DR Leachim Semaj, whose Job Bank has been contracted by several major companies to provide counselling and support services to persons whose positions have been made redundant in the past six to eight weeks, says the majority of those referred have not been showing up.

“In general, I’d say only about between 25 and 35 per cent of those who have the option use it,” Semaj told the Observer. “The company pays for the service but the majority of workers don’t use it. That’s the sad part of it. Some of the ones who need it the most still won’t come because Jamaicans have an aversion to seeking help, especially men,” he said.

“We call and ask why they don’t come and sometimes they say ‘we nuh want nutten from dem’ because they are still angry. It’s just stupid. That’s why some companies don’t bother to offer anything,” added Semaj who is popular with talks shows.

The current economic downturn has forced an increasing number of companies here to downsize and hundreds of employees have been issued with pink slips in recent weeks. For some organisations, part of the redundancy package is to offer counselling and career guidance to those sent home.

Since January, the Job Bank, which offers life change consultations, has been contracted by nine companies including big firms like Kingston Wharves Limited, J Wray & Nephew, First Global, GraceKennedy and the Gleaner Company.

“We create career handbooks to see what are the jobs that naturally complement them [those laid off]. We have videos online where they can watch how to do their résumés and cover letters, interview techniques, everything, and we have a consultation with them to discuss how they’re going to spend the (redundancy) money and how to start a business,” he said.

But even with as much as 75 per cent of the cut staff not accessing the services already paid for by previous employers, Semaj, who has been offering life change consultations for 15 years, said there was no need to fear any direct increase in unstable behaviour such as depression, substance abuse or suicide.

“I wouldn’t expect it to be any larger proportion than what we already have with domestic violence and people breaking up. In fact, I think there is a higher probability of somebody going ballistic as a result of domestic violence than as a result of job loss,” he said.

Counsellor Joan Rhule of Family Life Ministries agreed that the stress and hopelessness associated with sudden job loss had the potential to drive up depression but like Semaj, did not believe there was any need to be unduly worried.

“If you are hopeless, definitely that can grow into depression and once there is depression that is not properly treated with therapy and medication, you can almost be certain that there will be suicidal ideations. “Once you’re stressed and there’s no money to take you to the doctor then it is likely that it will lead to depression and the off-shoots such as suicides, substance abuse, illicit sex and even physical abuse,” said Rhule.

“(To) worry doesn’t make sense. All we’ve got to do is develop the proper coping skills. Being worried doesn’t do anything. It makes you sick.

Rhule herself – a trained counselling psychologist since 1993 – as well as the entire Family Life Ministries group reported to the Observer that they had not so far seen any increase in the number of clients who cite problems related to sudden job loss.

“I don’t see an increase in my clientele,” Rhule noted, but stressed that the loss of income could be causing people to say away.

Counsellors in training at Family Life charge $500 per session -between 50 and 60 minutes – while their trained colleagues charge between $2,000 and $2,500.

Despite their tempered optimism, however, the current wave of redundancies might not produce more clients for psychologists because, as Semaj reiterated, Jamaicans won’t readily admit that they need help.

“People in general do not like to seek psychological help, moreso in Jamaica. The average couple who have problems in their marriage, it’s on average six years after the problem starts before they seek help. The average parent who brings a child to me for help, when the child reaches fifth form and is about to fail CXC, the parent will tell you that ‘boy, is from about second form we were seeing this problem’, so that’s the dilemma.”

In spite of the negative aspects of redundancy, Semaj believes it is a blessing in disguise.

“We will have some depressed people for a while but within two years the vast majority who were gainfully employed will be employed again and most are (going to be) better off than they were before.

“That’s the beauty of redundancy. It closes one door but it forces you to evolve to another level of developmental options that on your own you would not have done. Most Jamaicans who own a business today is because somebody made them redundant. Most Jamaicans on their own would not walk away from their job and start a business (because) we are not entrepreneurial,” he said.