Employee Assistance Programs: What They Are And What Services They Offer
The idea that the only thing companies should provide to workers is a stream of income is totally outdated today.
And it is not a simple matter of fashion, or pure corporate image: it is known that the organizations in which we work every day have significant potential to improve the well-being of employees, beyond the monetary. And, furthermore, if applied correctly, this potential is profitable and has a positive impact on the performance of the entire company.
That is why more and more organizations take an active role in this matter and include in their operation the so-called Employee Assistance Programs a type of initiatives in which psychologists have a fundamental importance and that are not only in the largest and most innovative multinationals, but are being consolidated in the national business fabric.
Employee Assistance Programs (PAE) are a set of free services and protocols designed to offer help to workers , within the scope of the company, to address problems that do not have to be limited to the context of the organization and that nevertheless affect the behavior of the worker in their work. These are also free and confidential services, so that each worker can talk about their personal problems without fear of being vulnerable in a competitive environment.
On the other hand, this type of aid of different types does not only encompass physical or psychological health. For example, it may include the option of seeking alternative schedules to have more time to care for a sick family member, or legal consulting services, managing communication problems between the employee and another coworker, etc.
However, it is clear that many of the needs of workers have to do with psychological discomfort In this last category there are several common problems that we will see below.
The role of the psychologist in PAE
What do psychology professionals do to cover the side of Employee Assistance Programs that have to do with mental health or psychological well-being? Below we will see what are some of the functions that workers most often use.
1. Helps in managing stress or burnout
In many work environments, there are workers who for one reason or another experience too much stress and anxiety Sometimes, this discomfort reaches the point of becoming burnout syndrome, in which the employee, in addition to experiencing an accumulation of anxiety, feels emotionally disconnected from his job and only sees it as a means to avoid being left without a salary. .
Sometimes, a good part of the problem is in the place where you work, the offices; In others, the root is in the family home. But what is clear is that this discomfort affects work performance. making the person feel even worse for not being able to reach their goals.
In any case, psychologists are trained to help a lot in this, as agents of change (for the better) who are between the limit of the work context and the personal context. We can train workers in stress reduction techniques and, if necessary, contact the appropriate Human Resources section so that they can try to adapt the working conditions of that person, directing them towards a more optimal way of working.
The death of loved ones It is one more example that the line that divides personal life, on the one hand, and work life, on the other, is nothing more than an illusion, or at least a social convention. We may compartmentalize our way of presenting an image of who we are to adapt to different contexts, but emotions do not understand compartments, and a worker who feels bad at home will also feel bad in the office, which will be reflected in their job.
3. Conflicts
The very nature of most work spaces is prone to fueling conflicts between people if they are not able to mediate and carry out psychological interventions for emotional regulation.
Therefore, psychologists can also adopt a broader vision of the groups that make up the organization, going beyond the individual patient, and promote good management of these misunderstandings or clashes of interests The fact that a company has a philosophy based on a competitive spirit does not necessarily imply that poor anger management or the normalization of hostility prevails.
4. Time management problems
In some Spanish companies, especially those in which there is no clearly established schedule for many sections of the organizational chart, cases of people who, without knowing very well how, spend the day in the office , despite knowing that they could be much more efficient. Psychologists can help in these cases, helping these people adopt more structured work habits with fewer distractions.
5. Integration of foreign workers
People who go to live and work in other countries may have problems due to the culture shock of being surrounded 24 hours a day by ways of thinking and behaving that are significantly different from those to which one has become accustomed. This can make work unpleasant due to the simple association of experiences : If you don’t like the fact of living in another country, you will hardly like the workspace located in that country.
Therefore, having psychologists involved in Employee Assistance Programs is a good way to offer psychological assistance on site, so that the adaptation to this new environment is carried out as quickly and harmoniously as possible.
