What worries staff during recession?

“When I had a member of staff who was in the midst of a financial crisis and was struggling to keep on top of the household bills, it was very helpful to be able to suggest that she made contact with the EAP. She was able to receive support and guidance and seemed able to deal with the situation, not letting it affect her work.”    
Manager, London

Employers are uniquely placed to identify and help address the concerns and needs of individual staff members at an early stage. During these times of financial uncertainty, employers need to familiarise themselves with the symptoms their employees may exhibit if they are worried about their financial future. Responding quickly to the financial concerns of your employees is more important than ever.

On an organisational level, experts have predicted that there will be 600,000 redundancies made in 2009, which means that it is likely that many organisations will experience a change to their structure, or size. It is the skill with which an organisation manages a restructuring or redundancy process that is the key factor in determining the impact on remaining employees and the business as a whole.

Different people react in different ways to the prospect of change. Some will welcome change, but others will feel anxious, annoyed, unsettled or less trusting of managers. These reactions are likely to lead to lower levels of productivity, and if they aren't tackled may lead to absences or even job resignation. Managing change effectively will help to reduce these problems, and will help team members to settle into their new roles and responsibilities more quickly.

Most of the concerns or issues that will result in reduced employee performance and increased levels of stress in times of organisational change can be managed and resolved through the services already available to your managers and employees through the EAP.

By putting in place a proactive programme of individual support such as an Employee Assistance Programme, every member of staff has the opportunity to manage the issues they face and thereby improve their wellbeing and professional effectiveness. A sensitive and timely referral to a relevant support service can help a member of staff to resolve any issues before they adversely affect his or her performance at work. The earlier people contact our support services, the more options exist and the easier it is to resolve their issues.

The management consultation service offered within our EAP comprises a team of specialists with direct managerial experience who can offer guidance to employers who may have concerns about the wellbeing of their employees. The management consultation service helps employers to:

• recognise unusual behaviour
• support your team through restructure and change
• improve morale
• enhance your own personal development
  

“The EAP has proved particularly successful during this economic downturn, it is a helpful management tool because I am able to remind staff of the service when they’re facing a range of personal difficulties.”
Chief Executive, Leeds

“I used the Management Consultation about a member of staff who was having difficulty accepting that her husband’s job was no longer secure. I didn’t want it to affect her ability to work well. They gave me some excellent ideas about how to talk to her about this.”
EAP Facilitator

Sarah Marling, Worklife Support

Worklife Support is a social enterprise and was first established in 1999 by the national charity Teacher Support Network. If you would like to find out more about how Worklife Support can support your employees, please call 0845 873 5680.

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