Stress and anxiety is the biggest health problem in the Irish workplace today, with 55% of Irish employees struggling with it, according to the Aviva Workplace Health Index (2013). Back and neck pain is the top physical problem in the Irish workplace, with 32% of Irish employees struggling with it (AWHI, 2013).

But back and neck pain is just stress and anxiety somatised. That is, the emotional strain is registering in the body. When stress and anxiety is sustained over too long a period, the body absorbs what the mind can’t process and, traditionally, it registers in the back. This truth is even in our language, when we talk about ‘back breaking work’ or ‘I broke the back of that problem’.

Short term v long term

Of course there will be times employees have to dig deeper to make business gains but if this becomes the norm, stress and anxiety become more endemic and it gives rise to back pain and other health problems. In other words, short term gains, if it remains imbalanced for too long, become long term losses in the form of workplace absence, low motivation and other factors that are corrosive to the company.

Stress is estimated to cost the EU at least €20 billion per annum in lost time and health costs. And over 50% of absenteeism is thought to be due to stress. The problem is so big the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work recently launched a two year campaign on reducing stress in the workplace. Their research found that 4 in 10 workers think stress is not handled well in their organisation.

Workplace Stress Dublin

Psychotherapy/counselling deals with the roots of stress rather than just the symptoms. Providing a day’s training on stress management or a yoga class for your workplace is like a wave on an ocean, it comes and goes but nothing really changes. Psychotherapy/counselling is about looking at the currents that influence the whole ocean, so the whole company moves forward.

Either on site or externally, I can provide cost effective counselling to both staff and management in the Dublin area.

For a wider description of the psychological services that I can offer your workplace, please see https://thomaslarkin.ie/counselling-for-business/

Or call me today to see how counselling/psychotherapy can work for your business.

Thomas Larkin

Work needs to be ‘win-win’. If employees feel supported and well enough, employers get more from their workforce in a sustainable way and reach company goals.

The opposite also applies. Employee absenteeism, high staff turnover, low morale and motivation, conflict, bullying, sexual harassment and mis-managed organisational change can be silent killers in your company. They corrode productivity, push up business costs – especially in terms of lost time – and undermine profitability and company reputation.

Research in Irish Companies

Research among Irish employers backs this up. 90% of Irish employers say that employee health and wellbeing have a direct effect on productivity. (Aviva Workplace Health Index, AWHI, 2013)

And 80% of Irish employers feel that workplace health initiatives have many benefits such as attracting and retaining talent, and increasing loyalty. (AWHI, 2013)

Research among Irish employees matches the above. 80% of Irish employees say they would be more loyal to an employer if they looked after their health. (AWHI, 2013)

And these employees see counselling/psychotherapy as the key provision for health maintenance. 76% of Dublin workers feel there is a need for counselling in the workplace. (Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, IACP, survey 2013)

Research on the Irish workplace

The top four health problems experienced in the Irish workplace today are stress and anxiety (55%), fatigue (52%), back and neck pain (32%) and colds (32%). (AWHI, 2013)

So stress and anxiety is the top problem in the Irish workplace. And, for me, stress and anxiety cause the other three problems. It depletes the immune system leading to fatigue and colds and the body tenses to hold itself together but this leads to pain.

Other research verifies this. 41 per cent of people are currently stressed or very stressed by their jobs – making work more stressful than money worries, marriage, relationships or health issues. (Mind, 2011)

Corporate Counselling Dublin

Stress and anxiety are silent killers in any company or corporation. On the one hand, employers are not the parent of their employees and solely responsible for their health but, on the other hand, if the problem is ignored, it can be undermining your business today.

Psychotherapy/counselling deals with the roots of stress and anxiety rather than just the symptoms. Providing training days on stress management or a yoga class for your workplace is like a wave on an ocean, it comes and goes but nothing really changes. Psychotherapy/counseling is about looking at the currents that influence the whole ocean, so the whole company moves forward.

Either on site or externally, I can provide cost effective counselling to both staff and management in the Dublin area.

For a wider description of the psychological services that I can offer your workplace, please see https://thomaslarkin.ie/counselling-for-business/

Or call me today to see how counselling/psychotherapy can work for your business.

Thomas Larkin

Bullying in the Irish workplace is the seventh highest in Europe. Sexual harassment is also high by European standards.

Nearly six per cent of Irish workers have experienced bullying, just over one-in-20 workers, according to a new EU-wide report ‘Physical and Psychological Violence at the Workplace’. Women aged 30-49 are most likely to experience bullying or harassment at work, followed by men aged 15 to 29.

One in one hundred women are being sexually harassed at work in Ireland today, says the report by Eurofound, an EU agency researching social and work-related policies. Women aged 15-29 are most likely to be sexually harassed in their jobs.

No Legal Stand

There is no legal definition or statute for bullying in Ireland currently, which can prevent people from taking action when they are targeted.

Bullying and harassment mainly come from managers or those in positions of power and can take the form of abusive name-calling, putting undue pressure on workers, singling people out or commenting on their performance. It can leave the worker feeling powerless and distressed.

Young men and women, and women of all ages seem most vulnerable to bullying. The effect of this often invisible trait can be devastating for the people involved and the equally invisible and devastating effect on the company.

Workplace Counselling Dublin

Psychotherapy/counselling deals with the roots of bullying rather than just the symptoms. Providing a day’s training on stress management or a yoga class for your workplace is like a wave on an ocean, it comes and goes but nothing really changes. Psychotherapy/counselling is about looking at the underlying currents that influence the whole ocean, so the whole company moves forward in a constructive manner.

The bullied will learn to stand up for themselves, the bully will learn to stand down, also for themselves. This can be achieved in a non-combative style with no loss of face, to restore balance in the relationship and thus balance in the company.

Either on site or externally, I can provide cost effective psychotherapy/counselling to both staff and management in the Dublin area.

For a wider description of the psychological services that I can offer your workplace, please see https://thomaslarkin.ie/counselling-for-business/

Or call me today to see how psychotherapy/counselling can work for your business.

(If you are directly affected by this issue and would like psychotherapy/counselling sessions, please do not hesitate to contact me.)

Thomas Larkin

Work needs to be ‘win-win’. If employees feel supported and well enough, employers get more from their workforce in a sustainable way and reach company goals.

The opposite also applies. Employee absenteeism, high staff turnover, low morale and motivation, conflict, bullying, sexual harassment and mis-managed organisational change can be silent killers in your company. They corrode productivity, push up business costs – especially in terms of lost time – and undermine profitability and company reputation.

Research in Irish Companies

Research among Irish employers backs this up. 90% of Irish employers say that employee health and wellbeing have a direct effect on productivity. (Aviva Workplace Health Index, AWHI, 2013)

And 80% of Irish employers feel that workplace health initiatives have many benefits such as attracting and retaining talent, and increasing loyalty. (AWHI, 2013)

Research among Irish employees matches the above. 80% of Irish employees say they would be more loyal to an employer if they looked after their health. (AWHI, 2013)

And these employees see counselling/psychotherapy as the key provision for health maintenance. 76% of Dublin workers feel there is a need for counselling in the workplace. (Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, IACP, survey 2013)

Research on the Irish workplace

The top four health problems experienced in the Irish workplace today are stress and anxiety (55%), fatigue (52%), back and neck pain (32%) and colds (32%). (AWHI, 2013)

So stress and anxiety is the top problem in the Irish workplace. And, for me, stress and anxiety cause the other three problems. It depletes the immune system leading to fatigue and colds and the body tenses to hold itself together but this leads to pain.

Other research verifies this. 41 per cent of people are currently stressed or very stressed by their jobs – making work more stressful than money worries, marriage, relationships or health issues. (Mind, 2011)

Workplace Counselling Dublin

Stress and anxiety are silent killers in any company. On the one hand, employers are not the parent of their employees and solely responsible for their health but, on the other hand, if the problem is ignored, it can be undermining your business today.

Psychotherapy/counselling deals with the roots of stress and anxiety rather than just the symptoms. Providing training days on stress management or a yoga class for your workplace is like a wave on an ocean, it comes and goes but nothing really changes. Psychotherapy/counseling is about looking at the currents that influence the whole ocean, so the whole company moves forward.

Either on site or externally, I can provide cost effective counselling to both staff and management in the Dublin area.

For a wider description of the psychological services that I can offer your workplace, please see https://thomaslarkin.ie/counselling-for-business/

Or call me today to see how counselling/psychotherapy can work for your business.

Thomas Larkin