PROJECT :HUMAN RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT
TOPIC :EMPLOYEE COUNSELLING
AT WORKPLACE
CLASS :TYBMS (sem v)
GROUP MEMBERS :Neha Bhandari
Vaibhav Dandia
Surabhi Jain
Raina Mehta
Uma Singh
Tanushree singhvi
 INDEX

SR .NO TITLE PG. NO.

1 Introduction 3

2 Secondary Research 4

2.1 Meaning of employee counselling 4

2.2 Ingredients of counselling 4

2.3 Need for counselling at workplace 5

2.4 Hurdles faced for counselling at workplace 6

2.5 Benefits of counselling 7

2.6 Requisites of employee counselling 7

3 Questionnaire 8

4 Conclusion 22
INTRODUCTION

The latest trend catching up in the corporate HR across the

world is 'Employee Counselling at Workplace'. In the world of
ever increasing complexity and the stress in the lives, especially
the workplaces of the employees, employee counselling has
emerged as the latest HR tool to attract and retain its best
employees and also to increase the quality of the workforce.
In today's fast-paced corporate world, there is virtually no
organisation free of stress or stress-free employees. The
employees can be stressed, depressed, suffering from too much
anxiety arising out of various workplace related issues like
managing deadlines, meeting targets, lack of time to fulfill
personal and family commitments, or bereaved and disturbed
due to some personal problem etc.
Organisations have realized the importance of having a stress-
free yet motivated and capable workforce. Therefore, many
companies have integrated the counseling services in their
organisations and making it a part of their culture. Organisations
are offering the service of employee counselling to its
employees.
 SECOUNDARY RESEARCH

Meaning of Employee counselling:

Employee counselling can be explained as providing help and
support to the employees to face and sail through the difficult
times in life. At many points of time in life or career people
come across some problems either in their work or personal life
when it starts influencing and affecting their performance and,
increasing the stress levels of the individual. Counselling is
guiding, consoling, advising and sharing and helping to resolve
their problems whenever the need arises.
Technically, Psychological Counselling, a form of counselling is
used by the experts to analyze the work related performance and
behaviour of the employees to help them cope with it, resolve
the conflicts and tribulations and re-enforce the desired results.

Ingredients of counselling:
Counselling of staff is becoming an essential function of the
managers. The organisation can either take the help of
experienced employees or expert, professional counselor to take
up the counselling activities. Increasing complexities in the lives
of the employees need to address various aspects like:
•Performance counselling: Ideally, the need for employee
counselling arises when the employee shows signs of
declining performance, being stressed in office-hours, bad
decision-making etc. In such situations, counselling is one
of the best ways to deal with them. It should cover all the
aspects related to the employee performance like the
targets, employee's responsibilities, problems faced,
employee aspirations, inter-personal relationships at the
workplace, et al.
•Personal and Family Wellbeing: Families and friends are an
important and inseparable part of the employee's life. Many
a times, employees carry the baggage of personal problems
to their workplaces, which in turn affects their performance
adversely. Therefore, the counselor needs to strike a
comfort level with the employees and, counselling sessions
involving their families can help to resolve their problems
and getting them back to work- all fresh and enthusiastic.
•Other Problems : Other problems can range from work-life
balance to health problems. Counselling helps to identify
the problem and help him / her to deal with the situation in
a better way.

Need of counselling at workplace:

Apart from their personal problems, there are various reasons
which can create stress for the employees at the workplace like :
•unrealistic targets or work-load
•constant pressure to meet the deadlines
•career problems
•responsibility and accountability
•conflicts or bad inter-personal relations with superiors and
subordinates
•problems in adjusting to the organizational culture.
Counselling helps the employee to share and look at
his problems from a new perspective, help himself and to face
and deal with the problems in a better way. Counselling at
workplace is a way of the organisation to care about its
employees.

Hurdles faced for counseling at workplace:

The biggest bottleneck in employee counselling at the workplace
is the lack of trust on the employee's part to believe in the
organisation or his superior to share and understand his
problems. Also, the confidentiality that the counselor won't
disclose his personal problems or issues to others in the
organisation. Time, effort and resources required on the part of
the organisation are a constraint.
Benefits of counselling:
•Helping the individual to understand and help himself
•Understand the situations and look at them with a new
perspective and positive outlook
•Helping in better decision making
•Alternate solutions to problems
•Coping with the situation and the stress

Basic requisites of employee counselling :

1) Employee Counselling needs to be tackled carefully, both on
the part of the organisation and the counselor. The counselling
can turn into a sensitive series of events for the employee and
the organisation; therefore, the counselor should be either a
professional or an experienced, mature employee.
2) The counselor should be flexible in his approach and a patient
listener. He should have the warmth required to win the trust of
the employee so that he can share his thoughts and problems
with him without any inhibitions.
3) Active and effective listening is one of the most important
aspects of the employee counselling.
4) Time should not be a constraint in the process.
5) The counselor should be able to identify the problem and
offer concrete advice.
6) The counselor should be able to help the employee to boost
the morale and spirit of the employee, create a positive outlook
and help him take decisions to deal with the problem.

After taking secondary research, we took primary research by

developing a Questionnaire for three class: for emplyees, for HR
dept and for a counsellor to have a depth view of the need of
counsellor at workplace.
A sample of Questionnaire is as under:
Questionnaire
For employees:
Name: Qualification:
Department:
Designation:
Length of tenure:
Q1.Desribe the environment (working hrs) at your workplace?
Q2.What benefits do u get from the organization?
Rate your satisfaction level: 1 to 5 . (1 being least satisfied and 5
being most satisfied.)
Q3.What kind of stress/problems do you face at your workplace?
Q4. How often does the problem/stress occurs?
Q5.Effect of stress on abilities-( rate from 1 – 5)
i)physical_______
ii)Mental________
iii)Personal_______
iv)Working life_____
v)Behaviour_______
Q6. What is the result of stress on family?
Q7. How do you cope with it?
Q8. How does the company help in solving your problem and
overcoming your stress?
Q9. Do they provide you with counselor?
Q10.According to you , what is the role and importance of a counselor in
an organization?
Q11. Do you feel there is a need for counselor in co.?
Q12.Have you ever been to counselor or do you know anyone who has
been to counselor?
Q13. Has counselor been successful in solving your problem?
Q14. Do you share your problem with anyone (colleagues, friends etc) at
workplace?
Q15. Does this concept of counselor in company work according to you?
Questionnaire for employee 1:
Q1.How is the environment (working hrs) at your workplace?
Ans. Comfortable environment.
8hours working and at times work pressure is more when ppl are on
leave.
Q2.What benefits do u get from the organization?
Ans. Normal benefits provident fund, Leave Travel Allowance, etc.
Rate your satisfaction level: 1 to 5 . 1 being least satisfied and 5 being
most satisfied
3 (satisfaction level)
Q3.What kind of stress/problems do you face at your workplace?
Ans. Deadline pressure, Excess work beyond shift , No Weekend
holiday because of work , At times Boss irritates, Boss too
demanding regarding productivity, Food not good, Short
breaks/lunch/breakfast are only for 20 min, no breaks or very less
break, Office timings are very rigid and not flexible, Employees are
expected to come sharp on time but are not allowed to leave before
completing their work, Less appreciation from boss, No recreational
activity, No training programmes, Office bus facility shoud be there,
Lot of politics in office, Somebody else takes over the entire credit of
work done and it is not noticeable by Boss.
Q4. How often does the problem/stress occurs?
Ans. Day to day basis
Q5.Effect of stress on abilities-( rate from 1 – 5)
Ans.

•physical : 2.5

•Mental : 4

•Personal : 3 -no time to catch up with freinds

 •Working life : 3

•Behaviour : 3
Q6. How do you cope with it?
Ans. By sharing it with colleagues and friends , once in a while
smoke when stressed out , walk alone for sometime.
Q7. How does the company help in solving your problem and
overcoming your stress?
Ans. Company just show its concern but never really helps. After
sometime everyone forgets about a particular problem . Although
even the meetings are held for working out those problems but the
outcome is zero.
Q8. Do they provide you with counsellor?
Ans. NO
Q9.According to you , what is the role and importance of a counselor in
an organization?
Ans. These days workplace have a lot of stress, In order to guide you
how to have a balance in profressional and personal life counsellors
are do important. They help you to distress and this in return the
quality and productivity in your work.
Q10. Do you feel there is a need for counselor in co.?
Ans. YES. There is urgent need, because everyone seems too much
stressed in the office.
Q11.Have you ever been to counselor or do you know anyone who has
been to counselor?
Ans. NO. Because I can cope up with my stress (own ways of
dealing), even the cost involved is also an factor for not going to a
counsellor, had it been provided in office for free or at concessional
rate then would have gone for sure and don’t have any time to fix an
appointment and go to a counsellor.
Q12. Has counselor been successful in solving your problem?
Ans. N.A.
Q13. Do you share your problem with anyone (colleagues, friends etc) at
workplace?
Ans. Colleagues and friends.
Q14. Does this concept of counselor in company work according to you?
Ans. It would be really very helpful for employees to improve their
work quality, it will improve their mental and physical health, there
will be an enhancement of team spirit, colleagues will understand
each other better, company's medical bill will reduce, working
environment would b better, people would be motivated.

Questionnaire for employee 2:

Q1.How is the environment (working hrs) at your workplace?
Ans. Flexible, good working environment to keep you motivated.
Q2.What benefits do u get from the organization?
Ans. Leave encashment, LTA, PF ,Timely bonus, incentives,
transfers on demand ,etc.
Rate your satisfaction level: 1 to 5 . 1 being least satisfied and 5 being
most satisfied. 4
Q3.What kind of stress/problems do you face at your workplace?
Ans. Hardly any stress, at times work pressure.
Q4. How often does the problem/stress occurs?
Ans. Rarely
Q5.Effect of stress on abilities-( rate from 1 – 5)

•physical : 3

•Mental : 3

•Personal : 4

•Working life : 3

•Behaviour : 5

Q6. How do you cope with it?

Ans. Talk with colleagues about the same, we have good relationship
with boss, so if at all there is any problem have directly approach
them for help.
Q7. How does the company help in solving your problem and
overcoming your stress?
Ans. N.A.
Q8. Do they provide you with counselor?
Ans. I don’t think so there is one.
Q9.According to you , what is the role and importance of a counselor in
an organization?
Ans. In firms where employees are required to work round the
clock , need for counselor is crucial. People over there are very
stressed coz of work due to long working hours, family problems
also contribute to their stress. Counselor can help people resolve
their workplace related problems and can help them to remain
motivated for work.
Q10. Do you feel there is a need for counselor in co.?
Ans. I don’t think so because everyone has good rapport with each
other whether superior or subordinate and even if there is any
problem , same can be brought to the notice of superior for solution
but having a counselor in company is not a bad idea at all.
Q11.Have you ever been to counselor or do you know anyone who has
been to counselor?
Ans. NO.
Q12. Has counselor been successful in solving your problem?
Q13. Do you share your problem with anyone (colleagues, friends etc) at
workplace?
Ans. Colleagues, family, friends.
Q14. Does this concept of counselor in company work according to you?
Ans. I don’t think that this concept is actually prevalent in India
atleast. I myself hardly know any company who have a counselor
on board.
Questionnaire for employees 3:
Q1.How is the environment (working hrs) at your workplace?
Ans. Environment is good,competitive. Working hours are quite
long and tiring.
Q2.What benefits do u get from the organization?
Ans. Leave encashment, LTA, PF ,Timely bonus, incentives, etc.
Rate your satisfaction level: 1 to 5 . 1 being least satisfied and 5 being
most satisfied. 4.
Q3.What kind of stress/problems do you face at your workplace?
Ans. Lot of Work pressure, deadlines to meet, At times colleagues
try to pull you down to remain ahead in competition.
Q4. How often does the problem/stress occurs?
Ans. Very often.
Q5.Effect of stress on abilities-( rate from 1 – 5)
i)physical : 2
ii)Mental : 4
iii)Personal : 3
iv)Working life : 3
v)Behaviour : 4
Q6. How do you cope with it?
Ans. Have no other option than to cope with the situation, mostly
talk to frnds and family about the same and sort it out.
Q7. How does the company help in solving your problem and
overcoming your stress?
Ans. Our boss is quite cool about all such politics and he is very
understanding so all this doesn’t cause much problem. Technicaly ,
company doesn’t do anything to improve the situation.
Q8. Do they provide you with counselor?
Ans. NO
Q9.According to you , what is the role and importance of a counselor in
an organization?
Ans. Its imp to have an counselor to keep the stress level in an
organisation in check, to motivate the employees, to help employees
come out of their problems.
Q10. Do you feel there is a need for counselor in co.?
Ans. Having an counselor wont do any bad to company and in turn
will help company in some or the other way, so its quite important
to have counselors in company.
Q11.Have you ever been to counselor or do you know anyone who has
been to counselor?
Ans. NO
Q12. Has counselor been successful in solving your problem?
Q13. Do you share your problem with anyone (colleagues, friends etc) at
workplace?
Ans. Family,friends etc
Q14. Does this concept of counselor in company work according to you?
 Ans. Yes. I think it will be quite usefull to have an counselor in the
company itself, people wont have to go outside and spend on it and
will be willing to consider help from counselor.

Questionnaire for employees:

Name: Mr. Nishit Raj Singh
Qualification: BFA (Bachelor in commerce-finance and accountancy)
Department: Business Risk Advisory Services
Designation: Consultant (telecom)
Length of tenure: 1 year 8 months
Q1.Desribe the environment (working hrs) at your workplace?
Ans. 9 am to 6 pm
Q2.What benefits do u get from the organization?
Rate your satisfaction level: 1 to 5. (1 being least satisfied and 5 being
most satisfied.) - 3
Q3.What kind of stress/problems do you face at your workplace?
Ans. Since it’s a consultancy firm the main stress which we face is
the extended working hours. Every project takes a long time period
to be completed, more than the scheduled time. So we need to work
for more hours but we are not paid for those extended hours. So the
extended hours leads to more cost and time and effort expended by
us.
Q4. How often does the problem/stress occurs?
Ans. It is a very common phenomenon.
Q5.Effect of stress on abilities-( rate from 1 – 5)
 i)physical : 2
ii)Mental : 4
iii)Personal : 3
iv)Working life : 3
v)Behaviour : 1

(As u get frustrated for working so long without even getting paid)

Q. what is the result of stress on family?

Ans. It affects your leisure life and family since a distance is created.
You don’t get much time spend with your family.

Q6. How do you cope with it?

Ans. Do what you like. I read books and since photography is my
passion I click some photos as well.
Q7. How does the company help in solving your problem and
overcoming your stress?
Ans. They conduct programmes or events like TBE (team building
event), off site trips which motivates us and also helps to create a
sense of belonging.
Q8. Do they provide you with counselor?
Ans. There is no such thing as counselor. But they do conduct a
buddy programme. As soon as you join the organization, they
introduce you to a buddy whom you can talk to if you face any
problem while working. These buddies can also be your immediate
bosses or the HR department. But if you have something which you
cannot or don’t want to share with your boss, u can always choose a
higher designation superior to talk to.
Q9. According to you, what is the role and importance of a counselor in
an organization?
Ans. Highly important especially in such organizations where I am
working. In consultancy as general, you have a lot of work load,
pressure , stress ad traveling so it is very important to have someone
whom you can share your problems with and get your problems
resolved. He can sense and see the situation from your shoes.
Q10. Do you feel there is a need for counselor in co.?
Ans. Yes ,definitely.
Q11.Have you ever been to counselor or do you know anyone who has
been to counselor?
Ans. No.
Q12. Has counselor been successful in solving your problem?
Ans. (invalid question)
Q13. Do you share your problem with anyone (colleagues, friends etc) at
workplace?
Ans. No. Noone does that in such organizations. This depends from
industry to industry. For example in a media related organization,
there is bonding between employees so they share stuff with each
other. But in consultancy firms we have various projects to so and
every project is with a new group. So every time you get to know
new and different people and definitely in such a small span you will
not share your problems with him/her. So this basically happens in
jobs which are fixed in nature.
Q14. Does this concept of counselor in company work according to you?
Ans. Yes. All big companies benefit to a great extent by having a
counselor.

For HR Dept:
Q1. Does the company have a counselor, if no (& they still feel
a need) How do u cope without a counselor?
Q2. Do you know the person properly?
Q3. Does he participate in organizations activity(games, session etc)?
Q4. What is the allotted budget for counseling?
Q5. How much space is given to him to conduct his session?
Q6. Do you think there is a need for counselor at workplace?

For counsellor:
Q1.What according to u is the job of a counsellor?
Q2. Why do you think a counsellor Is needed in an organisation?
Q3. What basic problem do people come with when they visit you?
Q4. How often do they visit you?
Q5.What is the major criteria for a person to visit a counsellor. Rate the
following from 1 to 5.(1 being the least).
 a)stress
b)work pressure
c)personal issues
d)working hours
e)underpayment of wages
f)others (reason and rating)

Q6. Can you discus some challenging cases u have come across?
Q7. Explain in brief the counseling process.(as in how the counseling
proces takes place)
Q8. The total no of cases that a counsellor come across- in a month, year
etc
Q9. Have come across employees with problems like depression,
breakdown, acute stress, suicidal tendencies or any mental illness?
Q10.If yes, how did you deal with it? if no, what would you
deal with it if there you were faced with any such problem?
 Conclusion

Counselling can go a long way in helping the

employees to have better control over their lives, take their
decisions wisely and better charge of their responsibilities,
reduce the level of stress and anxiety. Counselling of employees
can have desirable consequences for the organisation. It helps
the organisation when the employees know that the organization
cares for them, and build a sense of commitment with it. It can
prove to be of significant help to modify the behaviour of the
employees and more so to re-enforce the desired behaviour and
improve and increase the employee productivity.