It’s time for our Beyond EAP end-of-year review, which as ever, includes plenty of ups and downs. One particularly significant ‘up’ for us was the launch of our first online training course, How to Successfully Support Employees Through Maternity Leave… and Beyond.
We’re extremely proud of our specialist training, which was developed by popular request and has already helped many employers. Click here to find out more, and pre-register for our upcoming courses.
Broaching the taboo subject of alcohol dependency
Not to be outdone, 2023 has continued the decade’s trend of memorable events and developments. This has not been an easy year for many people, as reflected in a worrying trend we noticed at Beyond EAP: a rise in alcohol dependency amongst the employees we support.
Yet in many cases, that wasn’t original the reason why they were referred to us. They may have started a fight at work, harassed a colleague, or become uncontrollably angry during a meeting, instead.
We have seen that many employers, partly due to our globally-recognised culture of excess and shame around alcohol, are reluctant to broach the subject directly. To help them recognise the signs, we published an informative guide, Alcohol as Self-Medication, in April. You can view it here.
“The support and time offered through Beyond EAP’s grief coaching felt like a luxury, but I soon realised it was a necessity.”
At the start of the year we met the ‘January Blues’ head-on, with a compassionate guide about talking to someone who is grieving. You – and they – may find it useful as we head into 2024 and greet January and February’s short, dark days again.
Exciting new services and collaborations were announced
As 2023 progressed, we were pleased to announce an exciting new coaching programme, using accredited tools from One of Many™. Designed to help professional women break free from overwhelm and realise their potential, if you’d like to learn more simply get in touch.
We also collaborated with the founder/CEO and author, Tony Kelly, at Red Card Gambling Support Project C.I.C., on a corporate CPD-accredited training course for HR professionals and line managers. The course is aimed at educating and raising awareness of the effects of gambling addiction, which is sadly on the rise in the UK.
What you shouldn’t expect, when you’re expecting
We were saddened – if not especially surprised – to learn from the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed that more than half of mothers have faced some form of workplace discrimination while carrying their child.
But on a more positive note, we know that many employers want to manage maternity leave well. We know this because of the large number of direct requests we received to create our first online training course, which provides line managers with all the tools and knowledge they need.
“Beyond EAP were a constant support since having my first child to now, when I have established my return to work after my second. I think if I hadn’t had any support I would have found the transition much harder and had less practical skills to resolve any difficulties.”
We also offer bespoke coaching and a full suite of resources related to parenthood, including how to manage parental leave, trauma in childbirth (something that one in three women experience) and how to sensitively deal with the unthinkable: the aftermath of a pregnancy that didn’t go to plan. View all of our resources here.
“Don’t be like me… I was so busy at work, that I literally set my cot up on the afternoon I went into premature labour!”
For those curious to know what combining new motherhood with work is really like, Katie, a senior associate at an international law firm, bravely told all. We shared her no-holds-barred story in a popular July blog post.
We also urge pregnant employees not to worry about their careers taking a nosedive. This kind, glowing testimonial about our maternity coaching shows that your professional life doesn’t have to stop. On the contrary, it can reach new heights you never dreamed of!
When our help is needed, we provide it immediately
We help employees deal with life’s toughest challenges at Beyond EAP. As the year progressed, the world faced a particularly terrifying challenge.
Brutal and disturbing, the Gaza attacks seemed to come completely out of the blue, and when we received a call asking for help – an employee’s family had been caught up in the attacks and sadly died – we responded straight away.
When the worst happens, help can’t wait. So you will always find us ready to provide the right support, usually within 24 hours of the referral being made.
“I felt nobody understood the extent of my sadness, so it was a great help to have Sandie to talk to.”
This year Beyond EAP’s founder, Sandie Dennis, sadly suffered a traumatic death in her own family. Feeling like the emotional rug had been pulled straight from under her, she was inspired to create a personal, in-depth eBook about what to do when a loved one dies.
You can download Sandie’s eBook, along with other resources that deal with bereavement and grief, here.
“HR professionals can offer employee therapy, can’t they?”
There is a misconception that HR professionals deal with “everything to do with people”. If you’re an HR professional yourself, you’ll know very well that this is not the case, especially when it comes to serious interventions like therapy.
Read our three-part blog series about why this is, and how the qualified, experienced therapy we provide at Beyond EAP can offer a literal lifeline.
Could you tell one form of depression from another?
Situational depression is a form that’s particularly close to Sandie’s heart. In May, she shared a popular article that explains why, and how this commonly misunderstood form of depression can be both recognised and confronted.
As 2023 draws to a close, supporting your mental and emotional health is paramount.
Not only can the party season take its toll, but sadness, anxiety, and depression can intensify during a time when everybody is supposed to be merry and bright.
Our Emotional Resilience, Self-Care and Wellbeing resources includes Sandie’s informative eBook: The Seven Key Pillars of Health and Wellbeing. You’ll find it packed with tips that have been transformative in her own life, as well as the lives of the employees we support at Beyond EAP.
Download the eBook here – you could think of it as a festive gift from us!
However you intend to celebrate the transition of an old year into the new, we wish you a satisfying start to 2024. Don’t forget that if you or your employees are finding things difficult, our resources are designed to provide compassionate support, and our team is here whenever you need us.