The past few months have presented significant challenge and turmoil across our communities. The devastating fires in Victoria and the major flooding across much of NSW and Queensland have been the cause of great tragedy and loss. The declining economic environment has added further pressure with increasing numbers of organisations making redundancies, reducing work hours and changing processes and structures to stay ahead.  Over the past few weeks the emergence of the N1H1 virus has added health concerns to the mix. These major events occur on top of the day to day challenges we face on our life journey. While these circumstances are not easy to deal with, what is encouraging is the extraordinary support so readily given by individuals, organisations and communities during times of crisis.

Through the EAP we are seeing increasing numbers of individuals presenting with issues around anxiety and uncertainty, as well as related areas such as sleep problems, increased tension in the workplace and financial pressure. In addition, and of concern, is the escalation we are seeing in workplace conflict, perceived bullying, harassment and discrimination, and aggressive incidents in the workplace. Of particular note is the increase in financial uncertainty for individuals and families. Financial counselling and crisis support has long been provided as part of a DTC EAP and we have recently enhanced this service significantly by entering into a strategic partnership with ipac – one of Australia ’s leading financial advisory firms.  Our financial counselling service, moneyAssist™, is available as part of the EAP and we are delighted to have the experience, expertise and professional support of ipac in providing this service. Our articles in this issue are all based around change, uncertainty, redundancy and grief.

One of the more visible signs of financial stress is the increasing number of homeless people in Australia. Currently more than 105,000 people in Australia are homeless – and of significant concern 33% are under the age of 18. Next week on one of the coldest nights of winter I will be participating in the CEO Sleepout – an experiential event to raise both awareness and much needed funds for homelessness. I will be joining more than 100 other senior business leaders on the cement at Luna Park without shelter and without much sustenance. If this issue is important to you please visit the website at www.ceosleepout.org.au and consider sponsoring me or one of the other leaders involved. All donations over $2 are tax deductible and every amount no matter how small will make a difference. I congratulate the leaders of some of our customers who are also participating in this worthwhile event.

DTC is continuing to enhance our services and have recently released a suite of @Work services covering areas such as Stress, Change, Conflict, Dignity, Risk and Development. Your local State Manager can provide you with additional information if these are areas of concern for you. New locations remain a priority and we have recently opened a new office at Frankston in Victoria , and more locations are currently under consideration.

Over the next two months our next series of customer events will be held across most locations in Australia . These events are provided at no cost to our customers and aim to provide current information and strategies on topical workplace issues. The two major topics in this series are “Supporting employees during times of financial stress” which will be presented by Paul Gordon, Principal Consultant from ipac and “Bullying and harassment: is your organisation at risk?” which will be jointly presented by Joydeep Hor, Managing Partner from Harmers Workplace Lawyers and me. Dates and contact points to reserve a place are detailed below.

I extend my wishes to everyone for good health during these times of change. I look forward to talking with may of you over the coming months at our events and other forums. My focus is to ensure we are continuing to help you enhance the support you can provide to your employees, and to minimise risk for your organisation. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at any time with any feedback you have.

Regards,
Michele Grow
Chief Executive Officer
Davidson Trahaire Group
Direct: (02) 8295 2230
Email: mgrow@davcorp.com.au

Managing Uncertainty in the Workplace

One of the by-products during times of change is the increasing uncertainty felt by individuals and teams. This article provides information on some of the early warning signs that may appear and some strategies to assist employees.

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Surviving Redundancy

Redundancy presents numerous challenges – personally, professionally and financially. This article, written by Paul Clitheroe, provides some straightforward advice and tips on the financial side of the equation.

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Dealing with Grief at Work

Grief is one of the strongest emotions we experience and there are no immediate solutions. We experience grief over the loss of loved ones as well lost relationships and the loss of important aspects in our lives. This article provides information on grief as well as strategies for individuals and managers in the workplace.

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Re-engaging Your Team Following Change

What happens after change? Too often a lot of focus is put into the change process itself, without some planning for the re-engagement that so important for the successful embedding of change with your team. Managers play a crucial role in the re-engagement process.

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Survivor Syndrome – Looking After those Left Behind

During redundancy a great deal of attention is given to those employees who are leaving the organisation. While this is essential, it is equally essential to give attention to those staying behind. Not managing the “survivors” can lead to significant problems for individuals, teams and organisations.

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Upcoming Customer Events

Here are the dates and locations for our next series of customer events. Invitations with complete details will be distributed over the next week, but here are the topics, locations and dates. Our events fill quite quickly so if the topic is of interest to you we recommend you book a place early.

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18th National EAPAA Conference

The Employee Assistance Professionals Association Australia is the peak EAP body in Australia . DTC are a founding member of EAPAA and continue to support the ongoing professional development of EAP in Australia . The annual conference is a great opportunity for providers and employers to share innovation and ideas to further advance the effectiveness of employee assistance programs. The conference theme this year is “Engaging and inspiring employees during challenging times” and will be held in Melbourne from 13-14 August. The full program is attached.

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