Mental health awareness, it's what we do - a message from Sally Kirkright, CEO, AccessEAP
As we start another year at AccessEAP, and reflect on what’s ahead for us and our customers, I can't help but feel inspired by the opportunities before us. AccessEAP is all about helping people and we are privileged to be part of an industry that can enhance and improve people’s lives.
An assumption which is commonly made about EAP’s is that we only assist people when they are experiencing issues which relate specifically to their work. Given work and personal issues are intrinsically linked we take a holistic view and understand that when there are issues at home, e.g. conflict with a partner, parenting issues, or financial strain this is going to have an impact on people at work.
Employees who see our counsellors regularly tell us that situations which are occurring for them in their personal life have a direct impact on their ability to focus, concentrate and be productive at work. This can often even lead to unplanned leave. Our aim at AccessEAP is to help employers to identify issues and provide support early on, so that issues don’t build up to the point that employees feel unable to stay at work, or are unable to function effectively in the workplace. Early intervention is key to good mental health outcomes and what better time to plan how to keep a mentally healthy workplace than the beginning of a new year.
My vision for AccessEAP in 2018 is for us to continue to “walk our talk” in terms of our own employees wellbeing. We are doing this through a number of people engagement and culture initiatives including a renewal of our team values and behavioural standards. I encourage anyone in a leadership role to embrace the New Year as an opportunity to focus on employee wellbeing.
Mentally healthy workplaces provide employees with supportive leadership, resilient working relationships, a degree of flexibility in their roles, and the ability to use their skills and experience to their fullest potential. This appears to have a direct positive link to productivity and engagement. Good reasons to make a commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of your team!
Supporting your team involves more than simply handing employees the AccessEAP phone number or brochure and suggesting they call us. It is about understanding your culture and workplace by speaking with your employees and listening to their ideas and suggestions. Our wellbeing strategy at AccessEAP included the entire team in a consultation process to understand their needs from their leaders and from each other; we are working on collaborative strategy that the entire team is committed to. I will provide an update of our progress in the coming months.
This is a big undertaking and requires commitment from the whole team. It’s our business to make this easier for you and I’d encourage you to take advantage of the organisational support services that we can provide to help support you and your employees, in creating a mentally thriving workplace.
