Employee Counselling

 

Introduction

A process through which one person helps another by purposeful conversation in an understanding atmosphere" is the definition of counselling. It attempts to provide a supportive environment where the person receiving counselling can communicate their ideas and emotions in order to make sense of their own circumstances, accept a new experience, view their challenge more clearly, and deal with it less tensely and anxiously. Its primary goal is to support the person in selecting the option that best suits their needs.

How Important is workplace counselling for employees

Employees start the job with a lot of responsibility, close deadlines, and conflicts between co-workers. These workplace issues, along with the current unstable economic and health situations, are an ideal environment for employee burnout, absenteeism, and loss of talent.

For this reason, workplace counselling ought to be a fundamental part of any employee support program now more than in the past. Below are reasons why organizations need to prioritize and invest in employee counselling:

                                Figure 1/Important of workplace counselling

 It helps employees open up about their mental health

It is unusual for workers to disclose mental health concerns to managers or other leaders at work, and they may believe all is well. But that's not always the case. According to studies, more of workers don't talk to their bosses about their mental health. Several issues have prevented workers from talking about their mental health at work, including embarrassment, fear of losing one's job, and being deemed weak. On the other hand, workplace counselling provides a safe space for staff members to discuss mental health concerns.

It contributes to employee development

The ultimate objective of workplace counselling is to support the growth of workers' mental wellness. Employees that go through this process are able to see challenges from a different angle and make judgments about how to handle them in the future.

It eliminates supervisors and HR departments of some of their workload.

It might be challenging, even if some managers and HR team members might be qualified to offer advice to workers when they directly recognize problems. Including employee counselling in the organization's initiatives, however, will facilitate employees' access to professional support—a considerably more effective approach.

Benefits of Workplace/ Employee Counselling

                                               Figure 2/Benefits of workplace counselling

Below are the benefits of employee counselling to employers and employees.

Employees

Emotional Support and Coping Strategies

Building Resilience and Self-awareness

 Increases productivity and performance

Employers

Reducing Absenteeism and Employee Turnover

Improving Employee Satisfaction and Engagement

Creating a Supportive Organizational Culture

It creates a workplace safety net

In conclusion,

workplace counselling is still a highly helpful tool for managing stress and feelings at work, despite varying opinions and methods. After discussing their issues with a counsellor, who will assist them in gaining an improved understanding of their issue, employees will feel a great sense of relief. They will discover that the issue is truly solved if they have greater awareness of it. Additionally, the acceptability of counselling services will increase with proper knowledge about them, reducing the stigma associated with them. Therefore, it is important to support workplace counselling because when workers feel less stressed, they tend to be more productive, which increases the organization's efficiency and creates a more joyful environment.

References

Anyim , F. C., 2022. Researchgate. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360486351_Employees_Counselling_as_a_Mechanism_for_Healthy_PostWork_Transition
[Accessed 20 March 2024].

Jenessa , T., 2023. Thoughtful. [Online]
Available at: https://www.thoughtfull.world/mental-health/four-ways-workplace-counseling-can-benefit-your-organization-and-beyond
[Accessed 20 March 2024].

Tony, B., 2015. Researchgate. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275462676_Employee_counselling_and_performance_management
[Accessed 20 March 2024].

UKEssays, 2018. UKEssays. [Online]
Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/impact-of-workplace-counselling-on-employees-psychology-essay.php?vref=1#citethis
[Accessed 20 March 2024].