Bullying, conflicts, stress due to work pressure or an unclear task package, issues in their private lives… These can weigh heavily on employees and consequently on your organisation. A confidential adviser lowers the threshold for raising and solving such problems. But who can fulfil this role?

In short

An approachable person with a good dose of empathy is your ideal confidential adviser. Please note that they cannot be a member of the managerial staff – as an employer, you are therefore also excluded. Also excluded are your occupational physician, union representatives, and those who have a seat on the works council or committee (CPPW). A confidential adviser is a neutral point of contact in case of psychosocial problems and is bound by a duty of confidentiality.

Appointing a confidential adviser is a legal obligation for organisations with 50 or more employees. But even in smaller organisations, the role is worth its weight in gold for the psychosocial well-being in your workplace. If a colleague has a problem that weighs on their performance, the confidential adviser is a neutral contact point.

Firstly, for a confidential discussion, but also for advice, mediation, or possible referral. With a confidential adviser, problems usually come to light faster, before they have a chance to escalate.
 

Your confidential adviser must be able to take a neutral position, both towards the other employees and towards you, the employer. Therefore, an employee may not be a confidential adviser if they…

• …belong to the managerial staff (with the exception of confidential advisers designated before 1/9/2014).
• …occupational physician.
• …are a member of the trade union delegation – membership of a trade union is not a problem.
• …are an employer or employee representative in the works council or committee (CPPW).
• …are a candidate for the social elections.

A confidential adviser has no fixed tasks. As an accessible point of contact, they are first and foremost a listening ear for the colleague who entrusts them with a problem. Such a conversation in private often works wonders in itself. Furthermore, the confidential adviser may also give advice and, if necessary, mediate or refer the colleague to someone else for a solution.

Because of their specific role, your confidential adviser has a good overview of the kind of problems that arise in the workplace. Reporting this to the psychosocial well-being prevention adviser therefore provides valuable input for your well-being policy.

Your confidential adviser will be confronted with a wide range of problems – and must respond appropriately. A basic education is therefore mandatory in order to provide professional support to the employee(s) involved.