ANPEa person in therapy (staged)
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 06:01
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Nina Bogosavac
editor Economics
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Nina Bogosavac
editor Economics
The long waiting times for a psychologist mean that employees often turn to the company doctor for a referral to a company psychologist. Various occupational health and safety services reported this in conversations with the NOS.
An occupational health and safety service advises and supports a company on aspects such as working conditions, absenteeism guidance and reintegration.
Large occupational health and safety services have hired more psychologists in recent years.
“Employers know that letting someone wait at home for treatment is often more expensive than quickly providing the right help. Shorter absenteeism or preventing absenteeism pays off,” says Sandra Bleyenberg, work and organizational psychologist at Arboned.
This organization grew from 5 to 20 psychologists in 2.5 years. Sister organization HumanCapitalCare grew from 0 to 20 industrial and organizational psychologists in four years. Comparable figures are reported by Zorg van de Zaak, which reaches more than 1 million employees.
PSION, which focuses on psychological services for organizations, employs more than 90 psychologists. That is double compared to four years ago.
ArboUnie, a large occupational health and safety service, also employs more psychologists.
Refer more often
From police to consultancy firms: many employers use psychologists. They deploy them through the occupational health and safety service or have them on the payroll themselves.
GPs refer more often to industrial psychologists, says Bleyenberg. “The number of people with mental complaints is increasing and the waiting lists in regular care are enormous. Burnout treatments are not reimbursed by regular mental health care. Then they quickly look to a company psychologist.”
No greater shortage in mental health care
The Netherlands Institute of Psychologists (NIP) is positive about the contribution of industrial psychologists to mental problems in organizations.
The institute notes that there is now no greater outflow of psychologists from mental health care to work psychology and that there is sufficient treatment capacity in mental health care.
There are differences with the regular psychologist. “People can come to us with the same problems, but we focus on the work aspect,” says Bleyenberg of Arboned. “You see that less or not at all in regular mental health care. Returning to work is always part of the help provided.”
As a result of waiting lists, general practitioners refer more often to company doctors. “I find that worrying. It shifts more complex cases to the industrial psychologist, for which we are not always equipped. Sometimes we still have to refer back,” says Bleyenberg.
Independence
The AWVN employers’ association recognizes this. “It is good to see that employers are stepping up when employees have psychological complaints. If the government allows waiting lists to increase, it is understandable that employers are looking for solutions themselves.”
The CNV is positive about the development, although according to the union it also entails risks. “You must always have the guarantee that the care provider is independent,” says chairman Piet Fortuin. People should feel safe, he says. “With the psychologist you expose your heart and soul and you also talk about your own employer. Then that information should not end up with that employer.”
Millennials find it very logical to talk to a professional
Maarten Lintsen, HR director at EY
The employer pays the bill for his employee, says psychologist Bleyenberg. But according to her, that does not mean that the psychologist can deviate from privacy guidelines. “I create confidentiality and always explain: we do not share anything with the employer without permission.”
Anonymously
Employees can still feel discomfort, says Maarten Lintsen, HR director at accountancy firm EY. The company has employed two industrial psychologists for ten years. Employees can speak to them anonymously.
However, the company will now also collaborate with an external psychologist platform. “We know that a psychologist employed by us also feels as if he is part of EY. And that can be a barrier.”
He recognizes the increasing need for a psychologist, but also sees a changed mentality. “Particularly among people in their thirties, our average age. They are used to quickly raising the alarm and find it very logical to talk to a professional.”
High demands
The demand is there, and responding to it pays off financially. “Long-term absenteeism is a significant cost item, especially mental absenteeism. There is a risk of failure, because we place high demands on people. That is why we also take our responsibility.”
Lintsen is clear about privacy. The two psychologists on staff never talk about individual cases. However, they can identify trends that the employer can use.
“For example, our psychologists noticed that expats more often suffer from mental complaints because they do not have a social safety net. We therefore started a community. In this way we are tightening our HR policy.”
The Corporate Couch: Mental Health on the Job
A cheeky commentary on the ever-growing need for psychologists in the workplace.
Welcome to the Corporate Psyche
So, it seems the long waiting lists for therapists have turned our workplaces into mini-therapy clinics! Yes, you heard right. Touching your boss’s office door might soon come with a “please leave your emotional baggage outside” sign. Who knew we’d trade in ole’ Freudian therapy couches for corporate meeting rooms!
Company Shrinks: The New Office Buddy
According to a report by NOS Nieuws, employees are now more likely to see the company doctor for a referral because dear old Dr. Therapist is booked until 2045! Why wait for help when you can bore your company doctor with your emotional crises for free? As Sandra Bleyenberg points out, employers realize it’s cheaper to provide quick help than to let a worker wallow at home, contemplating the profound existential dread of not knowing what to do with their life… or their lunch break.
Psychologists on the Payroll: From Couch to Company Coffee
Occupational health services are scrambling to keep up, hiring psychologists faster than a startup hires coffee baristas. These organizations sound a lot like your favorite over-hyped tech company—growing from 5 to 20 psychologists in about two and a half years. That’s like turning water into wine, but instead, they’re turning anxiety into productivity! Who knew people were worth their weight in therapy hours?
Burnout? Get in Line!
It turns out, waiting for mental health care is like waiting for the bus at 5 PM—nobody wants to do it! GPs are now shoving more people towards company psychologists, claiming their offices have more spaces than IKEA on a Sunday. Apparently, traditional mental health care isn’t equipped to deal with burnout cases (because, let’s face it, regular therapy is not about getting you back to the grindstone faster than a foosball table in a break room).
A Split in Services: Where Do We Go From Here?
The Netherlands Institute of Psychologists (NIP) sings praises for industrial psychologists while also striking a note of caution. It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? There’s a beautiful harmony between getting workplace help and ensuring that when you open up about your overbearing boss, it doesn’t circle back to your paychecks. Privacy is the name of the game, according to psychologists like Bleyenberg. While the company might pay the bill, no one wants sensitive issues slipping out in the lunchroom over a bad vegan sandwich!
Millennials Just Wanna Talk
Let’s sprinkle in a bit of generational insight here. Millennials are reaching out for professional help like it’s the hottest trend since avocado toast. HR directors are reporting that talking to a psychologist is now as normal as sending a 3 PM Slack message. The irony, of course, being that you can’t get a therapist until you’ve secured a secure corporate job with benefits—because who needs personal fulfillment when you need that health insurance to pay for therapy?
Wrapping It All Up: Your Emotional UPS
As we navigate through the corporate jungle, we must recognize the need for balance between the demands of our job and our mental well-being. The bottom line? It’s about not just preventing burnout but making sure employers are stepping up in ways that are meaningful and confidential. The task at hand for employers? To nurture a safe space where employees can unpack their emotional baggage without them feeling like they’ll end up on a company-wide memo about “mental health trends.”
