Occupational Health Services: Practical, Work-Focused Guidance
When an employee is struggling at work, HR and managers often find themselves in a difficult position.
They want to offer support to their employee but without independent, work-focused guidance, the decisions they need to make around absence, adjustments or return to work can feel uncertain and exposed.
Clear Guidance for Supporting People
My Group’s occupational health and workplace support services provide that guidance. Through a range of targeted services, including workplace needs assessments, management referrals, pre-employment screening and annual wellbeing reviews, employers get clear, practical advice that helps them support employees well and make fair decisions.
These services are available as part of the My Group employee experience, which means organisations already using My Group for benefits, wellbeing or recognition can access occupational support through the same partner.
What are these services for?
Occupational health (OH) and workplace support services are about giving employers the independent, work-focused advice they need to support someone effectively, whether that means understanding what adjustments would help, planning a phased return or making a fair decision about an employee’s ongoing capacity to work.
The focus throughout is on functional capability and practical workplace solutions. Reports are designed to give HR teams and managers something they can act on to provide immediate help, not a set of clinical conclusions they aren’t equipped to interpret.
When HR teams typically need this kind of support
These services tend to be most relevant when there is a specific employee situation that requires independent guidance. Common triggers include ongoing or recurrent sickness absence, a long-term health condition affecting work and mental health concerns affecting attendance or performance. Often, employers need to understand whether reasonable adjustments apply in a specific case or are navigating a return-to-work situation that needs careful planning.
They are often also relevant earlier in the employment relationship, through pre-employment screening and as a regular part of looking after a workforce through structured annual wellbeing reviews.
What occupational health and workplace support does My Group offer?
My Group provides a targeted range of workplace health services. These are not a full outsourced occupational health function. They’re a practical set of services designed to address the most common situations HR teams face when supporting employees with health, wellbeing or workplace needs.
Workplace Needs Assessment Report
An independent assessment that identifies what an employee needs in order to work effectively and sustainably. Delivered remotely by an experienced psychologist via a one-to-one video consultation, the assessment produces a clear written report with practical, role-specific recommendations.
The report focuses on functional capability, workplace barriers and practical adjustments, covering areas such as equipment, working patterns, communication, duties and phased return options. It gives HR teams and managers an independent, evidence-based view they can use to make fair and informed decisions, and to demonstrate that support has been properly considered.
Workplace Needs Assessment Review Report
A follow-up to a previous Workplace Needs Assessment, reviewing whether the adjustments put in place are having a positive impact and whether further changes are needed. This ensures the adjustments in place are working for the employee, and provides evidence that support has been reviewed and refined as needed.
The review report is particularly useful where previous recommendations have not fully resolved the situation, where the employee’s circumstances have changed, or where the employer wants a formal record of ongoing support.
Management Referral: Psychological
A structured referral route for situations where a manager or HR team needs independent psychological guidance on an employee’s situation. This is appropriate where an employee is experiencing mental health or psychological difficulties that are affecting their work, and where independent, work-focused guidance would help both the employee and the employer understand the right next steps.
The referral provides HR and managers with practical, work-focused recommendations rather than detailed clinical information, keeping the focus on what the employer can do to support the employee effectively.
Management Referral: Physician
A referral route for situations where a physician’s view is needed on an employee’s health in relation to their work. This is appropriate for physical health conditions, long-term illness, recovery from injury, or situations where a medically qualified opinion is needed to support a fair and informed decision.
As with all occupational health referrals, the focus is on functional capability and practical workplace guidance, not on providing the employer with detailed medical information about the employee.
Pre-Employment Psychological Screening
A psychological screening service available at the pre-employment stage, this screening is designed to help both the employer and the candidate understand whether a role is a good fit. For roles that carry significant psychological demand, exposure to distressing situations, or specific resilience requirements, screening helps ensure that the right person is placed in the right role and that they have the best chance of thriving in it.
Pre-employment screening is most valuable as part of a wider recruitment process, alongside a clear understanding of what the role demands and what the screening is designed to assess.
Annual Wellbeing Reviews
A structured annual review of employee wellbeing, providing a regular touchpoint that helps both the employee and employer understand how things are going and identify any support needs before they become problems. For organisations that want to take a more proactive approach to employee health, an annual wellbeing review provides a consistent, evidence-based framework for doing so.
What does the EAP offer HR teams and managers?
An EAP isn’t only a benefit for employees. It also gives HR teams and line managers a clearer framework for supporting people through difficulty, without having to carry that weight themselves.
A structured route for managers to follow
When a manager notices that an employee is struggling, knowing what to say and what to offer is one of the hardest parts. The EAP gives managers a clear, compassionate route to suggest: confidential support that the employee controls, with no obligation on the manager to understand or resolve the underlying issue themselves. That clarity matters, particularly for managers who care but don’t have the expertise to help.
Anonymised usage reporting
HR teams receive anonymised, aggregated data on EAP usage, which helps with understanding whether the benefit is being communicated effectively and whether employees are engaging with the support available. Individual usage details are not shared with the employer. Employers receive only anonymised, aggregated reporting, subject to the safeguarding and legal exceptions explained above.
How do My Group’s occupational health services work in practice?
Most services follow a straightforward referral process. The employer identifies a need, makes a referral through a simple referral form, and the employee attends a video consultation with an appropriately qualified professional. A written report with practical recommendations follows where the service includes a report.
Services are available on a pay-as-needed basis, which means employers only pay for support when they need it, without taking on a company-wide monthly fee. This makes the services accessible for organisations of any size, including those who need occasional support for specific employees rather than a standing arrangement.
My Group’s team can advise on which service is most appropriate for a given situation and handle the referral process from end to end.
Interested in what My Group’s occupational health services could offer your organisation?
Whether you’re exploring these services as part of a broader benefits review or want to understand how a specific service works, we’re happy to talk through what’s available and what would suit your workforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Workplace Needs Assessment is an independent assessment carried out by a qualified psychologist that identifies barriers affecting an employee’s work and recommends practical adjustments the employer can consider. It is focused on functional capability and workplace solutions rather than clinical diagnosis, and produces a written report with clear, actionable recommendations.
A standard occupational health report is typically produced following a management referral and focuses on an employee’s fitness for work, often in relation to absence or a specific health condition. A Workplace Needs Assessment is broader in scope, focusing on what the employee needs in order to work effectively and identifying practical adjustments, regardless of whether absence is the trigger. My Group’s assessments are delivered by psychologists and focus specifically on functional capability and workplace barriers.
Yes. Employee consent is required before any assessment proceeds. Employers should explain to the employee why the assessment is being suggested, what it involves, how the report will be used, and what information will be shared. The process is a supportive step, focused on identifying practical help rather than challenging the employee’s situation.
The employee attends a one-to-one video consultation with an experienced psychologist. Following the assessment, a written report is produced with practical, role-specific recommendations for the employer to consider. These may include adjustments to equipment, working patterns, duties, communication or the working environment, as well as recommendations for phased returns or further review where relevant.
A management referral is appropriate when a manager or HR team needs independent, work-focused clinical guidance on an employee’s situation. Common triggers include ongoing or recurrent absence, a long-term health condition affecting work, mental health concerns affecting attendance or performance, or a need to understand what support or adjustments may be appropriate. My Group offers both psychological and physician referral routes depending on the nature of the concern.
Yes, and they work well together. An EAP provides broad access to confidential support for employees. My Group’s occupational health and workplace support services provide targeted, work-focused guidance for specific situations that require a more structured or independent response. For organisations using My Group for benefits, EAP, recognition or financial wellbeing, these services are available through the same partner.
No. Services are available on a pay-as-needed basis, which means employers only pay for support when a specific need arises. There is no requirement to commit to a company-wide monthly fee or a standing arrangement. This makes the services accessible for organisations of any size, including those who need occasional support rather than ongoing provision.