Sterling Publishing has elevated the issue of workplace wellbeing with the introduction of an employee assistance program (EAP) offering 24-hour support seven days a week for employees and managers.
Employees and their families will have access to the confidential service – provided by Australian owned, not-for-profit organisation AccessEAP – at any time. The EAP provides access to a network of counsellors and social workers across Australia and is designed to help employees deal with personal and workplace problems that might adversely impact their job performance, health and wellbeing.
According to research conducted by beyondblue, 45 per cent of people in Australia will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, and in any one year around one million Australian adults have depression, while over two million suffer anxiety.
“Life events are often unpredictable,” said Sterling Publishing director Alex Whitlock. “By introducing the EAP we are demonstrating to our staff that we recognise that anyone can be affected by mental health issues and that help is at hand.
“I believe it is critical that we speak openly about the issue of mental health and that we facilitate a very accessible service to equip staff with a greater knowledge and practical skills to face these challenges effectively when they arise.”
New statistics from beyondblue and the Mentally Healthy Workplace reveal three quarters of senior leaders in Australian business now realise good mental health should be a focus in workplaces, and EAPs are offered by many businesses as an additional company-sponsored benefit for employees.
In addition to counselling for personal, family and workplace issues, many EAPs also provide organisation development services and training initiatives that adopt a preventative approach and build on existing skills to empower individuals to create a mentally healthy workplace.
“Not only are we able to support our employees on an individual level, the benefits to the company through the additional training and consulting services will help us to ensure an all-round healthy working environment, which is crucial to the culture and productivity of our business,” said Mr Whitlock. “We’re extremely excited to be able to offer this service to our staff.”