Transformation of the power sector by the provincial government prompted our client, the provincial power utility, to embark on a privatization process. The transformation was crucial and had to be conducted in an equitable manner. The objective was to carry out the process in the most effective and efficient way, while protecting the workers as much as possible and reducing any social problems that it might bring about.
In this sense, the human resources policy aimed at having the workers themselves adopt decisions concerning their future. Among other options, the Company offered voluntary early retirement plans with the Outplacement Program. This Program was designed and led by the current members of Punto de Cambio.
Most of the people who opted for retirement were clerks and skilled workers, but there were also some professionals and middle managers, with an average seniority in the job of almost 20 years.
Outplacement Program (PRL for its acronym in Spanish)
The Program was so designed that all the employees who opted for early retirement had access to it. As the company operated over a vast territory, the head office was established in the capital city and another office 200 km away.
One hundred and fourteen persons participated in the Program which lasted five months. During that period personalized activities were organized both for workers and their family members. Contacts were established with state agencies and universities to supplement the technical assistance offered by the Program itself.
Results
Results obtained can be assessed in terms of three indicators: First, 75% of the participants were reintegrated into the workforce thanks to new business ventures launched at the time of the program, while 20% was in the process of being reintegrated. By the end of the PRL, 5% of the people continued working for the company.
Second, the Program helped turn potentially critical personal, family and social situations into new opportunities for all participants, which meant absence of conflicts.
Third, evaluations of the Program by the participants showed high levels of satisfaction. To some extent, it contributed to bring about a process of transformation that was rated as highly successful in its results.
See moreBefore the merger/takeover was completed, our client –who had its own staff in most provinces– decided to offer an early retirement plan to the employees working at its head office in the city of Buenos Aires.
One of the main components of the company’s offer was that the employees would have access to an Outplacement Program designed and managed by Punto de Cambio professionals.
The origin and family nature of the company, where many employees had a long career, exerted a great influence on the client’s requirements. With an average of 15 years’ seniority in the company, those who opted for early voluntary retirement included administrative staff, operators and young professionals very much interested in continuing working in the insurance sector.
The Outplacement Program
The Program was conducted over a period of five months at the client’s offices located some 200 m from its head office so as to facilitate the involvement of all the employees interested in participating.
Of the 34 people that participated in the Program, some with their families and some with their business partners, most of them opted for early voluntary retirement. Through various activities, efforts were made to facilitate access to new jobs and to develop personal business ventures, some of which were associated with the insurance or service sectors.
Results
The results obtained can be assessed in terms of three indicators: First, by the end of the Program 70% of the participants were reintegrated into the workforce, either through new jobs or through their own business ventures, 18% was in the process of getting a job, and 12% was not. Second, the Program helped turn potentially critical personal, family and social situations into new opportunities for almost all participants, thus preventing conflict situations.
Third, evaluations of the Program by the participants showed high levels of satisfaction.
The merger/takeover fell through and the Company went into liquidation, so all its staff was laid off. However, the exit and outplacement of those who had previously opted for voluntary early retirement and participated in the Program was completely different from that of their fellow workers.
See moreCounseling was provided to fifty members of different cultural organizations in Valparaíso. They wanted to start or else strengthen and/or boost their business ventures but most of them were unemployed or had precarious jobs and very little or no previous experience. Participants were selected from lists provided by organizations such as the Consejo Nacional de Cultura y las Artes (National Council of Culture and Arts) of the Ministry of Culture. The Escuelas de Rock (Rock Schools) and the Escuela de Carnavales (Carnival School) of Valparaíso recommended potential participants.
Two examples are described below:
A group of 17 participants, most of them professional or amateur musicians between the ages of 18 and 30, decided to form a group and requested training to become managers. To this end, several contacts and arrangements were made and it was the Duoc UC, an institution of professional education, which eventually accepted to deliver the course. With the support of the Rock Schools and of some well-known managers of Chilean bands, a curriculum was developed that took into consideration participants’ interests. They complied with the Program which involved 120 training hours and 2 clinics with professional managers.
Thanks to the Program’s coordination actions and the support of state organizations, all 17 participants completed their training as managers. Today most of them are working as managers, whether on a professional or amateur basis, with their own bands and, in some cases, with famous Chilean bands and/or musicians.
A 32 year-old musician worked as a temporary production assistant because he had a disease that prevented him from having a regular job. He had experience as an assistant for musical and cultural events and wanted to start his own business in this field.
Within the framework of the Program, he decided to form a group to produce local events. With advice and training based on his expertise and personal SWOT analysis, with special emphasis on his skills and environment, he was able to materialize his idea and business plan. Funds from the production promotion agency helped him obtain infrastructure and basic equipment for musical productions and organization of mass events.
After a publicity campaign and limited assistance and support, he formalized the business, which he manages with other people, turning it into a well-known cultural center in Valparaíso. He has accomplished his main goals: to make a living as a producer and to be able to support his family.
See moreIn the context of Chile’s public policy on job creation, the Job Placement Program for Youths “I Work” was implemented in several regions and municipalities. In 2014, our counselors participated in the Yo Trabajo Joven Program implemented in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Counseling and training were provided to 48 young men and women between the ages of 18 and 29 that were unemployed or had informal jobs.
The Job Placement Program
The Job Placement Program was designed to help participants find job opportunities, whether regular jobs or by starting their own business ventures. The five-month process included the following stages:
Diagnosis and self-diagnosis of employability and business skills
Design of counseling and training plans in line with the participants’ reality
Initial assistance, support and monitoring for both types of employment Design of an extensive and varied network management plan (educational institutions, regulatory and production promotion state agencies, public and private companies)
Results
The results obtained can be assessed in terms of three indicators:
Labor Market Integration: 46% of the participants (22 persons) joined the labor market as employees or started their own business, with similar figures for both. By the end of the Program 30% (15 persons) was in the process of being integrated into the labor market. Seven youths chose to continue studying, and only 10% failed to enter the labor market.
Regular jobs were found in the following areas: administration/accounting, security and port operations. Self-employment was found in education, recreational/sport services, alternative medicine, catering, and dressmaking.
Impact: The Program contributed to the empowerment of participants in the workplace, to consolidate vital career development projects, and to generate personal and family income.
Evaluation: Participants’ evaluation of the Program showed high levels of satisfaction. The Program contributed to a process of transformation that was rated as highly successful in its results.
See moreWorkers in a wood processing company were exposed to a grisly accident which resulted in the death of a maintenance employee. The whole organization and the employees were so shocked that it affected their performance at work and their personal and family lives.
Consequently, they were likely to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a pathology caused by exposure to natural disasters, accidents, deaths of relatives or friends, violence and abuse, torture, combat experiences, etc. Victims or witnesses develop different symptoms. The disorder may take months to develop or turn into a chronic condition, so its satisfactory evolution depends on early treatment and on the available personal and social resources of the affected person.
Intervention Proposal
Rapid attention to this type of situations is highly recommended given the mental health of the workers and because it is the company’s responsibility and an expression of the company’s concern for its employees. The proposed intervention aimed at developing a number of measures and activities for prompt and timely group counseling, without compromising individual assistance, if any.
Objectives
The objectives posed for reasons of efficiency and efficacy were:
- Individual PTSD assessment.
- Group dynamics to support a variety of emotional reactions and to cognitively redefine the experience.
- Reconstruction of the group’s history of the event for its healthy assimilation by the individual, the group and the organization.
Methodology
The most affected workers were personally interviewed to explore their level of impairment and promote adherence to the group process. At the group level, relaxation techniques were used to show participants how to handle stress and emotional expression. Narrative techniques were also used to reinterpret and reframe the event and to promote participation.
Development and Results
Individual assessment: Some participants were seriously affected; others, with different initial levels of impairment, were likely to overcome the event. Except for a single case that required individual counseling, group response indicated that participants would be able to adjust. Based on the information surveyed, it was concluded that the intervention group had faced, with different exposure and response levels, a situation that could potentially turn into PTSD. They were all involved, either through direct participation or responsibility or indirectly with empathic responses to direct participants. All of them experienced recurring and intrusive memories, sleep disorders, fear of incident recurrence, avoidance responses, irritability, hypervigilance, and other behaviors in line with states of depression, helplessness and vulnerability.
The whole group, with differences but with no exceptions, showed a positive evolution with favorable prognosis of the risk of developing PTSD. A further evaluation performed 6 months later showed that the possibility could be ruled out and that the outlook is positive.
It should be pointed out that, as a result of the activities carried out and of the sharing of experiences, a group was formed based on a shared identity and bound by a common purpose: in-house accident prevention.
See moreDue to the sale of a company that was part of an international holding to another, the appointment of the Administrative Manager was likely to be terminated because the position was already filled in the acquiring company. In this case, personal support and a development process were provided to the manager during the period prior to the eventual termination of her employment. It should be noted that the company had an ethical code of conduct and respect for its employees.
Objectives
- Minimize the negative consequences of termination and optimize opportunities during the job transition process.
- Promote employability and strengthen career development.
- Facilitate entry into the labor market, whether through a new job and/or new business ventures, by enhancing the counselee’s profile and expertise according to her wishes and interests.
Process description
The first stage focused on supporting the counselee during the period of uncertainty because termination was not effective but it was most likely to occur. This stage lasted three months until the job was finally terminated.
At the beginning of the process, the counselee was concerned about her uncertain future; her family’s support; her “employability”; and loss of friendships. These concerns were expressed as fits of anguish beyond her control because she also felt responsible for her family’s welfare, which included her mother and a sister. At the same time, she had an understandable anxiety regarding the process and the actions she was supposed to perform.
During the second stage of the process ‒one month of permanent support and two months of less frequent support/assistance‒ the counselee developed new attitudinal and communicational skills. Other areas of interest were identified to enhance her employability, such as English courses and extension courses in international trade and human resources management, to consolidate a forward-looking professional profile and sustain her negotiation capacity in the labor market.
At the end of the process, the counselee reached a calm acceptance of the situation and notably lowered her anxiety level. Confirmation of her values and strengths led to a more confident assessment of her options. She has also been able to handle the issue with her family without guilt, while protecting them (and herself) against possible anxieties during the whole process. She channeled her need for action into training and personal development activities thanks to the support she received. She also highly valued the company’s support and help in searching for a new placement. The most dreaded issue, saying goodbye to her coworkers, was an intense experience, as was to be expected, but it was also very satisfactory because of their appreciation and the confirmation of her positive “legacy”.
The counselee took a postgraduate course in Buenos Aires and now holds a Masters Degree in Finance from a university in Spain, which opened up new options to resume her career.
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