Die Reduktion des Absentismus durch Workplace Counselling in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen in Deutschland

In small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany, workplace counselling has hardly been established to date. While larger companies have already recognised the numerous advantages of the intervention, the focus in smaller companies is often on day-to-day business. The reasons why the programme is not introduced are a lack of resources and a shortage of professional knowledge on the subject.

Compared to larger companies, however, SMEs suffer far more from the absence of staff due to illness, as their employees cannot easily be replaced. An international scientific study has demonstrated that workplace counselling leads to a reduction in absenteeism. This doctoral thesis aims therefore to investigate that correlation in German SMEs and to present the results in a manner that can be understood and implemented by SMEs.

The methods chosen for data collection are the grounded theory and expert interviews. The experts interviewed were employees and entrepreneurs of SMEs together with psychotherapists and psychologists. A preliminary study was conducted with 3 participants and 21 people completed the expert interviews used for data analysis.

The interviews revealed a number of aspects that are activated by workplace counselling in SMEs and lead to a reduction in absenteeism. These are the emotional support provided by the therapist, the improvement of psychological well-being, assistance in overcoming problems, a more positive perception of the company and the enhancement of individual skills. Nevertheless, the experts also mentioned the possibility that workplace counselling has no effect on absenteeism.

The study also revealed a number of other factors that influence workplace counselling in SMEs. These are the individual skills of a person and external conditions that have an impact on the effectiveness of the intervention, such as the skills of the therapist. It also emerged that workplace counselling creates a health-promoting working environment, which could have a positive effect on the participation in the intervention. All of these aspects provide opportunities for further scientific work.