Following 24 months of business uncertainty due to the pandemic, and now facing increasing personal and business costs – most notably the fuel price increase, many small business owners are facing increasing pressures and may not have the mental health support available if they require it.
‘Research found 56% of business owners feel they need help with their mental health but don’t know where to start.’
Small businesses often face difficulties with resources – they simply do not always have the formality of a HR department compared to large corporations. However, the absence of a HR department can be remedied elsewhere by utilsing an external company to offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
Employee Therapy Solutions work to do just that – offering flexible specialist welfare consultancy support alongside trained professionals who are able to offer a variety of welfare services such as counselling, coaching or mediation. These are services that organisations often require on an adhoc basis and as such it does not pay for full time resources.
An EAP is an important part of fostering a mentally healthy and emotionally mature workplace. By demonstrating a proactive stance towards staff welfare, the right EAP can support: – Improved employee recruitment and retention levels – Improved psychological and physical health, in turn impacting sickness levels and attrition. – Improved productivity based on reductions in abscentism.
The uncertain trading environment small businesses find themselves in has amplified their potential risk of developing issues with their mental health, particular stress induced illnesses. Paying close attention to mental health and wellbeing for both company owners and their employees and taking practical action when warning signs arise, is the key to ensuring the business and its staff stay healthy.
‘Three quarters (75%) of business owners agree that more support from mental health professionals should be available to SME owners to help with the struggles of setting up a business.’
Whether your organisation is large or small, none of us is immune to the challenges of the times we live in.
At Employee Therapy Solutions the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) has people only a phone call away ready to support small businesses and brings a level of understanding of both the essential needs of organisations and the clinical and support needs of staff and business owners wellbeing. An agile and innovative team that specialises in meeting bespoke local business needs.
Quotes sourced from: Worrying data about business owners’ struggles with mental health revealed (bacp.co.uk))