Interest in, and demand for, confidential counselling and employee assistance programmes (EAPs) rose sharply in the wake of last month’s terror attacks in London, according to EAP professionals.
James Bradley, head of legal services at Employee Advisory Resource, said HR and OH had quickly been in contact with both employees and employers in the immediate aftermath of the bombings.
“We had three organisations that we work with that are based around Tavistock Square, where the bus was bombed. They phoned us and we phoned another to see if there were any elements we needed to put in place,” he told Occupational Health.
Some organisations had also set up ad hoc EAPs, sometimes on a temporary basis, he said.
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Advice has included how to place appropriate help and advice on internal websites, how to ensure people are accessing services when they need them, and ensuring the right sort of support is available, he said.
There have also been warnings that OH and other health professionals will need to be on the look-out for symptoms of post-traumatic stress among those affected by the bombs, with some predicting that as many as half of those involved could be affected.
