The following was penned by Marya Milojevic, a Senior Executive within Grant Thornton Malta’s People and Culture team

In an increasingly competitive business landscape, organisations must recognise the significance of nurturing a supportive work environment that prioritises employee wellbeing. Grant Thornton, a firm committed to its core values, has made a conscious decision to collaborate with ICAS-Atlas to implement an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This article aims to shed light on the rationale behind our decision, the benefits an EAP brings to our firm, and how the EAP aligns with our firm’s values.

Recognising the need and understanding the decision 

The first step in implementing an EAP is acknowledging the challenges faced by employees in balancing work and personal lives. A 2021 study by MISCO on employee wellbeing, found that 63 per cent of participants experienced mental health issues such as stress and anxiety related to work. 53 per cent stated that if they had mental health issues, they would not know who speak to or ask for support in the office. 68 per cent of participants have never disclosed unmanageable stress or mental health issues to their current employer or manager mainly due to uncomfortable feelings.

In Grant Thornton’s 2022 Training Needs survey, the results showed that psychological wellness was given priority by our employees. An Employee Assistance Programme was most mentioned by 66 per cent of employees, who were asked what psychological wellbeing resources they wanted to see implemented at the firm. Psychological wellness, and work-life balance were also the third most popular training topics amongst employees when asked about the 2023 Learning and Development Programme.

The decision to introduce an Employee Assistance Programme stems from these survey results, and our commitment to fostering a healthy and supportive workplace culture. We at Grant Thornton recognise that our employees are our most valuable asset, as employee wellbeing directly impacts their productivity, job satisfaction, and overall happiness. By providing a comprehensive EAP, we aim to proactively address the diverse needs of our workforce, offering them the necessary support to navigate personal and professional challenges effectively.

Supporting employee wellbeing

Our firm recognises that life's challenges can extend beyond the workplace, and employees may require support to navigate personal issues, mental health concerns, relationship problems, financial difficulties, or social issues. The core purpose of an EAP is to assist employees in overcoming personal and work-related issues that may impact their overall well-being. An EAP provides a confidential and supportive platform, where employees can seek guidance, counselling, and resources to address these challenges effectively. By providing access to professional counsellors, and mental health services, the EAP encourages employees to prioritise their mental well-being. This can lead to reduced stress levels, improved coping mechanisms, and an increase in overall resilience.

Benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme

There are many benefits of providing an EAP to employees:

• Enhanced Wellbeing: An EAP helps employees cope with personal issues that may otherwise affect their performance and morale. By offering confidential counselling, emotional support, and resources, we empower our employees to navigate challenges such as stress, mental health concerns, financial difficulties, and relationship issues.

• Improved Productivity and Work Performance: When employees receive support for their issues, they can better focus on their work tasks they are better equipped to manage their stress and emotions. By addressing concerns that may otherwise hinder their performance, an EAP fosters higher productivity, reduced absenteeism, lower turnover rates and increased engagement among employees.

• Positive Work Culture: An EAP helps foster a culture of support, trust, and open communication. Employees feel valued when they know that their organisation genuinely cares about their well-being. This, in turn, leads to increased job satisfaction, higher morale, and stronger employee engagement.

• Work-Life Balance: Our EAP recognises the importance of work-life balance. By providing services that address personal challenges, such as parenting, eldercare, and managing work-related stress, we support our employees in achieving a healthy equilibrium between their personal and professional lives.

• Cost Savings: While the implementation of an EAP requires an initial investment, the potential cost savings in the long run are significant. Employees who receive timely support through an EAP are less likely to experience prolonged absences or productivity declines, resulting in cost reductions associated with turnover, recruitment, and training.

• Retention and Recruitment: In today's competitive job market, offering an EAP can be a significant differentiator for attracting and retaining top talent. Prospective employees are increasingly prioritising work environments that prioritise employee wellbeing, and a robust EAP can serve as a testament to our commitment to our staff's welfare.

It is in the firm’s best interest that employees can perform to their highest capacity. An EAP can help ensure this since it can help employees deal any issues and substantially improve their performance.

Summary of included benefits of Grant Thornton’s EAP

• 24/7 telephonic ‘helpline’ counselling support in English for employees and dependants: ICAS have a 24/7/365 telephonic helpline in case of situations where the employee requires immediate assistance. The service is unlimited and completely confidential.

• Face to face counselling support for employees and their families: Up to six sessions per problem per employee are being offered as part of our EAP. This also extends to their immediate family members.

• Support for line managers: ICAS provides consultancy and counselling to support managers and HR team members. These include dealing with issues such as (but not limited to) retrenchment or restructuring support, relationship/interpersonal conflict, motivation of employees, discipline, providing performance feedback, managing diversity etc.

• LifeManagement services: Available through ICAS’s LifeManagement is one of ICAS’s unlimited telephonic services for all employees and their immediate families. These services provide detailed, practical information, education, resources, and referrals to help employees manage their work-life responsibilities in the key areas of finance and legal matters.

• Dedicated account handlers: ICAS’s Account Management teamwork with local Atlas account handlers to ensure an efficient and effective implementation of the Program. Administrative work for HR would be minimal due to such assistance from Atlas.

• Ongoing promotional support: For ongoing support, ICAS provides additional informative and creative marketing materials which can be used in a variety of ways to complement Grant Thornton’s own internal communications. These include leaflets, posters, e-newsletters, polls, quisses, and intranet materials.

• Utilisation reporting: ICAS’s Business Intelligence/ Consulting Department ensures that the value of the program can be provided to all relevant stakeholders. ICAS offers periodic engagement reporting on the program featuring utilisation, engagement, presenting problems, risks identified and managed, and the impact of the presenting problems on productivity, interventions delivered and recommendations. No personal data references are included.

• Mobile and desktop application: The ICAS HUB mobile application is, easily accessible, 24/7/365, anonymous and can be personalised depending on the needs and interests of employees. It includes information provision and self-help tools in the form of short videos and articles in English that are transcribed in other languages. None of the content is more than 5 minutes long to keep the employees engaged. The services tab in the application gives the employees access to call for intake and/or use the live chat service which goes through to a licensed clinician.

Alignment with organisational values

Our CLEARR values; collaboration, leadership, excellence, agility, respect, and responsibility, resonate strongly with the principles of an EAP, as it prioritises the mental, emotional, and physical welfare of our employees. Therefore, introducing an Employee Assistance Programme aligns seamlessly with our organisational values. By providing a supportive and inclusive work environment, we demonstrate our commitment to fostering employee growth and wellbeing. Grant Thornton’s commitment to personal growth, work-life balance, and respect for individuals echoes through the provision of an EAP, highlighting our dedication to the holistic development of our workforce. Through an EAP, Grant Thornton is not only aligning itself with its values but also paving the way for a more resilient and thriving workforce.

Conclusion

By recognising the importance of holistic support, we at Grant Thornton aim to foster a thriving work environment that promotes productivity, engagement, and overall wellbeing. Moreover, our decision to implement an EAP underscores our dedication to continuous improvement and innovation. Grant Thornton understands the evolving nature of workplace challenges and the need to adapt our strategies to meet our employees' ever-changing needs. By proactively introducing an EAP, we remain at the forefront of providing comprehensive employee support, setting industry standards. We also demonstrate our belief that workforce wellbeing is essential for long-term success.