When is the best time to introduce mental health counseling to night shift workers?
Hello. I am in charge of health management and EAP guidance at a workplace operating on a 24-hour shift system.
Currently, information regarding mental health counseling is posted via company-wide emails and internal bulletin boards on weekday mornings, based on headquarters standards. However, there has been feedback that night shift employees often check their emails after their shift ends or see the announcements late during their next shift, and that it is difficult to find how to use the service immediately after a difficult experience.
Therefore, we are considering repeating the same guidance during the handover time before the night shift, immediately after regular safety and health training, and after health consultations, as well as specifying the channels available for reception at night and the actual hours for consultations. However, we are concerned that providing this notice only to specific employees or the shift where the accident occurred might give the impression of singling out specific individuals.
When introducing EAP and mental health counseling to night shift workers, at what point in time and through what channel is it best to use? I would also like to know the interval between general announcements for all staff and repeated announcements for each shift, as well as the wording to distinguish between nighttime emergencies and general counseling requests.