Employee Assistance Programmes
A little helping hand in the workplace…
According to a new Article in the Harvard Business Review this week (https://hbr.org/2020/05/how-to-support-your-remaining-employees-after-a-layoff) “Studies show that nearly three-quarters (74%) of employees retained after a layoff saw their productivity decline after it, while 69% said that the quality of their company’s product or service deteriorated. When these respondents were asked why they felt that way, they expressed feelings of guilt, anxiety, and anger. The good news is that workers who felt that their managers were visible, approachable, and open were more than 70% less likely to report a productivity drop, and 65% less likely to report a decline in the quality of their organization’s offerings.”
I have been hearing recently of the way the workplace is changing as a result of the Coronavirus – the biggest complaint is around increased workload as a result of individuals being made redundant. However, there are also major money worries for companies and budgets are being slashed, liquidity is more important than ever and a need to diversify to make money has never been greater. This is putting enormous pressure on businesses and employees alike.
What could, and should, businesses be doing to support their remaining employees at this time?
The Harvard Business Review suggests:
1. Remember that work and life are interconnected:
2. Be candid:
3. Communicate consistently and transparently:
4. Connect work to purpose
Quite unexpectedly and out of the blue, during a personal conversation with a good friend of mine in Australia last week, she mentioned that her SME in Australia was providing an EAP programme for all employees, regardless of grade. When I found out more about it I found that an employee assistance program (EAP) is an employee benefit program that assists employees with personal problems and/or work-related problems that may impact their job performance, health, mental and emotional well-being. I wrote two blogs at the beginning of this pandemic which discussed Employee Benefits, of which I am a huge proponent, however this has got to be one of my favourites yet. Our conversation really made me smile because without me preaching about it, here was a real-life example of how well these programmes work. Not only was she advertising how well the programme works but at the same time how good it would be to work for such a company.
I was fortunate enough, in my last company, to have the privilege of working on a Buddy, Coach & Mentor Scheme for the entire business. The benefits of having somebody you can trust to confide in in the workplace means that employees feel more engaged with the company despite being under more pressure and with a much greater workload. They are far more likely to stay with you and help you ride the storm if they feel listened to and valued. In fact, at this time of turmoil, it may be just the moment they have needed to shine, and the workplace mentor is the ideal person to showcase this new shining star. This is the true meaning of a learning culture and I do believe something businesses in this environment cannot afford to ignore.
What are your businesses doing to help employees at this time? Are you an employee working in a company offering exceptional EAP benefits? If so, I’d love to hear from you and get your opinions. If you have time, look back to these blogs on Employee Benefits for more information:
https://www.candehrconsultancy.com/blog-1-1/look-after-your-employees-to-motivate-them
https://www.candehrconsultancy.com/blog-1-1/the-benefits-of-employee-benefits
(The HBR article was written by Susan Peppercorn who is an executive career transition coach and speaker. She is the author of Ditch Your Inner Critic at Work: Evidence-Based Strategies to Thrive in Your Career. Numerous publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, the Boston Globe, and SELF Magazine have tapped her for career advice. You can download her free Career Fit Self-Assessment and 25 Steps to a Successful Career Transition.)