Abate Counselling and EAP Ltd

18/06/2018

Anxiety is a silent epidemic in Ireland today! We all get anxious from time to time but sometimes this becomes unhealthy. Take our anxiety quiz to see if help is needed! Anxiety Ireland: here to inform, empower and get help to those struggling with anxiety in Ireland!

Take Our Quiz Anxiety Quiz Are you anxious?, and if so what type of anxiety do you have? Our quiz will ask you questions about six of the common types of anxiety included in the DSMV (latest medical handbook). It is more accurate if you can answer honestly and take the last two weeks into considerat...

17/04/2018

Pregnancy can be a stressful time for anyone. It is imperative that we support staff in this time. This article contains some great tips of what to do and what not to do.

If you have any employees preparing to head off on or come back from maternity leave it can be very stressful.

At Abate Counselling our dedicated nationwide team can support staff in these situations.

Give us a call to find out more!

1800 222 833
Info@abatecounselling.com

An employers greatest assets is their employees, We're the insurance.

Tammy Duckworth just had a baby and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act turned 40. Celebrate both with this list of things to avoid with a pregnant employee.

02/03/2018

Staff need to feel empowered of stress and burnout will follow!

This article talks about empowering your employees to make sure they avoid stress and burnout.

“Increased levels of job stress as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension, and other disorders.” Managers must therefore take the time to bring their teams together and collectively create a set of agreements that form a team charter.

When employees are stressed and under pressure Abate Counselling and EAP specializes in giving support to staff to help them get back to themselves.

An employers greatest asset is their employees, we're the insurance.

1800 222 833
info@abatecounselling.com

21/02/2018

Employees that feel empowered and trusted are more likely to grow then those that are micro-managed and viewed with suspicion.

Without freedom to grow like a crustacean leaving behind their former shell an employee may feel like moving on from the work environment by moving, or may just stick it out but be completely disengaged.

This article has great tips for managers on how to empower employees so this doesn't happen.

Abate Counselling and EAP Ltd. provides care and solutions for employers who care about their employee wellness. Just as you don't want to keep a growing plant in too small a pot, you also want to care for your plants when they're doing poorly.

A companies greatest asset is their employees, we're the insurance.

1800 222 833
info@abatecounselling.com
www.abatecounselling.ie

Ensuring that your employees feel empowered can help them not only to be able to successfully handle everyday quandaries that arise, but also to feel they’re more trusted and valued in the workplace. Empowering employees can have a lot of positive benefits, and it can allow employees to work in wa...

15/02/2018

We have broken 50 likes! thanks to everyone who liked our page! stay tuned for more advice and help for colleagues/ managers/ owners/ employers!

13/02/2018

The indirect effects of workplace bullying on the work environment and other employees.

Bullying is an issue that not only affects the individual being bullied. It also affects the manager dealing with the issue and the entire staff team/work place. There is a likelihood that individuals who bully may have done so to more than one person. Witnessing the bullying of others also creates a bad atmosphere around the office.

In our last article we looked at how bullying affects the individual employee. Here in this post for managers, we will talk about the effect bullying has on the broader team and their ability to function in the workplace. Incidents of bullying cannot be viewed as isolated phenomenon. They are intertwined within the group or organisational dynamic and as they emerge they impact on the same. The bullying and reactions to it are comprised of social processes that impact individuals and the group.

In this post we be exploring the numerous ways bullying happening in an organisation can affect the whole organisation.

Effects on bystanders:

Bullying frequently occurs in the presence bystanders or witnesses. Research indicates that bullying can have significant adverse effects on these bystanders. Bystanders can report feelings of anxiety and insecurity; possibly stemming from fears of retaliation which often prevents bystanders from speaking out. Witnessing bullying, harassment or victimisation is likely to affect the morale and motivation of everyone. If it impacts one person, it can impact the whole team and "if it happened to them, maybe it can happen to me". A lowering of motivation in turn will impact productivity. This may take hold of employees even if they are not the victims of the bullying.

Those that witness bullying may feel insecure themselves in the work environment or unable to speak out. It has been shown that most people who feel they are in an unhelpful or hostile work environment prefer to work alone rather than in teams. If people don't trust or respect the leadership, then they don't trust the mechanisms that are in place to keep them safe. Where bullying occurs openly people won’t trust the HR department and may even consider leaving their job for something safer.

Bullied or bullying colleagues may bring an increased workload onto other colleagues:

A person who is bullied may be unfairly labelled as someone who is cranky, moody, has ‘no sense of humour’ and is ‘a bit emotional’. Immediately, the relationship between other team members and someone suffering bullying can be affected. Persons who are bullied may feel like everyone is on their back when it is only the few. Moreover, some bullying can be so subtle we might not even be aware it’s happening to our colleague. Someone who is bullied may spend their time thinking about how not to be bullied any further or being defensive. They may be anxious, distressed or distracted. They may not be able to work or complete their roles, they may go out sick a lot which puts a strain on the rest of the team. All of this will have an impact on the rest of the team feeling happy in work.

On the other hand, the bully themselves may be bullying as a way of avoiding their own responsibility. They may feel insecure, out of their depth or anxious about work. Therefore, they may discharge this anxiety onto someone or something else. Ever heard the expression: “a bad tradesman blames his tools”? Well the same can apply for blaming colleagues. This can deflect from their own deficiencies and make it seem like they are impervious to criticism. At the heart of the bully can be deep insecurities. Helping them to address their own faults can help the rest of the team function.

A toxic environment in which to work?

In unhealthy work environments that allow subtle bullying to occur, the problem can be inherent in the work culture. If intimidation or harassment becomes part of the culture, it sets a dangerous precedent. Junior staff may mimic the behaviour of senior staff. This type of culture is driven by fear, which means that people can never relax in their work environment. They will always be scared to make a mistake or even just to ask a question for fear of being victimised. People will only do what they must and won’t be creative. In terms of providing customer service, it’s difficult to be a happy voice on the other end of the line when there’s a black cloud hanging over their desk. A negative culture where people don’t care about anything other than avoiding attack and getting through the day has little chance of translating into productivity.

Tom Mujec the business writer has an interesting perspective on this and has conducted an illuminating experiment multiple times. In the experiment he gets groups of CEOs, Solicitors and MBA graduates to attempt to build without instructions a tower of dried spaghetti, tape, string and marshmallow. They are timed and the group to build the highest tower wins. Normally the group with the highest tower is the CEOs, followed in order by the Solicitors and then the MBAs. However, he also gets a fourth group to take the challenge: pre-school age children. Time and time again the pre-school age children outscore the other groups! Why? Because they experiment time and time again, aren’t afraid of getting it wrong, don't have a reputation to uphold and there is no one judging them for how they perform. Therefore, they achieve better results!

Knock on effects for the management

Believe it or not the owners/management are part of the team too. More stress and headaches for them can have a knock on effect on the rest of the team. With bullying going on in the work place they may find that in some cases staff may not want to report a case of bullying, they may simply choose to leave. The financial and time cost of finding someone to replace them and train them up can be expensive. On the other side of the coin, if someone is found to be at fault, the business could then be embroiled in lengthy, stressful and expensive dismissal procedures.

Industry wise an out of control bully or a toxic environment can damage the company’s reputation leading to more pressure piled on. An industry reputation is created by what employees have to say about working in an organisation. Bullying reflects ineffective management structures. A business with a reputation for bullying won’t attract quality employees because people will not want to work in such an environment.

It doesn’t end there. If the culture of harassment spills over into supplier relationships, then other companies may question if they want to work with the business. In the end, the ability to serve the customers will suffer, and this will be reflected on in the bottom line and stress for the owners/managers.

Conclusion

All of the above show how allowing any form of harassment, bullying or victimization within an organisation can be very detrimental for all the people working there and indeed for business. Even if it is seemingly a minor incident, it still has the potential to impact the business in a very real way.
Don’t wait until it is too late to look at installing/updating anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies. If possible, get employees comfortable with saying how they feel and listen to them.

At Abate Counselling and EAP Ltd. we provide staff support solutions to companies whose employees need support. We provide counselling/psychoeducation for victims, bystanders and perpetrators of bullying.

We also provide counselling for any of life’s concerns. We also do group interventions/debriefings within teams around toxic work environments/practices. The simple act of providing up to six counselling sessions for an employee can ensure their retention, help them get back to work, increase their performance and ultimately foster a stronger work environment that can filter out into the team and the workplace culture.
We would be delighted to talk to anyone who wanted to discuss how counselling or group interventions can support employees to better function in their jobs.

Many thanks for reading, please share, like and comment!
A company’s greatest asset is its employees, we’re the insurance.

Team Abate Counselling
1800 222 833
info@abatecounselling.com
www.abatecounselling.ie

29/01/2018

For Managers: The effects of work place bullying on employees:

As managers, our roles can be very complex. At one level we are there to support individuals in their work but on the other hand we must also try to get the best out of people. Our employee being bullied can affect productivity and can worry and concern us for them personally. In this post we want to look at the impact that work place bullying can have on employees within a work team.

In our previous post we looked at strategies managers can implement if a case of bullying is confirmed and brought to their attention: http://abatecounselling.ie/2018/01/18/3-strategies-manager-deal-stop-workplace-bullying-no-3-hardest/. We also looked at how to challenge this and even how to challenge ourselves if we might be the problem. However, bullying may never come to our attention unless we are trained to look for the tell-tale signs.

Check with those on the team at risk of bullying already, those not gelling in well and those that seem shy. Sudden changes in an employee’s productivity, demeanour, physical appearance or general happiness levels in work may also indicate bullying. Everyone is unique and affected differently so in this post we want to give managers some of the effects bullying may have on their employees.

How this can make a person feel:

A victim of bullying may feel an entire spectrum of emotions. Feeling trapped, angry, downbeat, sad, set upon and that the situation is not fair are very common. For many, bullying can come as a complete shock and may be the first time in their lives this has happened. In this situation persons may feel like giving the bully the benefit of the doubt, waiting to see if they’ll change the behaviour. This type of person is more likely to eventually stand up to the bully or bring forward grievances.

For others, bullying can fit in with pre-existing negative ideas that they already have about themselves. If this is not their first time to be bullied they may even collude with the bully, go along with it for the sake of being nice or just accept it as a part of life. These victims can be conditioned by bullying to believe they are worthless, unlovable, unproductive and stupid. This has a devastating effect on self-esteem and functioning not just in work but in all aspects of their lives. These victims may be the hardest to reach.

The known effects of bullying:

Typically, the effects of work place bullying do not leave a person when they leave the office. Being a victim of bullying can cause physical and psychological health problems, including:

Stress – Can be like feeling they need to get more done or face the wrath of the bully, especially if they are the boss. If the bully is not a boss general stress can occur when faced with them, ramping up the physical symptoms of stress. Stress can be viewed as the body constantly being on high alert and under pressure. With that comes high blood pressure, a red face in extreme examples, tension in the body (for example: back, neck, face), headaches, needing to use the bathroom frequently.

Psychologically this can manifest in feeling overwhelmed, agitated or easily pushed over the edge and ultimately burnt out or an unable to function in work.

Anxiety – Is very similar to stress in many ways in terms of physical symptomology. however, anxiety can be experienced more as an impending sense of doom, or fear of being exposed/making a mistake. This can be more paralysing than stress, which can be more like a pressure to act. Many bullying victims that we see are suffers of anxiety stemming from the situation. Typically, they report anxiety the night before work and even on the way into work.

This can manifest itself in avoiding responsibility and procrastinating while fearing the worst, also predicting future bullying. It can be so bad that they cannot face work or its responsibilities.

Panic attacks – Are events of extreme anxiety and panic triggered by certain stimuli, people or scenarios. Suffers typically think something else seriously wrong is happening with their health and misinterpret the rising arousal. People often need to rush out meetings or situations that trigger them in order to self sooth and regulate.

Panic attacks can be psychologically crippling as the sufferer worries about them happening again and may doubt themselves severely.

Trouble sleeping - this can be part and parcel of any of the above. The mind racing, looking for solutions to manage the bullying can lead to sleepless nights. When our bodies are geared for threat sleep can be one of the first things to be affected. Imagine sleeping in a trench during a war, the slightest noise would wake a person to deal with danger. The central nervous system of a bullied person stressed or anxious works the same way.

Bullying victims often report waking several times a night, struggling to get back to sleep and struggling to switch off their thinking from this.

Impact on productivity:

As could be imagined, all of the above can impact employee’s ability to make work decisions, concentrate on work or be fully present. They may be distracted in work by trying to defend themselves, avoiding situations with the bully, worrying how to deal with the situation or networking for support. It may ultimately lead to individuals looking to leave the company or them not coming in for work as regularly.

Managers role:

A manager needs to be a role model within a company and needs to keep an eye out for the signs of bullying and harassment in the work place. Knowing some of these signs, and keeping the focus on what may be going on underneath the surface we can help people bring these issues forward.

Team members with good relationships to management can be checked in with to find out what kind of workplace culture exists when managers are not around. Again as per last weeks post, we can’t afford to leave bullies go unchallenged.

Suffering through ongoing bullying, or even going through a grievance procedure can be an incredibly stressful time for employees. At Abate Counselling and EAP we have helped the staff of many companies go through similar events.

We provide pay per use employee assistance support in the form or short-term counselling for the employees of companies throughout Ireland and can be contacted on 1800 222 833 or through info@abatecounselling.com.

Wishing all the mangers, bosses and employees out there the best in tackling bullying.

Team Abate Counselling and EAP.

A companies’ greatest asset is its employees, we’re the insurance.

23/01/2018

The evidence shows that managers who don't support their staff are driving them away. Don't be that type of manager or promote that kind of work culture.

At Abate Counselling and EAP we specialize in supporting staff to deal with stress, recover from life's incidents and to get back to work.

Contact us for more info: 1800 222 833 or info@abatecounselling.com

A companies greatest asset is it's employees, we're the insurance.

19/01/2018

3 strategies for managers dealing with work place bullying. No. 3 is hardest!

What’s a boss to do: For bosses the handling of bullying cases can be very delicate. It’s a problem that frankly we could do without, but one that we must treat seriously when it is brought to our attention or we can see it happening. At some level it is natural for people who must spend time together to have differences of opinions.

Sometimes we see our colleagues more often than our families, so conflict can occur. However, work place bullying is different and can affect an entire team/ organization. If a good manager doesn't deal with it proactively, it can seriously undermine the aims of the workplace and seriously jeopardize employee’s health and well being.

This post is specifically for managers and business owners to help them to know what to do should a case of bullying be confirmed or suspected in work.

For more information call 1800 222 833 or email: info@abatecounselling.com

Team Abate Counselling and EAP.

What’s a boss to do: For bosses the handling of bullying cases can be very delicate. It’s a problem that frankly we could do without, but one that we must treat seriously when it is brought to our attention or we can see it happening. At some level it is natural for people who must …

15/01/2018

Some very worthwhile advice regarding Blue Monday, today, "the most depressing day of the year". It can be very hard for managers at this time who have concerns for staff members.

Contained within are some really good bits of advice on how to get through the winter months, or indeed any stressful situation.
Concerns for a staff member? Feel free to call 1800 222 833 or email info@abatecounselling.com.

Our pay as you use employee assistance service is there to get people back on their feet, feel supported and get back to work.

A companies greatest asset is the employees, we're the insurance.

Team Abate Counselling.

Today is apparently the most depressing day of the year - there's no science in it but the fact that its mid-January and pay-day is two weeks away might sum it up. Here are essential mindfulness coping skills for this, and any, down days.

08/01/2018

8 Signs for managers that an employee is in addiction.

It can be a manager’s worse nightmare, our employees who we trust and rely on have descended into a pattern of addiction and now it can be hard to know if we can trust them anymore. We also want to help as best we can, our employees are often people we see more than our families, they can also be our friends, but we are unsure of how to help, even if our suspicions are justified.

It is a sensitive topic, one that can really puzzle and perplex managers working at any level. Which is why with this post we want to give some things for managers to watch out for if unsure if an employee is going through a problem with addiction.

8 Signs for managers that an employee is in addiction. It can be a manager’s worse nightmare, our employees who we trust and rely on have descended into a pattern of addiction and now it can be hard to know if we can trust them anymore. We also want to help as best we can, …

07/01/2018

4 great tips for bosses now that Christmas is over for getting the Team back on track

As we all know coming back after January can be a real drag, this is across the board and is tough on everyone. However, especially when we’re the boss it can be hard to get the team back into the swing of work.

4 tips for assisting and motivating staff to get back to work. Post Christmas can be a hard time for everyone. Concerned for staff? Abate Counselling and EAP provides pay as you use counselling support for staff members who may need extra support.

A companies greatest asset is their employees, we're the insurance.

Info@abatecounselling.com
1800 222 833
www.abatecounselling.com

http://abatecounselling.ie/2018/01/04/4-top-tips-beat-post-christmas-work-team-blues/

As we all know coming back after January can be a real drag, this is across the board and is tough on everyone. However, especially when we’re the boss it can be hard to get the team back into the swing of work. Seasonal factors are at play, although December is just as dark, then …