Your boss will no doubt be doing all he can to keep profit margins up, however did you know that he could also be doing his bit to ensure your stress levels stay down?
A recent study commissioned by PMI Health Group showed that 43 per cent of employers in the capital now offer stress management benefits such as EAPs and counseling – up from 23 per cent last year and 22 per cent in 2013.
What is an EAP?
An employee assistance program (EAP) is an employee benefit programs offered by many employers. They are intended to help employees deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their job performance, health, and well-being. EAPs generally include short-term counselling and referral services for employees and their household members. EAP counsellors typically provide assessment, support, and referrals to additional resources such as counsellors for a limited number of program-paid counselling sessions.
The office has the potential to be one of the most stressful places a person will encounter, so programmes like EAP’s can be invaluable to employees and are just one of the ways your employer or boss can help you within the workplace.
It seems to be employers in London that are leading the way and increasingly recognising this fact, and with stress cementing its status as the number one cause for long-term UK sickness absence for non-manual workers, their efforts to tackle the problem look set to continue.
However research also suggests that stress management benefits are growing in popularity among London employees, with 17% of workers selecting counselling services and employee assistance programmes among their top three most valued benefits. This has risen by a massive 11% from 2013.
“Stress and mental health issues are not uncommon in the modern workplace but if these are not managed effectively they can have an extremely negative impact upon mental wellbeing, affecting productivity, morale and a company’s bottom line,” said Mike Blake, PMI health group director.
It seems that the penny may be dropping with employers that it is in their best interests to keep their employers happy and stress free, this will keep their employees healthy and most importantly present at work.
Does your work offer any benefits similar to the ones above? It may be worth enquiring if you ever find yourself in a situation in which you are suffering from stress in the workplace. The more your employer to do to help you, the more of a benefit it will be for both parties.
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