case study
20 Jun 2007 - 16:24: City & Guilds
In partnership with City and Guilds
Industry sector: Education/ training
Employee number: 800
Number of Uk Offices: 14 (employing 850 staff)
International: 10 countries
Year EAP started: 2002
Key objective: Improving employee relations
Background
City & Guilds was established in 1878 to encourage education and training in, and for, the workplace. Today City & Guilds is the leading vocational awarding body in the UK, awarding almost 50% of all National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). They also operate globally, providing unique internationally recognised qualifications across the world through City & Guilds International.
Assessments and qualifications are delivered through further education colleges, businesses, private training providers as well as the public sector, armed forces and some universities. City & Guilds has a network of nine regional offices in England and national offices in Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff to support this structure.
Objectives
City & Guilds introduced the EAP in 2002 as part of their wider aims of providing a better support network for staff, improving employee relations and raising morale within the organisation.
EAP Package
Counselling
Legal Advice
Financial Advice
Manager Support
General Information Service
Child and dependant care
Implementation
The establishment of their EAP has been the most significant element of a strategy implemented by City and Guilds to provide staff support. PPC have provided staff access to a free 24 hour telephone counselling service, including face to face sessions. In addition to this, employees can gain information on legal and financial matters. City and Guilds implemented their EAP through the staff intranet, posters and a roadshow touring every office. Each member of staff was informed about the programmes via letter and the provision of a telephone helpline card. The service has recently been extended to offer employees access to a health and wellbeing website – which details information on life issues such as smoking, sleep, diet and work-life balance. In future, City and Guilds hope to do more to promote their management referral service – which enables managers to contact PPC directly to arrange assistance for an employee. Simon Morgan, Head of HR, says ‘The scheme has already helped so many staff that we want to do all we can to help everyone else benefit from it.’
Evaluation
Promotion of the EAP at staff induction and through the intranet has managed to increase take up of the scheme to 20%, which is above average for PPC’ s clients. 6% of staff members use the counselling service – this usage is attributed to the extensive internal publicity campaign that City and Guilds have adopted. Simon Morgan believes this initiative has benefited the organisation in terms of providing staff support, saying that: “Before we introduced the scheme, only about 25% of staff agreed that the City & Guilds had a supportive culture. Today, three quarters of the staff tell us that they are satisfied.” Staff turnover has decreased from 26% in 2001, to 16% today. PPC have also assisted long term absentees return to work through the scheme; benefiting both the business and individual employees. Additionally, with the feedback from staff on recurrent issues – City and Guilds are able to construct their HR policy and practice.