Priya S-514. Divya Varghese 69

The Need for Employee Counseling

Have you ever seen people:• Struggling due to high levels of

anxiety?• Refusing treatment for a treatable

condition?• Experiencing job burnout?• Involved in efforts to promote good

health?

Personal problems are a part of lifePersonal problems affect job performanceHealthcare costs continue to riseReducing tardiness, absenteeism, lost time and worker’s compensation saves moneyReducing turnover can improve productivity and the bottom line

Addressing Employee Well-Being

• Promotes employee morale• Reduces the impact of external

factors on work• Promotes productivity– Cheaper to train, treat, and retain

existing workers than to hire new ones

Employee Counseling as an HRD Function

• Counseling serves the same goal as other HRD activities– Improving/maintaining worker

performance• Same techniques are used, especially

coaching• Same kinds of analysis and planning

needed

Overview of Counseling Programs

• 1. Problem Identification• 2. Education• 3. Counseling• 4. Referral• 5. Treatment• 6. Follow-up

Problem Identification

• 1. Screening device• 2. Absenteeism records• 3. Supervisor’s observations• 4. Referral• 5. Voluntary participation

Education

• Pamphlets• Videos• Lectures• Unsolicited– Television– Radio– Other media

Counseling

• Needs a non-threatening person with whom the worker can discuss problems and seek help. Options include:– Supervisor/coach– Ombudsman– HRD Counselor– Professional Counselor

Referral

• Directing employee to appropriate resources for assistance – e.g.,– Physician– Substance abuse treatment center–Marriage counselor– Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)– Other options (clergy)

Treatment

• The actual intervention to solve the problem – e.g.,– 1. Group therapy– 2. Medications– 3. Individual therapy– 4. Psychological therapy

Follow-up

• Needed to:– Ensure the employee is indeed carrying

out the treatment– Obtain information on employee

progress– Ensure that referrals and treatment are

effective

A Caution About Employee Counseling

• All six approaches are not always needed

• The following issues drive which approach is taken:– Type of problem identified

– Appropriate response

– Available resources

Who Provides Employee Counseling?

• Depends on the organization and organizational culture

• Can be done using:– Corporate resources (In-house)

– Outside resources (Out-of-house)

In-House Efforts

Advantages:• Internal control• Familiarity with

organization• Better coordination

of efforts• Sense of ownership• Greater internal

credibility

Disadvantages:• Confidentiality• Lack of needed

resources• Employee

reluctance to use services

• Limitations in staff skill and expertise

Contracting Externally (Out-of-House)

Advantages:• Subject matter

experts• Confidentiality

easier to maintain• Lower cost• Better

identification and use of resources

Disadvantages:• Lack of on-site

services• Possible

communications problems

• Lack of organizational knowledge

Characteristics of Effective Programs

1. Top management support2. Clear policies and procedures3. Cooperation with unions and

employee groups4. A range of care:– Referral to community resources– Follow-up

Characteristics of Effective Programs

5. Policy of guaranteed confidentiality6. Maintenance of records for program

evaluation7. Health insurance benefit coverage

for services8. Family education

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are employee benefits programs offered by many employers, typically in conjunction with a health insurance plan. EAPs are intended to help employees deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health, and well-being. EAPs generally include assessment, short-term counseling and referral services for employees and their household members.

PURPOSE

The purpose of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is to improve the psychological health of your employees. It will help your staff develop coping skills and accept a greater degree of personal responsibility. It will help them resolve their individual, marital, family and job performance problems. As a result, their productivity and attendance will improve.

FEATURES

• Direct Access: Employees call the psychologist's office directly.

• Quick Response: The first counselling session occurs within a few days, and a crisis is dealt with immediately.

• Professional: Counsellors have their Doctorate degree in clinical psychology, and are experts in human behaviour.

• Confidentiality: The employer never knows who uses the service.

• Off-Site: Counselling takes place at the Psychologist's office.

• Direct Treatment: Referrals are made only when the patient requires another specialist or long-term care.

• Appropriate Coverage: 24 hours a day hot-line with offices in towns and cities in which employees are located

• Employees and their household members may use EAPs to help manage issues in their work and personal lives. EAP counsellors typically provide assessment, support, and, if needed, referrals to additional resources. The issues for which EAPs provide support vary, but examples include:

• Substance abuse • Safe working environment• Emotional distress• Major life events, including births, accidents and deaths• Health care concerns• Financial or legal concerns• Family/personal relationship issues• Work relationship issues• Concerns about aging parents

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. Psychoactive substance use can lead to dependence syndrome - a cluster of behavioural, cognitive, and physiological phenomena that develop after repeated substance use and that typically include a strong desire to take the drug, difficulties in controlling its use, persisting in its use despite harmful consequences, a higher priority given to drug use than to other activities and obligations, increased tolerance, and sometimes a physical withdrawal state.

People abuse substances such as drugs, alcohol, and tobacco for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that our society pays a significant cost. The toll for this abuse can be seen in our hospitals and emergency departments through direct damage to health by substance abuse and its link to physical trauma. Jails and prisons tally daily the strong connection between crime and drug dependence and abuse. Although use of some drugs such as cocaine has declined, use of other drugs such as heroin and "club drugs" has increased. 

Behavior Patterns That Could Indicate A Potential Substance Abuse Problem

• Absenteeism• On-The-Job Absences• High Accident Rates• Job Performance Issues• Poor Relationships with coworkers

MENTAL HEALTH The World Health Organization defines

mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". 

Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder.

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

• Individual adjustment problems • External factors• Divorce and marital problems• Depression and suicide attempts• Difficulties with family or children• Legal and financial problems

• EAPs are based on the premise that work is very important to people, the work itself is not the cause of the employee’s problem. Consequently, the workplace can be a means to get people help.• The supervisor plays a key role in getting help for the employee. Often, however, the supervisor denies the problem and even enables the troubled employee to continue the problem behavior. The supervisor is critical in confrontational process with the troubled employee. Therefore, education is necessary to eliminate the supervisor’s tendency to enable the employee by denying the problem.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

• Information about the employee’s job performance is extremely important in diagnosis and treatment. It can be used to measure and track whether treatment is successful.•Workplace peers and union stewards are very important, however they too can deny the problem and enable the employee to continue the behavior. Teaching them to confront and consequently break the denial barrier is an important element.• Job leverage is the key ingredient in helping an employee. The counselor must be able to use this in conjunction with supervisor.• EAPs concentrate on job performance issues. They are not intended to be medical programs.

• Cost – effectiveness is an important consideration and must be addressed with upper management.• The EAP professional’s knowledge about addiction is paramount. Every EAP should be staffed by licensed professional s who are familiar with addictions and other employee personal problem.

EFFECTIVENESS OF EAPs

• Effectiveness is “generally accepted”• Estimated 50% to 85% effectiveness rate• Estimated savings of $2 to $20 per dollar

invested in EAP• However, much EAP evaluation is subjective,

and strongly criticized

EAPs AND THE HRD PROFESSIONAL

• EAPs are often housed within the HRD area of the organization

• HRD must determine:– Costs vs. benefits of the program in

monetary terms– Whether it’s cheaper to replace an

individual than to successfully treat that person

• Healthcare organizations are increasingly involved in EAPs (behavioral healthcare management)

WHAT IS STRESS ?

•Stress is the “wear and tear” our minds and bodies experience as we attempt to cope with our continually changing environment.

•SOURCES OF STRESS: 1) internal 2) external

THE ALARM REACTION

• Increased gland activity

• Increased heart beat and respiration

• Elevated blood pressure

• Body poised for action

• Insomnia

FIGHT OR FLIGHT REACTION

COMPONENTS OF STRESS

•Stressor

•Psychological or physical response to stressor

•Interaction between the stressor and the individual’s response

TYPES OF STRESSORS

• Physical

• Social

• Psychological

ORGANIZATIONAL STRESSORS

• Factors intrinsic to job

• Organizational structure and control

• Reward systems

• Human resource systems

• Leaderships

SMIs

Stress management interventions or programs are defined as “any activity, program or opportunity initiated by an organization, which focuses on reducing the presence of work – related stressors or an assisting individuals to minimize the negative outcomes of exposures to these stressors”

TYPES OF SMIs

• Educational

• Skill- acquisition oriented

EFFECTIVENESS OF SMIs

• Look for specific issues with employees

• Assessment

• Specific and focused solutions

• Strategic interventions

• Evaluation and feedback

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS AND HEALTH PROMOTION

PROGRAMS

• Employee wellness programs (EWPs) or Health Promotion Programs (HPPs) are made up of activities that ensure employee health and fitness.

• Wellness is more than mere absence of disease.• These Programs attempt to encourage individuals

to adopt lifestyle that maximize overall well-being.

Three Levels of Fitness and Wellness Programs

• O’Donnell describes three levels at which fitness and wellness programs can be implemented.

• Level 1 – primarily educational without interventions

• Level 2 – seeks to bring about direct change:– Supervised exercise, fitness centers, etc.

• Level 3 – institutionalized wellness

Ten Dimensions of Work Site Wellness

• Heirich described 10 dimensions of worksite wellness programs:

1.Establishing a Constructive wellness policy2. Conducting wellness screening3.Establishing Working relationships with

community resources4. Employee referrals to treatment and

health-improvement interventions.5. Menu-approach to health improvement

Ten Dimensions of Work Site Wellness

6. Outreach and follow-up counseling7. wellness events carried for entire

organization.8. Worksite policies and systems9. Ongoing evaluation of wellness

process10. Periodic evaluation of cost-benefits

of wellness programs

Exercise and Fitness Interventions

1. Most popular interventions2. Even modest exercise helps prevent

disease3. Research shows effectivenessProblem: Getting those who would

benefit the most to exercise

Smoking Cessation Programs

• Smoking: most publicized health risk

• Cost per smoking employee: $2,853 per year more than nonsmokers

• Measuring effectiveness:– Quit rate– Percentage of smokers in program

• Cost Benefit: $8 saved for $1 spent

Nutrition and Weight Control

• Obesity: 30% or more over one’s “ideal” weight

• 30% of Americans are obese; another 34% are overweight

• Obesity causes hypertension, musculoskeletal problems, high blood sugar, and cholesterol levels

• Competition helps program effectiveness

Control of Hypertension

• Hypertension – blood pressure greater than 140/90 repeatedly over time

• Greater incidence of heart disease and stroke– Control through, exercise, weight loss,

medication, stress reduction and low salt diet

• Benefit: $1.89 to $2.72 reduction in health claims per dollar spent on program

Overall Effectiveness of Health and Wellness Programs

• Organizations should have multiple components to their health and wellness programs

• Studies and Research demonstrate reductions in sick leave, health plan costs, and worker’s compensation costs of over 25%.

• Challenge :1. To get more organizations to implement such

inclusive wellness programs2. To see that more individuals take part in them.

52

Issues in Employee Counseling

1. Effectiveness of programs2. Legal issues3. Who is responsible for counseling?4. Ethical issues5. Unintended negative outcomes

Effectiveness of Counseling

• Determine organizational demographics

• Determine expected participation rates

• Estimate start-up and maintenance costs

• Implement test and tracking system• Measure pre- and post program • Analyze results for users and non-

users• Do present and future cost-benefit

analyses

Legal Issues

• Using counseling programs to comply with legislation may increase liability to lawsuits:–Must be equally available to all– Erroneous assessments are made

• Injuries in wellness/fitness programs can lead to lawsuits

Responsibility for Employee Counseling

• HRD Professionals?• Supervisors?• Unions?• Management?• Individuals?• What are your thoughts?

Ethical Issues

• Confidentiality:– Records should be held in strictest

confidence, and kept separate from the employee’s regular personnel file

– Release only with specific employee permission

• Nature of Participation:–Mandatory versus voluntary

Question

• Should participation be mandatory or voluntary?

• Why?

Potential Unintended Negative Outcomes

• Increased worker’s compensation costs

• Employee scheduling problems, increased fatigue, lower performance

• Conflicts at work over smoking bans

Closing Thoughts

• EAPs show that companies care• HRD professionals have the

skills and expertise to provide EAP information

• Promoting employee health and well-being can contributes positively to an organization’s bottom line.

Summary

• Employee well-being affects ability, availability, and readiness to perform a job

• Employee counseling encompasses a lot of areas

• It is an HRD function that:– Ensures that employees are now effective

contributors to the organization, and that they will continue to be in the future

– Needs professionals who are qualified to deal with the difficult issues involved with this topic

THANKYOU !!