Managers cannot be expected to become workplace therapists – Lisa Oakley

Opinion byLisa OakleyPeople Associates·26 Sep, 2026 11:00 PM3 mins to readLisa Oakley from People Associates says the lines between manager and counsellor are becoming increasingly blurred. Photo / Vitaly GarievA manager begins the morning reviewing sales and ends it helping an employee through a disclosure about family violence, financial distress or a mental health crisis.They are then expected back at the budget meeting, as though the conversation required no time, emotional effort or specialist judgment. We increasingly ask