Employee Health and Wellbeing

The Occupation Health Strategy was put in place as a supportive resource for both staff and employers in a school. Its aim is to promote the health and wellbeing of employees in their workplace. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises the Occupational Health Service and the Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme.

Medmark Occupational Healthcare is the current provider of the Occupational Health Service (OHS) to schools. The service provides professional occupational health advice and services on employee medical fitness as follows:

  • pre-employment health assessments,

  • sickness absence assessment,

  • medical fitness to return to work assessments,

  • ill health retirement assessments and

  • Critical Illness Provisions (CIP).

The service can be accessed by logging on to www.medmark4teachersna.ie or contact the telephone advice line at 1890 235 711.

Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programme                                                  

Spectrum Life is the current providers of the Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Services.

See Information Note TTC 004/2020.

The EAS is a self-referral confidential service where employees have access to a dedicated free-phone confidential helpline 1800 411 057, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service is available for teachers, SNA, clerical officers and caretakers in a DES approved post.

Each telephone call is answered by a Case Manager who is a qualified counsellor.

Employees can also text ‘Hi’ to 087 369 0010 to avail of EAS support on SMS & WhatsApp.

Where appropriate, short-term counselling (up to 6 sessions) is available to employees and their family members. Access to support is also available across legal, financial and other areas.

A family member includes a spouse, civil partner or dependent, where the family member can be described as a person over the age of 18 and residing at the family home. In addition, online cognitive behavioural therapy is also provided to employees.

These wellbeing support areas include, but are not limited to:

•       Work stress and change

•       Work-life balance

•       Conflict

•       Discrimination and bullying

•       Retirement

•       Remote working

•       Staying motivated

•       Returning to the workplace after a prolonged absence (e.g., due to COVID-19 illness, or parental leave).

Areas of support beyond counselling include:

•       Financial advice

•       Legal advice

•       Life coaching

•       Mediation information

•       Consumer advice

•       Advice from allied health professionals including physiotherapists, dieticians and more

•       Advice on childcare and eldercare

Spectrum Life Wellbeing Portal

A bespoke wellbeing portal and app is available offering a host of online services with access to live chats, videos, podcasts and blogs on topics around mental health, family life, exercise and nutrition. In addition, online cognitive behavioural therapy is also provided to employees. The platform is available via Web, iOS App or Android App.

Employees can access the Spectrum Life Wellbeing portal as follows:

Sign Up link at: https://wellbeingtogether.spectrum.life/login?org=ylVIIU17

The information provided in this page can be downloaded here