'Retail rage' prompts increase in acute-stress counseling for workers
CHICAGO, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to verbal abuse by shoppers, 2006
has seen a marked increase in critical incident stress debriefings (CISDs)
for retail establishments and call centers, according to ComPsych, the
pioneer and worldwide leader in GuidanceResources(R) (employee assistance
programs, behavioral health, work-life, wellness, crisis intervention
services and outsourced HR solutions). Acute-stress counseling sessions
related to customer abuse in general has more than doubled since 2005.
"Around the holidays especially, retail work environments can become
hostile," said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych.
"Shoppers, faced with constraints on time along with family obligations,
are more stressed than ever. This stress is often transferred upon retail
employees, who themselves are working longer hours and dealing with the
pressures of the holidays.
"Because retail employees and call center workers are so important,
particularly during the holiday season, companies are supporting them with
employee assistance programs that include acute-stress counseling after a
customer is abusive," he added. "This helps the employee recover and stay
focused on the job."
ComPsych CISD Data - 2004-2006
2005 Percentage Change 2006 Percentage Change
Retail CISDs +65% +13%
Abuse CISDs +44% +124%
About ComPsych
Founded in 1984, ComPsych is the world's largest provider of employee
assistance programs and is the leading provider of fully integrated EAP,
behavioral health, work-life, wellness, crisis intervention services and
outsourced HR solutions under the GuidanceResources brand. ComPsych
provides services to more than 25 million individuals and 7,000
organizations throughout the U.S. and 92 countries. Clients range from the
Fortune 500 to smaller public and private concerns as well as government
entities and Taft- Hartley groups. ComPsych creates "Build-to-Suit"
programs which help employers attract and retain employees as well as
improve employee productivity and performance. For more information, visit
http://www.compsych.com .
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