FirstAssist employee assistance programme guides and protects organisations as well as employees

FirstAssist, one of the providers of Employee Assistance Programmes, is launching a unique new service that aims to provide vital protection for employers as well as their staff. Designed to reduce absence, increase productivity, nurture talent, cover legal obligations and enhance the status of the company as an employer of choice, the FirstAssist Employee Assistance Programme should be viewed by organisations as an investment rather than a cost. Indeed, its provision could actually reduce the risk of costs for employment tribunal cases that might otherwise be brought by employees.

Legislation means that organisations now have more responsibility than ever to ensure the wellbeing of their staff. The landmark case in 2002 of Sutherland vs Hatton saw the Court of Appeal rule that ìan employer who offers a confidential counselling service with access to treatment is unlikely to be found in breach of duty (of care)î. There is also an obligation towards ìreasonable adjustmentsî to a particular position. This can include modifying the structure, duties or nature of a job, or even finding a different position more suited to an individual within an organisation. Counselling services are now, therefore, an essential part of any care package for employees, and a by product of this is legal protection for employers.

In addition, sickness absence is a real issue today, both in the public and private sectors. Careful intervention, pro-active planning and a better understanding of the workforce could, however, have huge benefits for employers and employees.

The FirstAssist Employee Assistance Programme aims to address the increased pressure on employers, supporting employees and managers, by tackling all aspects of staff wellbeing.

The key to the FirstAssist Employee Assistance Programme is its flexibility to be tailored to the individual needs of each organisation. This is done by careful analysis of the organisation by FirstAssistís EAP experts, followed by the implementation of a programme that contains the correct balance of ìbusiness careî and ìemployee care.î As such, FirstAssistís Employee Assistance Programme is the only one of its kind that ensures the welfare of the organisation as well as the staff. The programme is delivered in two halves, EmployeeCare and BusinessCare.

EmployeeCare delivers support to employees, helping them to deal with all aspects of modern life. Access to confidential expert advice and support is available at whatever time of the day or night it is needed. EmployeeCare also gives employees access to a wealth of information and advice on the web on many health and wellbeing issues, such as medical information, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, diet and nutrition and fitness and wellbeing. And utilising anonymised trends data from calls to EmployeeCare, managers can be alerted to potential problems, issues or threats to the stability or profitability of the organisation and enable them to tackle problems in the workplace before they have any serious impact.

Key Components of EmployeeCare Include:

24/7 Telephone Support Service - includes counselling, life solutions, health and legal/employment advise.
Online Support ñ includes clinically validated EAP resource on mental or physical health.
Insight Online Assessment ñ allows individuals to analyse their current stress or work issues in a productive way.

BusinessCare, an integral part of the FirstAssist Employee Assistance Programme, gives managers the tools they need to nurture staff and the organisation as a whole.

This includes an assessment audit to analyse their needs and obligations, 24 hour telephone support on all aspects of management from employment law to HR issues, online advice, and critical incident support.

Key components of BusinessCare include:

- Assessment Audit of the organisation
- BusinessCare Telephone Support
- Health Advice Line
- Managerial Work Issues Support
- Online Support Service
- Critical Incident Support

The FirstAssist Employee Assistance Programme goes beyond the traditional offering and allows for a more bespoke service targeted at particular market sectors.. With nearly 20 years experience, FirstAssist has developed a range of ìImpact Solutionsî that are also available to target key issues within an organisation. These include health awareness days, management training, occupational health, sickness absence management, employee workshops and the mediation of disputes amongst staff members.

ìProviding emotional support to a work force is not only ethically sound, but is good business senseî confirmed Rory Murphy, Head of Commercial, FirstAssist Services. ìIndeed workplace counselling pays for itself, in many cases several times over.

ìFirstAssist counsellors and legal advisors provide a truly professional 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year service. This means that employees and, in some cases their families, can always rely on this service to give them the support they need.î

ìThe new FirstAssist Employee Assistance Programme is a complete care package for an organisation and all its employees.î concluded Rory Murphy. ìIt puts into place preventative measures and tailored solutions to make a substantial difference to staff health, happiness, productivity, and as a result, increased turnover and strength for the business.î