A key aspect of the new UK government’s Plan to Make Work Pay legislation is its focus on improving support for women navigating peri-menopause and menopause within the workplace environment.
While mental and physical health support has improved in many workplaces, menopausal women are still often met with challenges such as misunderstanding, stigma, and even discrimination at work. This leaves many women feeling forced to leave the workforce at a time when their invaluable experience, knowledge, and skills are needed most.
Mature women bring a wealth of benefits to workplaces, including intelligence, wisdom, resilience, collaborative skills, multitasking abilities, and essential mentorship for younger generations of employees. By supporting menopausal women, you can retain these valuable assets while fostering a more inclusive, productive workplace.
Wellbeing Partners can help you create a comprehensive support program that not only aids menopausal employees but also ensures your organisation complies with the Make Work Pay legislation. We offer a range of tailored services designed to support the unique needs of your workforce:
Specialist Menopause Counselling Our menopause counselling services offer a safe space for peri-menopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women to address their mental health and wellbeing needs. This can be offered on an ad-hoc or regular basis, depending on your organisation’s requirements.
Menopause Training for Line Managers A two-hour, live and interactive training session for your line managers and leaders, aimed at increasing awareness of menopause and its impact on women at work. The training includes key skills for having supportive conversations that foster a collaborative approach to accommodations and flexibility between managers and menopausal workers.
Surviving and Thriving in Menopause This one-hour awareness and self-care workshop raises awareness of menopause in the workplace. It focuses on the strengths and contributions that menopausal women bring to society and the workplace, offers insights into menopause symptoms that can impact work, provides a thorough understanding of HRT and other self care tips and techniques for reducing symptoms, as well as advice for creating a more inclusive work environment for menopausal women.
If you’re interested in learning more about how we can help your organisation support and retain menopausal workers, please get in touch by completing the form below, or email [email protected]
Boost Workplace Wellbeing with Recovery Counselling for Employees on Sick Leave
Workplace absenteeism due to mental health concerns such as anxiety, stress, burnout, depression, and trauma is on the rise. In the UK, the average number of sick days taken by employees has surged by 55% since 2019[1]. For employees who are off work for extended periods, the lack of a tailored recovery plan can lead to avoidable prolonged absence, increased anxiety about returning to work, and diminished productivity upon their return.
Introducing Wellbeing Partners’ Recovery Counselling Service At Wellbeing Partners, we understand the unique challenges that employees face when navigating a period of sick leave. That’s why we’ve designed a cost-effective, professional support service to help employees recover more effectively—both physically and mentally—while preparing them for a smooth return to work.
Our Recovery Counselling service provides employees on sick leave with a set of tailored, 50-minute online sessions with experienced workplace mental health professionals. Employees receive expert support to manage anxiety, burnout, stress, insomnia, depression, bereavement and grief, trauma, and interpersonal difficulties—issues that can significantly affect their health and productivity.
How We Help Our Recovery Counselling service equips employees with practical tools to:
Recover and maintain their wellbeing
Build resilience and coping skills
Navigate the sometimes anxiety-filled process of returning to work
Restore their overall wellbeing and capacity to flourish in the workplace
Why Choose Wellbeing Partners?
Expert Support: Our team consists of fully qualified and experienced workplace mental health professionals, each with a minimum of 10 years post-qualification experience and professional association membership
Tailored Approach: Each employee is provided with confidential sessions to improve their mental wellbeing, including a wellbeing recovery plan that is based on their individual needs
Convenient Access: Sessions take place online, making it easy for employees to access support from the comfort of their own space
Cost-Effective: Our service provides a budget-friendly solution to help employees recover and return to work with confidence.
By offering Recovery Counselling, you’re not just supporting your employees during their sick leave; you’re also investing in their long-term wellbeing and productivity. Helping employees return to work with confidence and resilience benefits your business, too—by reducing the risk of longer-term absence and supporting a healthier, more engaged workforce.
Contact us below to learn more about how Wellbeing Partners can support your employees through their recovery journey.
Elevate Employee Wellbeing with Fully Qualified Workplace Counselling
At Wellbeing Partners, we understand the critical importance of mental health in the workplace. Our team of fully qualified and experienced workplace counsellors is dedicated to providing effective support that prioritises prevention and recovery for mental health and wellbeing challenges.
Why Choose Wellbeing Partners?
Qualified Experts: Our mental health clinicians all hold recognised qualifications and boast a minimum of 10 years of post-qualification clinical experience at master level. All team members are accredited by leading professional associations, including the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
Flexible Support Options: We offer ad hoc, flexible, and regular counselling services tailored to your organisational needs. Employees can access support quickly through online or in-person sessions, ensuring convenience and accessibility.
Value-Driven Investment: Our approach delivers excellent value, demonstrating a high return on investment in employee wellbeing.
A New Approach to Mental Health Support
Wellbeing Partners is at the forefront of transforming workplace mental health services, moving beyond traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to provide timely and impactful support. Our clinical excellence, many years of experience, and our focus on prevention and proactive care distinguishes us from other providers.
Our counselling services empower employees to address a wide range of issues in a supportive and confidential environment. Our expertise encompasses:
Anxiety
Depression
Burnout
Bereavement and loss
Insomnia and sleep disorders
Trauma
Interpersonal relationship challenges
Chronic stress
Neurodivergent mental health
Menopause-related mental health issues
Health-related mental health challenges
Invest in Your Employees’ Wellbeing
Supporting mental health is not just a responsibility; it’s an investment in your organisation’s future. With Wellbeing Partners you can ensure your employees receive the professional guidance they need to thrive both personally and professionally.
We look forward to partnering with you to create a healthier, more resilient workplace!
To learn more about our services and how we can support your team, please complete the form below
The ‘Malingering Myth’: Why employees keep mental health struggles hidden in the workplace
There is a disturbing narrative gaining traction in professional circles that argues that many employees suffering from mental health issues are “malingering” – exaggerating or even faking symptoms to facilitate time off work.
The idea that large numbers of people are using mental health as a convenient excuse to avoid work is a myth. Whilst there has always been (and always will be) those who “pull a sickie” and exaggerate mental and physical ailments, this is very much the minority and should be acknowledged as such.
However, this myth persists and, more seriously, it serves to divert attention away from a much more serious issue – the fact that many employees with genuine mental health challenges are avoiding disclosing these issues or seeking help for fear of how they will be perceived.
The growth of mental health awareness in the workplace has encouraged more open conversations on the subject, but it has also sparked a backlash. Increasingly the discussion around employee mental health is tinged with scepticism and even hostility, with many in senior management dismissing mental health issues as exaggerated at best, and, at worst, completely fabricated.
This ‘malingering myth’ is inaccurate and dangerous. It allows people to dismiss what are real health concerns, to ignore discussion around modifying work practices that may be causing mental health difficulties and, perhaps most concerning, it stops people who are really suffering from speaking up.
A series of studies from across the globe have highlighted that, contrary to what the ‘malingering myth’ suggests, people with mental health issues are unlikely to seek time off work, with many employees loathe to even disclose they are suffering for fear of the stigma and consequences it may bring in the workplace[i].
One study highlighted that 91% of Britons, 92% of Americans and 90% of Australians believe that people with mental health issues are treated differently in the workplace and therefore do not disclose or seek support[ii]. The impact is highlighted in the conclusion of a study by the American Psychiatric Association:
“More than half of people with mental illness don’t receive help for their disorders. Often, people avoid or delay seeking treatment due to concerns about being treated differently or fears of losing their jobs and livelihood. That’s because stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illness are still very much a problem“.[iii]
So, contrary to the unhelpful idea that people are likely to use mental health as an excuse to avoid work, the truth is that people are so concerned with how they might be perceived in the workplace, they continue to work, whilst suffering in silence.
Research shows that in-house support for employee mental health reduces the recovery time in comparison to employees who seek external professional support.[iv] Employees who soldier on in silence risk worsening their mental health and reducing their engagement and performance. Organisations that sustain a culture of suspicion and stigma will therefore perform worse than those that recognise and support employee mental health.
It is therefore both a duty of care for your employees and good business sense to offer open support for mental health at work, and there are three clear approaches to achieve this.
Employee Counselling is an intelligent, supportive and economical option for organisations. It offers both short and long-term gains for individuals and organisations. You may find it useful to introduce regular employee counselling sessions for employees, each led by a multi-qualified specialist. Alternatively urgent employee mental health sessions can be booked on a case-by-case basis, providing a cost-effective, high-quality alternative to the more familiar EAP approach.
To compliment employee counselling organisations should consider training their managers and leaders. Our flagship Mental Health for Training for Managers is highly effective at giving managers the confidence, knowledge and skills to support a team member who may be struggling with a mental health issue. Participants will become adept at identifying when a team member is in crisis, learn the conversational skills required to help them, and develop the know-how to signpost them to professional support.
Finally, it is good forward planning for organisations to offer programmes that empower employees to support themselves if they are concerned about their mental wellbeing. Our How to Improve your Mental Healthworkshop uses straightforward, evidence-based strategies and techniques to provide employees with practical steps for enhancing all aspects of their mental health. These techniques help people take timely actions to stop these issues developing into crises.
If you would like more information on our Workplace Counselling Service, Mental Health Training for Managers or the How to Improve your Mental Health workshop, please complete the form below:
World Mental Health Day 10 October 2024 – this year’s theme is “Workplace Mental Health”
World Mental Health Day 2024 is 10th October
This year’s theme is “Mental Health in the Workplace”
Workers are experiencing higher levels of exhaustion, stress and burnout, anxiety and insomnia
Prioritising events and specialist counselling in your workplace to celebrate World Mental Health Day key to setting the right tone
October 10th is World Mental Health Day 2024. This year the theme is “It is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace”, a much needed opportunity to focus our attention on the mental health challenges faced in the modern workplace.
Unfortunately, the number of people experiencing mental health issues in the workplace remains high. A quarter of UK workers have reported being unable to cope with the stresses and pressures of the workplace, whilst last year, 1 in 5 employees took time off work because of mental health issues[i]. Shockingly, over 50% of all sick leave in the UK is a result of stress, depression or anxiety[ii]. Part of this is the mental health legacy of the pandemic, but there is much in the day-to-day demands of the workplace that is contributing to these issues.
Long hours, being on-call for emails and messages outside work hours, the shifts in energy required by hybrid working, a lack of work-life balance and troubles with workplace relationships are all factors contributing to mental health pressures and if people do not have the support and tools to cope, then the workplace mental health crisis will continue.
If you would like to put on some events in your workplace to celebrate World Mental Health Day and help support your employees, you have come to the right place. Wellbeing Partners are workplace mental health specialists. We have a range of workshops and training services as well as a specialist workplace counselling service, all of which are available to support employee mental health.
Workshops
Central to the work of Wellbeing Partners is empowering people to support their own mental health through our wellbeing workshops. These 60-minute interactive sessions give your employees practical skills, and they cover a range of topics. Some that you may want to run for World Mental Health Day include:
How to Improve Your Mental Health – mental health a continuum and this session explores how certain behaviours and techniques help us move towards, and sustain, good mental health. Focusing on practical day-to-day changes and tips, this session provides a thorough overview of how we can take back control over our mental health and help ourselves be happier, engaged and productive.
Overcoming Burnout– this session provides an overview of the condition, the underlying causes, signs and symptoms, and focuses primarily on a range of practical, evidence-based solutions to reduce the symptoms of burnout.
Finding the Right Work-life Balance – a lack of work-life balance is a key driver of workplace stress, and this workshop shows how we can ensure we are engaged and productive at work whilst also setting the necessary boundaries needed for rest and good mental wellbeing.
Introduction to Mindfulness/Mindfulness for Stress Reduction – mindfulness is clinically proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. These workshops demystify mindfulness, put it in its scientific context and show people how to use this powerful skill to support their mental health.
Get Moving for Mental Health – a sedentary lifestyle will negatively impact your mental health, an increasingly bigger issue as many of us work from home and move less frequently. This session shows the importance of regular movement and how it can be incorporated into a busy working day.
Managing Stress and Enhancing Resilience – the session provides participants with the knowledge and tools to reduce their stress and anxiety and increase their sense of mental wellbeing, and to improve and enhance their own resilience and mental health.
Resilience: Taming the Inner Critic – utilising traditional resilience skills, growth mindset techniques and cutting-edge research into self-compassion and resilience, this session endows individuals with practical skills and a deep rooted sense of strength in the face of life’s challenges, both professional and personal.
Neurodivergent Mental Health – neurodivergence is a risk factor for mental health issues and emotional dysregulation due to the slight differences in how the nervous system functions for those with ADHD, autism and other neurodivergences. This one-hour workshop provides a comprehensive range of self-care tips for your neurodivergent employees to effectively manage their mental health and wellbeing.
Mental Health Training Services
For World Mental Health Day, you might also consider using our training services that allow managers, people teams and employees to explore how they manage mental health challenges in the workplace and how to encourage psychologically safe and appropriate discussions on these issues.
Mental Health Training for Managers – This two-hour course provides your managers with the confidence, knowledge, skills and boundaries to support a team member who maybe struggling with their mental health. The course teaches managers how to create a psychologically safe environment and how to signpost individuals onto the professional support services in an effective and appropriate way.
Talking Mental Health – This 90-minute session for all employees focuses on mental health issues, the recovery model, plus the skills for supporting others and improving our own mental health. It covers a wide range of aspects around mental health and mental health issues and provides participants with practical steps and advice to enhance their own mental wellbeing.
Workplace Counselling
Wellbeing Partners are experts at providing specialist workplace counselling that is distinctly different to the EAP model. Our broad approach to workplace wellbeing means that smaller issues can be prevented from developing into crises and more complex issues. Our counselling services focus on creating the framework and confidence that people need to maintain their mental health once the sessions are concluded, reducing likelihood of later relapses. In-House Workplace Counselling is not a luxury, but an intelligent, supportive and economical response to mental health issues. It offers both short and long-term gains for individuals and organisations.
For further information on World Mental Health Day and any of the workshops and services we provide, please complete the form below.
Workplace Counselling and Support Services for Employee Burnout
Burnout continues to be a pervasive issue affecting workplace mental health, with many employees finding it difficult to effectively manage the various pressures they face professionally and personally.
The day-to-day demands of the workplace – long hours, being on-call for emails and messages outside work hours, the shifts in energy required by hybrid working, a lack of work-life balance – can mingle with personal life pressures and multiple responsibilities. The mental health legacy of the pandemic, ongoing financial issues as well as the prevalence of global strife add another layer of pressure, and the toll on employee mental health is evidenced in the rise in burnout cases.
Workplace counselling has emerged as an invaluable tool in supporting employees and empowering them to develop resilience and reduce burnout.
The Impact of Burnout on Employees
If not acknowledge and managed, burnout can quickly become overwhelming, with employees experiencing debilitating fatigue, sleep issues, lethargy and stress-ailments like headaches or gastrointestinal issues. Burnout causes heightened levels of stress, anxiety, detachment and even a pervasive sense of failure, meaning those suffering may struggle with concentration, memory, and decision-making, making it difficult to perform effectively at work.
Burnout also takes a heavy toll on employees’ personal lives. The emotional drain from work often spills over into time away from work, leading to personal issues that then, in a vicious circle, add to the strains of employment, entrenching the burnout cycle.
The cumulative effects of burnout can lead to a significant decline in job performance. Employees may become less productive, make more mistakes, be absent more regularly and miss deadlines. This impacts both the individual and the organisation, leading to decreased overall productivity and morale.
The Role of Specialist Workplace Counselling
Burnout is unlikely to resolve itself due to the ongoing nature of many of the pressures that feed it. Overcoming burnout requires action, but for those experiencing burnout such action can seem daunting and requires external support. Workplace counselling provides this support, giving employees a confidential space to explore their feelings, understand the causes of their stress, and develop strategies to cope more effectively.
Our broad approach to challenges through our workplace counselling means that smaller issues can be dealt with before they develop into crises. It means bigger problems get the timely support required to help people overcome them. It increases people’s ability to engage in the workplace, to perform, whilst also receiving much needed support. Our counselling also focuses on creating the framework and confidence that people need to maintain their mental health once the sessions are concluded, reducing likelihood of later relapses.
One Hour Lunch & Learn Workshop – “Overcoming Burnout”
Another option for organisations looking to support employees facing burnout is to offer our “Overcoming Burnout” workshop. This accessible and interactive session provides an overview of the condition, the underlying causes, signs and symptoms, and focuses primarily on a range of practical, evidence-based solutions to reduce the symptoms of burnout. For employees interested in the subject or looking for guidance on their own experience of burnout, this is the perfect introduction. It may be the guide they need to self-support and build resilience, or it can act as a stepping stone to further professional support through counselling.
The session utilises an interactive quiz to identify symptoms and severity of burnout, before explaining how burnout impacts our neurotransmitter function and our behaviour. It also looks at practical tips and solutions for regaining energy and motivation such as setting work/life boundaries, boosting your energy and motivation, how to stimulate your brain connection and reducing negative thinking patterns and offers support for the individual and the organisation.
Fostering a Supportive Work Environment
Beyond individual support, offering workplace counselling and wellbeing workshops contributes to a broader culture of care within organisations. When employees see that their mental health is valued and supported, they are more likely to feel engaged and motivated. Organisations that offer counselling services are making a clear statement about their commitment to employee wellbeing. This can enhance job satisfaction and loyalty, reduce turnover, and attract new talent, all of which contribute to a more robust and resilient workforce.
Specialist Employee Counselling for Burnout is not a luxury, but an intelligent, supportive and economical response. It offers both short and long-term gains for individuals and organisations. You may find it useful to introduce regular employee counselling sessions for employees, each led by a multi-qualified specialist. Alternatively urgent employee mental health sessions can be booked on a case-by-case basis, providing a cost-effective, high-quality alternative to the more familiar EAP approach.
If you would like more information on our Counselling Service for Burnout, or our one our Lunch & Learn Workshop “Overcoming Burnout” please complete the form below:
Employee Counselling Update: The Rising Impact of Personal Relationship Difficulties on Workplace Mental Health and Performance
In recent months, there has been a very sharp increase in the number of employees seeking workplace counselling support for personal relationship problems, including infidelities, abusive behaviours, separations and divorce. This represents a shift away from burnout as the primary reason for employees seeking workplace counselling, and highlights yet another legacy of the pandemic – the detrimental impact on intimate relationships.
Experiencing difficulties and endings in our personal relationships often has a deeply emotional and distressing impact on all parts of our lives. Our intimate partners and our shared experiences with them are something we often rely on for permanence, stability and certainty. When our relationships go through turbulence or come to an end, we can be left with feelings of loss, anger, guilt, anxiety and despair.
Whilst these issues have traditionally been seen as the preserve of the “personal” rather than “professional” sphere, there is increasing understanding that it is very difficult to separate from such emotionally overwhelming matters when we are trying to work.
Employees who are going through relationship breakdown are more likely to experience symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia and clinical depression, in addition to financial worries and the impact of relationship breakdown on children and other family members. This is burden enough to manage, on top of professional and workplace responsibilities which can be even more challenging in the midst of crisis. A lack of focus and concentration, low self-esteem and emotional swings make it hard for people to engage in their work, creating a vicious circle that can contribute to overwhelm, exhaustion and mental health issues.
This is where our specialist workplace counselling service can offer your employees a safety net and support structure for their mental wellbeing and provide tools to improve their ability to focus and be effective at work, boosting their self-esteem and confidence.
Whilst many EAPs are turning away employees who are struggling with important issues such as relationship breakdown, our specialist workplace counselling service is well-equipped to support all employees and their wide range of issues and needs.
Our Workplace Counselling Team are fully qualified counselling psychotherapists – with at least 10 years post-qualification experience in supporting employee mental health and wellbeing.
Confidentiality is non-negotiable: A response to the new BBC allegations against the UK’s largest EAP
Client confidentiality is at the heart of counselling. It is the foundation of the counsellor-client relationship and without the trust that it enshrines, mental health support is dangerously undermined and ethically compromised.
Confidentiality helps to make counselling a safe experience, and offers the freedom for individuals to discuss issues, both personal and professional, certain that what they are disclosing is protected by confidentiality.
A new set of revelations from the BBC concerning disturbing breaches of confidentiality at a major EAP, as well as having unqualified individuals offering mental health guidance in professional settings, are practices that we at Wellbeing Partners would never engage in.
Lou Campbell, counselling psychotherapist and director of Wellbeing Partners says:
“We pride ourselves on offering high-quality, professional workplace counselling at Wellbeing Partners. Our counselling and wellbeing sessions are rooted in non-negotiable levels of confidentiality in line with the ethical framework of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. All our counsellors and mental health professionals are members of the BACP and adhere to its ethical framework, and every one of us has at least 10 years post-qualification experience”
Workplace Counselling from Wellbeing Partners: A Comprehensive and Timely Service
Wellbeing Partners’ comprehensive in-house workplace counselling service provides the fastest and most effective solution for supporting the individual mental health needs of your employees, in your workplace or online.
The biggest challenge to supporting employee mental health is the reality that existing structures are not coping, with organisations across the UK finding their EAP services unable to meet demand. Many private medical insurers having waiting lists of more than 3 months for accessing mental health services and the NHS is completely overwhelmed with millions of adults on waiting lists of 18 months or longer, even for acute mental health issues.
This perfect storm of growing mental health issues and a huge upsurge in burnout across society combined with a lack of provision from the usual mental health support services is leaving employees without the support they need.
Wellbeing Partners’ In-House Counselling services is an efficient, effective and compassionate response to these issues and the mental health requirements of your employees. Here are the main reasons why:
We are not an EAP: Wellbeing Partners In-House Workplace Counselling Service is pay-as-you-use service (not a subscription model) that allows great flexibility for organisations and fast access to mental health support for employees.
Our Service is Comprehensive: Our counsellors offer broad mental health support that goes beyond parameters set by EAPs, where employees can be turned away if their issues are deemed too small or too complex to meet the threshold for workplace mental health support. Our workplace counselling service covers all areas of mental health and wellbeing, including anxiety, depression, insomnia and disturbed sleep, emotional dysregulation, burnout, bereavement, interpersonal difficulties at work or home and more. We also offer counselling on specialist areas such as menopause-related mental health, neurodivergent-related mental health, senior leadership mental health, all in a safe and confidential environment.
Your Own Team of Mental Health Professionals: Your organisation will be assigned a small and dedicated team of fully qualified and highly experienced counsellors who get to know your staff and are accessible at any time they are needed. Sessions can be offered in-person in your workplace, or online via secure video platform.
New Trend, New Approach: Responding to the mental health crisis requires a dynamic approach. In house-counselling is the emergent trend in workplace mental health, one that we have been offering for many years with a large and growing list of workplace clients. Our in-house counselling service is refined, effective and offers dedicated one-to-one appointments with staff in-person or online to fit with their busy schedules.
Training and Experience: Wellbeing Partners are experts at providing mental health and wellbeing support in professional settings. This is because we source and employ experts in their fields. All our counsellors are BACP registered and with at least 10 years’ post-qualification experience. They also all have extensive experience of providing counselling and wellbeing coaching in professional settings and combine unrivalled training and experience that meets your needs.
Prevention, Performance and Confidence: Our broad approach to challenges in In-House Counselling means that smaller issues can be prevented from developing into crises and more complex issues. Our counselling services focus on creating the framework and confidence that people need to maintain their mental health once the sessions are concluded, reducing likelihood of later relapses. In-House Workplace Counselling is not a luxury, but an intelligent, supportive and economical response to mental health issues. It offers both short and long-term gains for individuals and organisations.
If you would like to learn more about our workplace counselling services, either complete the form below or click here – Employee Counselling
A key aspect of the new UK government's Plan to Make Work Pay legislation is its focus on improving support for women navigating peri-menopause and menopause within the workplace environment. While mental and physical health...
At Wellbeing Partners, we are excited to introduce our latest service offering: Neurodiversity Training for Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs). This comprehensive 2-hour training is live and interactive for a group of up to 20 of your employees....
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