Eap Consultants News Blog

March Soundbyte Seminar

2012-02-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

Our next soundbyte seminar is Developing Resilience to Deal with Pressure with Ray McKiernan.

If you'd like to join us, just click below to register - hope to see you there!

Event registration for Developing Resilience to Deal with Pressure

Report Finds Absence Management Changes Needed

2012-02-07T05:37:00.000-08:00

Sick Notes, a major report from Professor Cary Cooper, CBE, President of BACP, and British group risk insurer, Ellipse, has found that current absence management approaches are lacking.

The report has found that technology has completely altered the way we work, while absence management procedures have not kept pace.

The research finds that current approaches are not working - employers are failing to deal with the full risks that employee absence and ill health bring to the workplace. Sick Notes, commissioned to mark the launch of Ellipse's income protection and absence management tool InteractPlus, identifies a number of trends happening in the modern day workplace.

Key themes and findings from the report:

MIA – Missing In Absence, how chaotic absence management is damaging both employee and employer. Sick employees are getting ‘lost’ in the system, illnesses are allowed to spiral into chronic conditions and line managers are burdened with a responsibility they are often ill-equipped or too ‘time poor’ to handle. The majority of employers (70 per cent) rely on non-HR personnel to handle sickness, with nearly half (45 per cent) of managers admitting that their people responsible for absence management are not the best equipped to deal with it. Worryingly, just over two-fifths of managers (41 per cent) say absence procedure is not followed at all.

Remote working or not remotely working? The impact of ‘always on’ technology has led to many changes in workplace culture, including a growing grey area between the genuine need to take time off to recover and the pressure to keep working. Gone are the days when you sleep off a bout of flu: today we are a nation of STOICs (Sick Though Often Inbox Checking), who are neither fully off work nor fully working. Seventy per cent of line managers and the majority of workers believe working from home more frequently (where practical) would reduce hours lost to sickness.

The rise of the Wickie (Working Sickie). The prevailing economic climate means working sick is now commonplace, with 80 per cent of people working ill. This is despite the fact that 80 per cent of employers claim to believe that presenteeism – attending work while sick – is a bad thing. On the other hand, while presenteeism is pushing some employees to the brink, over half of workers still confess to ‘pulling a sickie’ when they weren’t ill.

There is growing recognition that mental illness is a serious issue in the workplace. The stress-induced absence of Lloyds Banking Group CEO António Horta-Osório and the death of Gary Speed have brought mental illness – so often swept under the carpet – to national attention and it seems managers and employees are beginning to understand it better (60 per cent of line managers compared to 48 per cent of workers). Indeed, managers claim to be at least as sympathetic as their employees towards a range of different illnesses.

“Affecting all employers and all but the very hardiest workers, illness is just a fact of working life but it’s not always an inevitability," says Professor Cary Cooper. “We should be trying to prevent long-term absence as much as possible and we can do that in a few ways. Firstly, by looking at ways of flexible working to help those who are able to work but perhaps not able to come into the office or work set hours. Secondly, we need to encourage employees to not feel obliged to come in to work when they are ill as we know a culture of presenteeism is damaging."

New terms coined by the report:

STOIC (Sick Though Often Inbox Checking)
SerSkis (Serial Skivers)
WIMP (Works Ill, Moans Persistently),
MIA (Missing in Absence)
Wickies (Working Sickies)
Remote Republic (flexi-home working – people working from outside the workplace)

Retirement Planning and EAP Consultants on Ireland AM

2012-02-06T03:42:00.000-08:00

Trish Murphy, Senior Training Consultant at EAP Consultants, was giving some great tips and insights on Ireland AM this morning. You can see her in action on TV3.

Issues for Retirees:

Health & Nutrition
o There will be additional time available for coffee, pastries and booze, but this can pose a health risk over time.
o Start as you mean to continue – if you put off a healthy food and exercise regime it can be difficult to change the habit.
o Make sure you have regular health checks, particularly for men without partners, as women tend to be behind men’s visits to the doctor.

Relationships
o There is a need for separate interests as relationship issues will be intensified on retirement
o Watch for contempt and belligerence, defensiveness, criticism, and stonewalling.
o Watch out for Expectations and disappointments – often instead of freedom and travel there is care for elderly parents and returning adult children.
o Sex often gets better as people have time and energy to give to it.
o Single retirees often look to find relationships as they have time and inclination.
o You need to put yourself first as your availability may put you at risk of being the go-to person for other people.

Welfare Arrangements
o Be aware that you can get a state pension estimate prior to retiring
o Get information on state saving schemes as well as private ones
o Be informed about social welfare schemes, i.e. widows/widowers/disability criteria.
o There is free advice available from Citizen Information Centres, MABS, etc.

Pre-retirement courses are available from EAP Consultants. Retirees are encouraged to bring their partners along.

Trish Murphy is a senior consultant with EAP Consultants. She is an accredited psychotherapist and trainer. Trish has been working as a psychotherapist since 1994 and has in excess of two decades of experience in training, lecturing and teaching.

WINDASS'S BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR MENTAL AND PRACTICAL PREPARATION FOR RETIREMENT

2012-01-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

Dean Windass’s courageous move to speak out about his two-year battle with alcohol and depression since his retirement from professional football and his subsequent suicide attempts has highlighted the negative aspects of retirement and the necessity of preparing for its arrival.

The transition from working life to retirement is more complex than waking up with free time and simply starting on the garden and taking sojourns to Gran Canaria, which led Irish employee assistance and training firm, EAP Consultants, to devise a course dedicated to pre-retirement.

Many look on enviously at retirement parties, dreaming of long days without the worry of deadlines, targets or work responsibilities. But for those mentally or practically unprepared for their retirement, those long days can seem empty.

With a job comes status, structure, routine and a social outlet. It can be a scary prospect if that is taken away without a period of transition. Life expectancy has increased, which means that, feasibly, your retirement years could be as long as your working life – so preparation is essential.

HOW CAN YOU PREPARE FOR RETIREMENT?

Retirement affects change in a number of different areas of life – relationships, finances, time and identity.

Relationships

You will spend more time at home, which can be challenging. You’re moving from your realm (work) into that of your spouse, partner or children. This leads to a paradigm shift and you may not know where you fit in.

Finances

Are you prepared for the financial change? Do you have savings? Will you invest money? What are your entitlements in retirement? Will there need to be a change in you and your family’s lifestyle to accommodate your changed circumstances?

Time

Retirement will leave you with a lot more spare time and also endless possibilities on what to do with it – further education, part time work, hobbies, travelling. It is important that you are mentally and practically prepared to utilise your time now that you no longer have the structure and routine of a working day.

Identity

Often the most important and potentially damaging change is the change in your perceived identity. Your work often offers an identity. If someone asks ‘what are you?’ Or ‘what do you do’, more often than not, you’ll reply with your job title or description. Omar Hassanein, IRUPA CEO, said in October last of his retirement from professional rugby: “your identity as a rugby player is suddenly taken away from you and you struggle in your own mind to work out ‘what is my identity’.”

You are still the same person, with the same abilities, but just in a different circumstance.

Pre-retirement workshop

EAP Consultants offer a one-day pre-retirement course which is aimed at those who are due to retire in the next 3 years. The course is facilitated by an experienced co-ordinator with informative presentations given by expert speakers throughout the day. Participants will be given comprehensive course material and information on retirement planning.

Retirement is a major life change. To deal with this change you need a period of transition and an insight into the changes that may affect you. The course is tailored to ease the transition into retirement, providing emotional and practical support based on dealing with and accepting change, while providing essential information. Our course is designed to ensure that retirement is enjoyed to the full.

Areas covered:

· Refocus - Dealing with change
· Time management
· Re-assessing and setting goals
· Finance – savings, taxation, investments, entitlements, social welfare entitlements
· Health and Mental Health
· Wellbeing
· Relationships
· Legal issues
· Active retirement planning
· Identity and self-worth

Blue Monday

2012-01-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

Brought to us in 2005 by Sky Travel as part of a publicity campaign, Blue Monday has caught on and is now practically part of our yearly calendar.

The date isn't completely set - depending on who you ask it could be the third Monday of January (today), or the last Monday of the month (23rd). The formula - an education in pseudoscience - reports that you will feel the blues today more than any other day.

According to the 'report': Weather plus Debt minus Time since Christmas times Time since failing our new year's resolutions divided by Motivational levels by The need to take action equals Our (un)happiness levels.

The Blue Monday Formula.

It seems a fairly ridiculous equation that couldn't possibly be equated should Einstein himself have had a go at it. However, the individual entities are often a cause for worry, stress, or feelings of inadequacy, even of failure. Though nigh on impossible for the equation to provide us with an actual 'happiness figure', it does showcase one of the more difficult times of the the year.

We can try to combat Blue Monday and the Christmas fall-out by eating well, getting plenty of fresh air, keeping to a budget, realising that we're only human, and we all fall off the resolution wagon from time to time, remembering that this too shall pass - the only thing we can't control is the weather - which, thankfully, is blue skies for a Blue Monday.

New Year’s Resolutions

2012-01-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Good resolutions are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account – Oscar Wilde

The tradition of the New Year's Resolution dates back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving branches from sacred trees for good fortune.

New Year's Resolutions offer an opportunity for making change and improvement. Chances are that more than 90% of people will fail to achieve their resolutions, with most having abandoned them by the end of January!

Keeping your New Year's Resolutions
Making resolutions at New Year or at other times can be helpful in several ways:

To decide what is important for you to achieve in your life
To separate what is important from what is irrelevant, or a distraction
To motivate yourself
To build your self-confidence, based on successful achievement of goals
By knowing what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts.

Resolution Setting Tips

State each resolution or goal as a positive statement
Be precise – set a precise resolution, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement
Set priorities – when you have several resolutions, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones
Write resolutions down – this crystallises them and gives them more force
Set realistic goals – it is important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (employers, parents, media, society) can set unrealistic goals for you. Alternatively you may set goals that are too high, because you may not appreciate either the obstacles in the way or understand quite how much it might take to achieve the goal
Reward yourself as you make progress
If you slip, don’t write off the resolution - slipping is almost bound to happen. If it were that easy, you probably would have sorted it already. Instead, if you slip, try to work out what led to you breaking the resolution and what could you do differently to stop it happening again? Then, continue with trying to make progress
Adjust resolutions if appropriate – your resolutions might change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and experience.

Areas for Resolutions

Artistic: Do you want to achieve any artistic goals? If so, what?
Attitude: Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that you behave that upsets you?
Career: What level do you want to reach in your career?
Education: Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and skills will you need to achieve other goals?
Family: Do you want to be a parent?
Financial: How much do you want to earn by what stage?
Physical: Are there any athletic goals you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
Pleasure: How do you want to enjoy yourself?
Public Service: Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?

First Fortnight 2012 - Challenging Mental Health Prejudice through Creative Arts

2012-01-04T02:55:00.000-08:00

Ireland’s arts-based mental health awareness project isback for the third year, and 2012 is looking set to be bigger andbetter than ever.

First Fortnight begins tonight and will run until January 14in association with See Change. Utilising live music, discussion, theatre,exhibitions and film, FF aims to create a better understanding of mental healthproblems and defies people to challenge the stigma.

Originally a one-day music gig preceded by a public mentalhealth symposium, this year First Fortnight, consisting of a small group ofvery dedicated volunteers, has expanded to include 10 days of originalartists and cultural events to inspire discussion on mental health and tofoster an understanding of mental health problems.

FF concludes on Saturday, January 14th, with a live performance at The Button Factory in Temple Bar with some of Ireland's greatest nartists, including Cashier No.9, Le Galaxie and Royseven.

First Fortnight aims to use the arts

To recognise the creative contributions made by many withself-experience;
To showcase recovery in action;
To inspire participation in personal well-being through thearts & self-expression.

The Therapy Sessions

The Therapy Sessions will be held in the Workman’s Club andwill showcase bands and artists, mixing prose and acoustic gigs, including music from Tieranniesaur, Delorentos, Thomas Walsh (Pugwash) and We CutCorners.

Theatre

Theatre sessions will be held in Film Base and the ProjectArts Centre in Temple Bar and includes 565+. This real-life play from retired teacher MarieO’Rourke, whose therapy was theatre, promises to be anexquisite piece of theatre on mental health.

Visual Art

Photography and visual art exhibitions will be held atExchange and Filmbase – featuring work from William Hamilton, Mary A Kelly andSinead McDonald, and more.

Film

First Fortnight in association with the Irish Film Institutewill be screening The Devil & Daniel Johnston in the IFI on Jan 7th. And onJan 5th Film Base will be hosting Short Space, a collection of short films fromdirectors Joanna Rubin Dranger, Stephen Crilly, Patrick Semple, Hugh O’Connorand Mary Redmond.

Soapbox Sessions

Debate, performance, prose and music with all come together at the Soapbox Sessions as Claire Byrne hosts well-known voices fromIrish cultural and political life who share their ideas and personal interpretations of mental health.

For more information on First Fortnight visit www.firstfortnight.com

The Post-Christmas Comedown

2012-01-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

The guests have finally vacated your house, the Christmas tree is shedding and just thinking about getting those pine needles out of the carpet is making you tetchy, the prospect of looking at your bank balance is more than a little frightening. And worst of all, you’re back in work.

Yes, it’s January and you've got the blues.

Remember that this too shall pass, but to help it pass a little quicker here are some top tips for banishing the blues.

Preparation is Key
Mornings are tough enough without having to pick an outfit, iron it and make your lunch, while foregoing breakfast and a shower because you have to run for a bus. A bus that you inevitably miss.

Prepare yourself the night before so you’re not feeling pressured in the morning. You will find it much easier to face a day in the office if you've had a good breakfast, arrived to work on time and aren’t feeling stressed.

Eat Well

It’s not terribly exciting, but eating well is a great way to make us feel better, particularly after the excesses of the Christmas period. Don't try to quickly drop the weight put on over the festive season through fad diets, instead eat a variety of foods in moderation. Enjoy plenty of fruit and vegetables, and of course you can have a dessert too. Well, now and again!

Sunny Afternoons
Granted it’s not Barbados out there, but we have been lucky enough to get some sunshine this season. Just ten minutes in the sun a day can help fight off SAD (seasonal affective disorder) as well as helping your body to make Vitamin D.

Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins, gives you a natural high and puts you in a good mood – simply taking a brisk walk once a day will give you that feel good factor.

Sleep Patterns
During the Christmas period it was late nights and lie-ins, so getting back into a proper sleep pattern is important, but can be difficult. Swapping your latte for decaffeinated coffee and drinking camomile tea before bed will be of great benefit. Also, try having a bubble bath with lavender oil before getting into a freshly changed bed to help drift off into a peaceful slumber (if you are pregnant check with your doctor before using any essential oil).

Have Something to Look Forward to
January is synonymous with staying in, feeling a little miserable and feeling the pinch. Most people are in the same boat so don’t feel guilty for saying no to offers of drinks after work or swapping the pub for a takeaway and Saturday night television. But it is important to have something to look forward to, so arrange a trip to the cinema or an early bird dinner for February, so you know there’s light at the end of the house-arrest tunnel.

Surge in Calls Expected after Budget 2012

2011-12-07T08:12:00.001-08:00

The range of cuts, indirect taxes and changes to social welfare, education and grants announced in Budget 2012 will affect individuals and families, leaving many struggling to make ends meet.

Chris Gilmore, Head of Operations at EAP Consultants says he expects a surge in calls to the company’s 24/7 helpline following the Budget. “The Budget will not simply increase financial pressure on those currently struggling – it will also leave many unsure of how they will be affected. I expect clients will contact the helpline to avail of our information services.”

EAP Consultants’ helpline provides 24-hour support in areas including financial and legal assistance, as well as providing an information service and access to counselling.
“I would also anticipate more people availing of our counselling service. Since the downturn there has been a marked increase in individuals contacting us for counselling due to stress caused by financial pressures, and we expect that this will probably increase again after the Budget as people’s incomes are once again negatively affected.”

Gilmore does encourage those who are feeling stressed or worried not to internalise their problems and to use the resources available to them. “We would urge anyone who is feeling the strain from their financial situation or worried about how the Budget will affect them to seek advice. Talking about your issues will help.”

Some main points of the budget that will affect individuals and families:
• Top rate of VAT increased from 21% to 23% (Effective January 2012)
• Carbon tax increase will be applied to petrol and auto-diesel (Effective midnight December 6)
• Carbon tax increase applies to kerosene, marked gas oil, liquid petroleum gas, fuel oil and natural gas (Effective May 2012).
• Household charge of €100 to be introduced in 2012. This is an interim measure. A full property tax will be in place for 2014.
• Owners are liable for the Household Charge, not the occupier.
• There is a waiver of the Household Charge for those on Mortgage Interest Supplement and those residing in certain categories of unfinished housing estates.
• Motor tax rates will increase across all categories.
• The means test for the One-parent family payment will be amended and the upper age limit of youngest child for new claimants will be reduced to 12 years in 2012, and to 7 years on a phased basis.
• Child benefit remains at €140 for the first two children. From January 2012 the rate for the third child will change to €148 and €160 for the third and subsequent children.
• Over the next two years child benefit will be standardised at €140 per child per month.
• Back to school clothing allowance will be raised to 4 years and reduced to €150 between the ages of 4 and 11, with a reduced rate of €250 for children over 12 years.
• The minimum contribution of Mortgage Interest Supplement scheme will increase to €30 per week for a single person and €35 per week for a couple.
• The student contribution for third level students will increase by €250 from the 2012/2013 academic year.
• The student grant will be reduced by 3% from January 2012. This applies to existing and new grant-holders.
• The primary school transport charge will double to €100 from €50 and the maximum family payment also doubles from €110 to €220.
• Threshold for Drugs Payment Scheme will increase from €120 to €132.
• There will be further increase in the charges for private beds in public hospitals, which may have a knock-on effect on private health insurance.

Get Engaged!

2011-12-07T03:05:00.001-08:00

With only a few more hours until our seminar we're asking you to GET ENGAGED! If you haven't already booked into our exciting seminar on employee engagement, there's still a few places left!

Do you want to get the most from your workforce? Do you want to learn how to increase performance and motivation within your organisation?

Learning how to engage your workforce effectively can have an extremely positive effect on your business, for both your employees and your organisation as a whole. Our seminar with leading HR Consultant Andrew Shea is a must for Business Owners and Human Resources professionals.

Engagement is defined as a person’s willingness to go the extra mile and put extra energy, creativity and passion into their work. This is driven by a number of levers such as: communication, line of sight, values alignment, performance management, development and innovation. The person’s line manager controls these levers therefore, focus needs to be placed on their selection, deployment & development.

The seminar will also look at stress management and how HR leaders and line managers can have a positive effect on employees and business with a proactive approach.

To book your spot at this exciting event click here

Andrew Shea
Andrew is a HR and Learning & Development specialist most recently working with Vodafone Global and on international assignment in Turkey. He is a Fellow of the Chartered institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Chartered Occupational Psychologist in the BPS and holds and MSc. in Occupational Psychology. His education and experience has equipped him to address all areas of behaviour change although his preferred focus is the personal development journey from assessment and development centres to talent development.

Budget 2012: Rebate Debate

2011-12-07T01:43:00.001-08:00

The Government announced Part 1 of Budget 2012 on Monday afternoon, whichincluded news that the Government will be decreasing the rebate on redundanciesfor employers from 60% to 15%. What will this do to businesses alreadystruggling to keep their staff and make ends meet?

Currentlyemployers pay two weeks’ statutory redundancy entitlement for every year ofservice to employees with two years’ service, up to a maximum wage at of €600per week. The employer then receives 60% rebate of the redundancy cost from theSocial Insurance Fund, which employers contribute to through PRSI payments.

Thenew rebate rate of 15% will be effective from January 1^st 2012,which could force struggling companies to make snap decisions on redundanciesbefore it comes into effect, leaving both organisations and employees with ableak Christmas and New Year ahead.

Thereis already a lengthy waiting list for companies to recoup costs fromredundancies, so any surge in rebate will be testing an already strainedsystem.

Speakingabout the decrease in rebate, Maura Kilcoyne, Managing Director at EAP Consultantssaid: “Redundancies are an unfortunate reality for some businesses, but placingalready struggling companies under even more financial strain will not help.”

“Makingredundancies is not an easy decision, but the decision to decrease the rebate tosuch an extent will leave businesses in an impossible situation. Companies maybe unable to afford to keep staff on, but likewise, they may be unable toafford to pay statutory redundancy – where does that leave employers and staff?”

“Strugglingbusinesses may even be forced to make the decision on redundancies before the changeon January 1^st 2012. Coming up to Christmas is the worst possibletime to have this hanging over employers and employees’ heads.”

Supporting Staff Through Supervision - Seminar

2011-11-02T07:46:00.001-07:00

Join us at our next free soundbyte seminar with Jane McNicholas on Supporting Staff Through Supervision. It's free of charge, but be sure to book early as places are limited!

Event Registration Online for Breakfast Seminar: Supporting Staff through Supervision

The IACP Public Information Day

2011-09-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

IACP Information Day

The second annual free public information day of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) will be taking place on Saturday October 15th in the Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

Speakers will include Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, Dr. John Sharry and Fiona Flynn and there will be stands from information services including Relationships Ireland, Accord and Mental Health Ireland. The event will be broadcast live from 98FM, so even if you can't make it, be sure to tune in!

If you'd like to get involved and are an IACP member then contact the IACP for more details.

Soundbyte Seminar Success!

2011-09-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

EAP Consultants Soundbyte Seminar

We had a fantastic time at our seminar this morning on Appropriate Workplace Behaviour.

Trish Murphy delivered an excellent presentation looking at the many reasons inappropriate behaviour can come about and how to deal with it when it crops up.

Many thanks to all our attendees, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did hosting it.

For more information on our free soundbyte seminars visit our website or our events page.

Roll on October when our seminar which will be on providing financial education to staff.

Keep stress at bay to keep heart problems away

2011-09-05T03:47:00.000-07:00

According the 4th European Working Conditions Survey, 16 per cent of Irish workers reported experiencing work-related stress. Stress is not always damaging, in fact stress can provide motivation to work well. Problems occur, however, when stress becomes chronic. And it doesn't just affect our mental state; it can also affect our heart.

Evidence has emerged in recent years to suggest that heart disease can be related to periods of chronic stress – and according to the Irish Heart Foundation this can be due to any number of factors, including “work stress, marital stress and caregiver strain,” while “those in high demand situations with low control are much more likely to suffer from stress”.

The evidence pointing towards stress as a contributing factor to heart problems shows that coronary atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries) can be caused through smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol (the bad kind) – all of which can come from the way that we deal with stress.

When people experience chronic stress they tend to increase their alcohol and caffeine consumption, smoke more (or even take up smoking), comfort eat, and can find it more difficult to sleep. This in turn creates health problems, including issues for your heart.

So by helping yourself beat stress in your workplace, you can also help your heart.

Top Tips to Beat Stress

Stress on the job creates high costs for businesses and institutions (costing businesses €818 per employee, according to IBEC), reducing morale, productivity, and earnings.

Clearly, it is in every employer’s best interests – fiscal and otherwise – to reduce workplace stress as much as possible. Businesses can lower and prevent job stress through two methods:

• Stress management programmes and training for employees
• Organisational changes that improve working conditions

Stress management
According to Employee Benefit Magazine’s Healthcare Research 2011, 73 per cent of employers provide an employee assistance programme (EAP) to some or all staff as a core benefit. EAPs are designed to help workers with personal problems that may be adversely affecting their on-the-job performance. The confidential services include counselling, mental health assessment and referrals, workshops on topics such as time management and relaxation, and legal and financial assistance.

Organisational change
While EAPs can be very beneficial to workers, the relief they provide may be superficial and short-lived if important root causes of stress in the work environment are not addressed. Lasting stress reduction is brought about by institutional change.

“Managers are the key holders of corporate culture,” Michael Peterson, a professor at University of Delaware, told FDU magazine. “They perpetuate it.” While stress management techniques like yoga are great, he said, “if your boss is draconian, exercise is not going to help.”

No meaningful job or workplace is, or should be expected to be, stress-free. However, less stress occurs when a business or institution encourages employee participation from the bottom up, implements policies that take employee needs into account, and empowers employees to do their best.

Changing the organisation to reduce job stress

Improve communication
Consult your employees
Offer rewards and incentives
Cultivate a friendly social climate

What can employees do to reduce job stress?
While organisational change comes from management, there are still many things employees—individually or collectively—can do to reduce workplace stress.

Stand Up for Yourself

Get a job description. If your employer hasn’t provided a specific, written description of your job, ask for one, or, better, ask to negotiate one. According to the American Psychological Association, the act of negotiating a job description “does more to dispel a sense of powerlessness than anything else we know. You can object to what and insist on what you do want. If there is a compromise, it's because you agreed to it. With a clear job description, your expectations are spelled out, as are your boss’s.”
Change your job. If you like where you’re working but your job is too stressful, ask if the company can tailor the job to your skills or move you to a less pressured slot.
Get support. Use the local, state, and federal agencies created to support workers’ interests — and your union, if you belong to one — to back you up in situations that expose you to unnecessary danger, unsafe or unhealthy conditions, or undue harassment. While some locations and agencies are more sympathetic to employees’ rights than others, sometimes simply mentioning that you know where to turn for help is enough to start an employer thinking about improvement.
Get a new job. If the level of stress at your job is harming your health and your relationships, and you don’t see any prospect of real change, it may be time to move on.

Eliminate self-defeating behaviours
Many of us make job stress worse with patterns of thought or behaviour that keep us from relieving pressure on ourselves. If you can turn around these self-defeating habits, you’ll find employer-imposed stress easier to handle.

Resist perfectionism. No project, situation, or decision is ever perfect, and you put undue stress on yourself by trying to do everything perfectly. When you set unrealistic goals for yourself or try to do too much, you’re setting yourself up to fall short. Do your best, and you’ll do fine.
Clean up your act. If you’re always running late, set your clocks and watches fast and give yourself extra time. If your desk is a mess, file and throw away the clutter; just knowing where everything is saves time and cuts stress. Make to-do lists and cross off items as you accomplish them. Plan your day and stick to the schedule — you’ll feel less overwhelmed.
Flip your negative thinking. If you see the downside of every situation and interaction, you’ll find yourself drained of energy and motivation. Try to think positively about your work, avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat yourself on the back about small accomplishments, even if no one else does.

Find ways to dispel stress

Get time away. If you feel stress building, take a break. Walk away from the situation. Take a stroll around the block, sit on a park bench, or spend a few minutes meditating. Exercise does wonders for the psyche. But even just finding a quiet place and listening to your iPod can reduce stress.
Talk it out. Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply sharing your stress with someone close to you. The act of talking it out – and getting support and empathy from someone else – is often an excellent way of blowing off steam and reducing stress.
Cultivate allies at work. Just knowing you have one or more co-workers who are willing to assist you in times of stress will reduce your stress level. Just remember to reciprocate and help them when they are in need.
Find humour in the situation. When you – or the people around you – start taking things too seriously, find a way to breakthrough with laughter. Share a joke or funny story.

The Mediators Institute of Ireland: 13th Annual Conference

2011-09-05T02:26:00.000-07:00

This year's annual conference of the Mediators' Institute of Ireland will he held on November 4th and 5th in the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co. Dublin.

The theme of this year's conference will be 'Embedding Mediation in our Dispute Resolution Culture' and the Honourable Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness, former President of the Law Reform Commission, will be keynote speaker.

Mrs Justice McGuinness, who has been extensively involved in Alternative Dispute Resolution with the Law Reform Commission, will speak on the use of mediation in today's legal system.

For more information visit the Mediators' Institute of Ireland's website.

Irish Heart Month

2011-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Irish Heart Month

Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and stroke, kills 17.1 million people worldwide and 10,000 people in Ireland each year. It is the most common cause of death worldwide. Irish Heart Month runs throughout September and this year the Irish Heart Foundation’s focus will be on men.

Mary Mulvihill, Health Promotion Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation, says: “Latest CSO figures for 2010 showed that nine times as many men (4,636) die from cardiovascular disease than from prostate cancer or five times more than from lung cancer - and this is expected to rise sharply over the next 10 years. This Heart Month, our goal is to reach out to men with our new prevention manual ‘A man’s guide to heart health’, written from a man’s point of view. We need to ensure that men are equipped with the best tools to prevent them reaching a point when a heart attack symptom may strike. Our step by step manual takes into account modern lifestyles and tackles, in a positive way, the various behaviours and risk factors that lead to heart attack.”

Events will run throughout the month and Big Heart Walks will be taking place all over the country on September 25^th. For more information visit The Irish Heart Foundation’s website.

Managing Stress and Positive Thinking

2011-07-04T04:44:00.000-07:00

Being made redundant can be an extremely stressful experience and it can be difficult to stay positive and look toward the future. Jane McNicholas, Senior Training Manager at EAP Consultants, recently contributed her expertise to The Redundancy Book, providing a chapter on Managing Stress and Positive Thinking.

You can view the chapter here.

Calling All Women in Business!

2011-07-01T04:56:00.000-07:00

Our very own Jane McNicolas will be giving a talk on Developing your Business Resillience at the Cork CPA Ireland Skillnet: Women in Business Event. The event will be taking place on July 14th in the Malborough House Hotel in Cork.

Learning, networking, canapés and wine have all been promised, and places are limited so get booking!

For more information on the event and other topics being covered visit the CPA Website.

Dealing with Workplace Trauma

2011-07-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

Maura Kilcoyne, MD at EAP Consultants, speaks to CPA on dealing with workplace trauma.

View the article here

EAP Consultants' Soundbyte Seminars 2011

2011-07-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

EAP Consultants' soundbyte seminar series for 2011 has just been announced! There are some great sessions planned for the rest of the year, including 'The Importance of Providing Financial Assistance to Your Staff', presented by Liam Croke, resident financial expert for RTE's The Afternoon Show.

The seminars will be 1.5 hour discussion groups for managers to explore sensitive issues in the workplace and how to respond to them. All sessions are free of charge but places are limited so advanced booking is essential.

SOUNDBYTE SEMINARS 2011

July 20th Kimberly Fitzgerald ‘Job Analysis’

Sept 7th Trish Murphy ‘Appropriate Workplace Behaviour’

Oct 12th Liam Croke ‘The Importance of Providing FinancialAssistance to Staff’

Nov 9th Jane McNicholas ‘Supervision’

Visit our events page for more information and to book your place.

Knowing The Signs: Critical Incident Stress Management

2011-05-05T03:31:00.000-07:00

EAP Consultants' recently published article in the Fire Services Journal.

Firefighters are regularly faced with traumatic incidents and are trained to deal with highly stressful events, but this doesn't make them immune to critical incident stress.

Emergency service personnel are presented with traumatic and stressful events on a regular basis. Incidents such as RTAs, domestic fires, serious injury and suicide are all 'normal' occurrences in the working life of a firefighter. although trained to deal with critical incident situations, firefighters are still vulnerable to stress reactions.

Occasionally an event can be so traumatic that it overwhelms coping mechanisms and emergency service
personnel may experience significant stress reactions, such as critical incident stress (CIS), which evokes physical and psychological symptoms. CIS has no timeline. It can occur instantly or months after a traumatic event, and an unrelated stressor, such as marital or financial difficulties, could be a catalyst for its onset.

Critical incident stress has many physical and emotional manifestations, including headaches, nausea, panic,
nightmares, moodiness, a desire to avoid similar situations or places, anger, loneliness, and lethargy.

After a Critical Incident
For emergency service personnel there are protocols in place to ensure the wellbeing of individuals involved in a critical incident. If a watch has attended a particularly distressing call out which has caused an adverse stress reaction, a 'defusing' is an option available to crew members and would ideally take place within 24 to 72 hours after the incident. early intervention and support is key in dealing with CIS and allows individuals to deal with and move on from an incident more effectively. a defusing is held by a peer supporter who will also be a member of the fire service trained in critical incident stress management (CISM). Knowing a peer supporter has been in similar situations can often make individuals feel more at ease.

If deemed necessary, a debriefing can be held by a Critical Incident Stress Manager between two and 10 days after an incident. It is a safe and confidential form of intervention, where a CIS Manager will allow the crew to talk through their experience and the effect it has had on them. Simply talking about an incident with peers who have been through the same event can be hugely comforting. It is important that each member of the crew engages willing during the debriefing, this will not only help individuals in dealing with the incident, but will also help the crew as a whole to move on from it. The debriefing encourages discourse on ways to cope
after the call out, services available to the crew, such as telephone support, and to see if further intervention for individuals is required, such as individual counselling.

Taking Care of Yourself
Even though structures, such as debriefing and counselling, are in place to ensure members of the fire service are cared for in the case of a critical incident, each individual has a duty of care to themselves. It is important that you look after yourself and have the necessary coping mechanisms and knowledge if you feel the onset of a critical incident stress reaction.

Firstly, it is important to educate yourself in CIS. Websites such as www.
icisf.org are very informative and can help you understand what you are going through and reassure you that these reactions are perfectly normal. Providing and receiving support from peers will keep you from feeling isolated. The camaraderie and strength of relationships between firefighters iswidely known and it will be of great benefit to utilise this support network.

Keeping active and partaking in regular exercise is a vital element of self-care when dealing with CIS. You can't think stress away, so exercise – play football, go to the gym, go for a jog or a swim – and when you are feeling tense or agitated try relaxation and breathing techniques to help overcome those feelings.

Your intake of caffeine, alcohol and other substances should be regulated. Drinking caffeine excessively will
increase your heart rate and make you feel jumpy and agitated. These are also symptoms of CIS; you don't need to exacerbate them. Turning to alcohol or illegal substances is not the answer and trying to work through critical incident stress is difficult enough without also having to deal with a substance abuse
issue. Sticking to a healthy, well-balanced diet and drinking plenty of water will aid energy levels and make you feel better in general.

Try to maintain healthy relationships with family and friends – keep dialogue open and explain to your partner or other family member how you are feeling. Also, keep to your regular routine with friends even if you don't feel like it.

If you would normally meet friends at the cinema on a Friday, stick to this. It will keep your mind occupied and will help you to get back to normality.And although it's hard, try to keep a positive mental attitude. Remember that you are normal and CIS is a perfectly normal reaction. Symptoms should pass within a few days to a week. If symptoms persist seek support from a qualified source, such as your peer supporter, GP or counselling service.

Published in Fire Services Journal, Spring 2011.

Looking after your staff when making redundancies

2011-03-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

The unemployment rate in January this year was 13.4% and, although there was a slight decrease from December, redundancy is still a harsh reality for many companies. Unfortunately redundancy, whether voluntary or compulsory, doesn’t simply affect those who lose their jobs; it also has a negative impact on remaining employees, management and, thus, the organisation as a whole.

Retaining remaining staff

Research by Reed Specialist Recruitment on outplacement services found that 25 per cent of top performers leave a company within 90 days of a major redundancy announcement, due to a myriad of factors – greater levels of stress among ‘survivor’ employees due to increased workloads, de-motivation, and distrust and anger in management. Putting an outplacement solution in place can help combat the negative impact on staff, with 65% of employees believing outplacement for staff who are to be made redundant helps to retain those that stay.

Good management will ensure a healthy work environment after redundancy. Managers are not only personally affected by increased levels of stress, often they will be overseeing a stressed team. To be able to handle these challenges effectively they will need to be competent in a broad range of people-based skills, including conflict resolution.

Providing Support
Employee assistance programmess (EAPs) such as redundancy and outplacement solutions can hugely aid in creating and maintaining a good working environment by providing the necessary support to employees and management. EAPs can provide counselling, emotional support, career coaching, even simply giving advice on managing finances. Emotional support is an extremely important element of the outplacement service, it allows the former employee to deal effectively with increased stress due to financial and other pressures, retain their focus, maintain self-motivation and self-esteem, increase their awareness of their strengths and effectively manage the transition. Redundancy can threaten a person’s long-standing beliefs and values, they may lose trust and their sense of self-belief, so positive intervention at this time is vital.

Offering staff this service as part of your support, shows your company to be heedful of best practice; to be aware of the anxieties of the remaining employees and the importance of the reputation of your company; and importantly ease the role of HR staff who may feel unequipped to deal with conflict situations that may arise.

When a company finds itself in the unfortunate position of making redundancies, don’t just cut and run. It is vitally important that you look after remaining staff to ensure that your organisation can work effectively. Taking care of employees who have been made redundant will not only help maintain a positive reputation for your company, it will also help ‘survivor’ employees to stay motivated and happy in their positions.

Find out more about outplacement and redundancy services at www.eapconsultants.ie

We're Live!

2011-03-04T04:42:00.000-08:00

We're delighted to announce that our brand new website has gone live. Check us out at http://www.eapconsultants.ie/

Our Brand New website will be coming soon to EapConsultants.ie

2011-01-23T12:09:00.001-08:00

We are building our brand new website and it's coming soon to http://www.eapconsultants.ie/