Employers are placing too much reliance on short-term fixes like Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) in dealing with stress, according to Medicals Direct.
Tony Urwin, a workplace psychologist and director at MDG Healthcare said mental health issues still account for around one third of all sick leave, although this is reducing.
However, he added there is a misconception by employers that EAPs or counselling services can also help more serious mental health issues, resulting in employees not receiving specialised intervention.
"The industry is coming under increased pricing pressure and as such many EAPs are having to resort to telephone counselling or online solutions to keep costs down, meaning troubled employees are getting even less of the support they need." Urwin added.
"Many employers are simply not aware of the specialist types of psychological treatments available or how to access them. Using specialists such as chartered psychologists will see much better outcomes, leading to reduced rates of absenteeism and a much better return on investment for employers."
Member's experience within the Local Government Association shows an average of 2.2 days per year (23% of sickness absence) is down to stress. The threat of redundancy and, for those remaining, a heavier workload can only tend to intensify stress levels said Urwin.
