Counselling in the Workplace: the Organizational Counsellor

This paper examines the assessment, counselling and support provided within The Post Office. It describes The Post Office organization and culture and why it is important to recognize the differing needs of each of The Post Office businesses. The paper recognizes the statutory duty for all organizations to demonstrate a reasonable level of care towards employees and how this duty is being met within The Post Office through a comprehensive process of assessment of the employee's needs, which determines the type and level of help required. This process is described, in addition to the numerous interventions which are available to Post Office employees; a short-term model of counselling (first line counselling) is outlined, and, finally, some of the dilemmas and issues which face an organizational counsellor are discussed. In a short paper of this nature the finer detail cannot be included: therefore a number of published papers are cited to provide details of the internal employee support service provided in The Post Office by Employee Support (ES).