His role as a well-being coach at Comfort Energy Group is the company’s own initiative. They were searching for a third — entirely independent — party to support employees. There are naturally plenty of other internal channels where you can share your troubles, including colleagues, a confidential counsellor or the management team. Or outside the organisation. “I’m part of the CEG family, but also have a pair of external eyes that come in very handy.”
Discretion above all
The first step? That’s up to you, as the employee. “It always starts with something that’s bothering the employee”, says Benny. “This can be anything from problems at work to private matters. My first reflex is to listen. Sometimes it’s just good to be able to share your story. Then, we put our heads together and I aim to help in finding a practical solution. Employees should know that I will not share the information, with supervisors or colleagues, unless they specifically ask me or give their permission to do so. It is best to be clear from the beginning: I treat every story with discretion. That means that everyone can speak openly about the things that are bothering them.”
Diverse topics
And our discussions are very varied. Mental health, problems at home or trouble with colleagues or supervisors. “Anything and everything can be addressed”, says Benny. “And we can get together in the company, at my place or in the employee’s home. I am very flexible, we meet on neutral or familiar territory in order to ensure an entirely open discussion. I see that it does a lot of people a lot of good.”