Managers at UK creative agency Uniform Group have resources to help staff with mental illness: Instead of mentoring their own team, they can refer them to free therapy sessions offered as side jobs. CEO Nick Howe believes that “there may be a lot going on outside of work, besides the anxiety that comes with rising living costs and also having stressful periods at work. But we can’t be their psychologists.”

Uniform is one of many companies offering in-office therapy to their employees, a tool for serving managers, now that the public health system is under pressure.

The Bank of England has been offering psychological support to its staff since the 1970s, and today law firms -Hogan Lovells or Linklaters- and American banks -JPMorgan Chase or Goldman Sachs- offer the possibility to receive psychological support and advice either on the spot or in the field. -line. According to a recent survey by the Business Group on Health in association with Fidelity Workplace Consulting, by 2022 approximately 30% of US employers offer or plan to offer in-office counseling or therapy.

JPMorgan maintains a team of mental health counselors in major cities who work on crisis cases and short-term counselling. Judith Bess, executive director of the bank’s staff support program, explains that since the start of the pandemic, these counselors have been helping employees manage grief, loss, anxiety, and depression resulting from the changes they are experiencing in your job.

relieve pressure

This can take the pressure off those leading the team. “Perhaps the manager bears a particularly heavy burden and, knowing that there is a secure and confidential space where he can politely refer his employees, he feels guilt for not being able to ‘fix’ a problem he is not qualified to solve can be mitigated.” , says Francesca Rogers, co-founder of GetZeN, which provides therapists for the company. Psychotherapists can help managers identify emerging problems in their workforce. Both remote work and mixed models can make it difficult to recognize mental health problems.

The very fact of working in an office also allows the therapist to have an inside vision of the organization, which outsiders don’t. Linda Barnard is a psychotherapist and senior advisor at the Bank of England, where she is part of a team that offers a variety of therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy. “Our team is immersed in the culture and what our clients tell us.”

confidentiality issue

Those who provide on-site counseling say their work helps break the stigma attached to mental health, as senior leaders begin to share their own experiences. That was the case for Tom Blomfield, who in 2021 stepped down as CEO of British digital bank Monzo over allegations of mental health issues brought on by the stress of the pandemic.

However, not everyone sees work as the right place to receive therapy. Advertising company Havas offers personal development sessions with psychotherapists who have also received training as coaches.. Ewen MacPherson, Havas UK People Manager, believes that “feedback reveals that people are uncomfortable going for on-site therapy. Confidentiality issues have arisen.” In turn, some staff found it difficult to explore “thorny issues and then return to business as usual”.

In addition, there may be a conflict of interest. Philippa Richardson, founder of The Circle Line, which offers the company teams of remote therapists, comments that “it’s inconvenient to work for one person and their manager. For a therapist, it’s better to treat people who don’t know each other”.

Some employers feel that it is not their responsibility to deal with the mental health issues of their staff, and even those who do not share this view may find it difficult financially to offer such services in the current circumstances. Cate Murden, founder of Push, which offers healthcare services to employers, says many employers have been “holding off” investing in mental health right now, because the most widespread fear right now is the fear of being fired.

For Uniform Group CEO Nick Howe, the investment has paid off. “It never occurred to me to cut back. If you don’t invest in it, everything else suffers, including people’s motivation and the quality of their work.”