Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has switched its employee assistance programme (EAP) providers to give staff greater access to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

The firm has switched from Ceridian to PPC, and its 16,000 employees can now access face-to-face CBT counselling, as well as an online service, where they will be asked a series of questions about their problems.

Employees are then given information to help them understand their difficulties and access effective treatment. They can contact a telephone adviser for further assistance.

Harsha Modha, GSK's director of benefits programmes for the UK, said the service would reduce the stigma around mental health issues in the workplace, and provide the right environment for staff to seek help.

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