Confidential counsellor at work: how to contribute to a safe working environment
A confidential counsellor listens, advises and facilitates dialogue in the event of problems in the workplace. Examples include stress, conflict, bullying or other undesirable behaviour. IDEWE supports confidential counsellors with professional training courses and advice so they can make an effective contribution to a healthy, safe working environment.
What is a confidential counsellor?
EA confidential counsellor is a neutral contact person in your organisation employees can turn to with psychosocial problems resulting from unacceptable behaviour, conflicts or excessive work pressure, for example.
It is an employee who has been officially appointed and trained for this purpose. The advantage is that they are familiar with the organisation's internal workings and are easy to reach.
If you want to raise a problem as an employee,
- request a meeting with the confidential counsellor. They will lend an ear and offer some well-founded advice.
- During the meeting, you can decide together how to approach things further. Your conversation will be strictly confidential, as the confidential counsellor is bound by professional secrecy.
Is a confidential counsellor required by law?
The appointment of a confidential counsellor is required by law for organisations with 50 or more employees.
Your confidential counsellor primarily ensures a safe, supportive workplace, an environment that gives employees and students the opportunity to seek help in a timely and accessible way.
How can IDEWE help you and your confidential counsellor?
Before appointing a confidential counsellor: think carefully about who gets to take on the role of confidential counsellor. Integrity, interpersonal and listening skills, empathy and impartiality are just some of the essential requirements.
IDEWE’s experts offer the following support and training courses to confidential counsellors:
- Basic confidential counsellor training course
Learn the basic knowledge and core skills to take on this role professionally. The training course shows prospective confidential counsellors how to best support and guide their colleagues. - Annual supervision and follow-up days
Stay up to date on the latest insights and legislation. In these sessions, confidential counsellors can exchange experiences and further develop their skills. - Targeted support
Our experts are ready to guide confidential counsellors with any questions or doubts they may have and in situations where consultation is required. We also like to contribute to the confidential counsellor's role as part of a broader psychosocial wellbeing policy in your organisation.
Who is not eligible to become a confidential counsellor?
Not everyone can take on the role of confidential counsellor. For example:
- The employer
- Executive staff
- The prevention advisor – occupational health doctor
- Representatives on the works council or in the committee for prevention and protection at work
- Trade union representatives
- Social election candidates
How can a confidential counsellor help?
As an employee, you can contact a confidential counsellor in the following situations:
- You are looking for someone to lend an ear and give advice.
- You have a problem you want to address.
- You are involved in a conflict, and you want to start a reconciliation process.
If you have already gone through an 'informal' process that didn't yield the desired result, a formal intervention can offer a new perspective. This formal step goes through the prevention advisor on psychosocial aspects (PAPS).
Why opt for IDEWE?
- Experienced experts – With our experienced prevention advisors on psychosocial aspects, you are assured of the right support.
- Tailored services – We tailor our offer to your organisation’s needs.
- Discretion – Your company and personal data, including that of your employees, is handled with the utmost care.