Employee Assistance Programs, or EAPs, are comprehensive workplace benefits offered to employees. The main goal of EAPs is to support employees and their families with personal and work-related challenges. Employee Assistance Programs are increasingly popular in Canada. Employers are recognizing the value of EAPs for the well-being and productivity of their employees. Employees also appreciate having more support and resources at hand via their company.
What are Employee Assistance Programs?
EAPs, or Employee Assistance Programs, are employer-funded programs that provide short-term support for personal and professional issues that employees may face. All EAP services are supposed to be private and confidential. They offer a range of services like mental health counselling, financial or legal advice, support with building a good work-life balance and more, all oriented towards helping their employees live a well-rounded life.
Employee Assistance Programs can also provide assistance for more intensive needs, like substance abuse problems, relationship counselling, or family counselling. Since these services usually come via third-party service providers, your information can stay confidential. All such information about support or services used is limited to the employee using the service.
What are the benefits of employee assistance programs?
Benefits of EAP for employees
Employee Assistance Programs offer employer-funded programs that are free for employees to use (or for a nominal fee). They also have confidentiality for sensitive matters, which can help people feel more comfortable seeking help. Employees may also have 24×7 access to emergency hotlines for urgent assistance.
EAPs often have a wide range of services on offer for employees, so people are likely to find a solution to their needs via the comprehensive service list. Some companies also offer services to the dependents and immediate family members of employees.
EAPs have a host of benefits for employees. According to a 2020 Workplace Outcome report, 56% percent of employees reported finding it difficult to concentrate at work due to mental health issues – after three months of counselling, this figure dropped to 28%. In fact, 46% of employees reported that they would have lost time at work if not for EAP services, and the support they received from it. One-third of employees who would have been off work if not for EAP, stated that they would have been absent for over 20 days.
Benefit of EAP for employers
EAPs can support increased workplace productivity by offering solutions for any personal challenges an employee can face. Employers notice an improved focus and efficiency when their people are in a good place, personally and professionally. Providing comprehensive and useful EAP services can increase employee retention too. It shows that the company cares about their employees. In the short as well as long term, employee assistance programs can improve morale and loyalty.
Employee Assistance Programs can also help manage issues early. This is particularly important for those that could lead to extended time off in the future if unaddressed. This can also help reduce healthcare costs in the future if illnesses can be addressed earlier. eaning the company is likely to pay out less total healthcare expenses in the long run. In addition, helping an employee address issues like substance abuse can also help foster a safer work environment for all employees.
Financially, EAPs provide an estimated ROI (return on investment) of $3 to $8 for every $1 invested. For large employers, the ROI can go up to 9:1 (United States data). Employee Assistance Programs can result in around $2,000 to $3,500 in savings per employee.
How to make the most of EAPs
For employers
- Focus on awareness and education by providing comprehensive information to new hires about the services available to them. Include this information in orientation and onboarding materials as well. Remind employees about EAP resources via team meetings, newsletters, internal company communications, and more such touchpoints.
- Discuss and promote using Employee Assistance Programs within the company. The company leadership can encourage and discuss the benefits of the program with their team. Open dialogue can support the acceptance and usage of EAPs. If possible, share success stories of employees who benefited from EAP support – these stories or testimonials can be confidential, if needed.
- Enhance accessibility in various forms so that employees can avail of these benefits easily. Make it accessible for employees to get the support they need, like providing phone hotlines, dedicated email, apps, or online portals where they can review their benefits. Ease of access and quick communication is very important, especially for such services. When you’re providing value-added services, they should be able to easily avail these benefits for them to truly benefit from them.
- Integrate Employee Assistance Programs and their benefits with other group benefits, like insurance or wellness, to provide a cohesive experience and support to employees. Again, the goal is to make it easy for employees to see their benefits, make claims, or use the benefits. If there are conditions attached or partial coverage available for any of these services, make sure it is clarified at the outset, so your employees don’t feel let down or disappointed.
For employees
- Pay attention to all your onboarding and orientation materials to fully understand all the Employee Assistance Program benefits available to you. Communicate with your HR representative if you need clarity on any of the points. Make sure you’re aware of all available services and support options, so you know what you can access when you need it.
- Remember that EAP services are confidential, so don’t hesitate to seek help when you need it. If you need support, that’s what these services are for. Your employer has put together these benefits exactly for this: so that you have support when you need it. They also want to see you feel your best, and consequently, perform to your fullest.
- Use EAP-provided services when needed, even if it seems like a “small thing” to you. Don’t ignore any issues, or wait for them to become critical or an emergency situation. It would be easier and less stressful for you to solve things when they start to become an issue. The services are there to support you, so use them to your benefit.
- Employee Assistance Programs provide an opportunity for you to enhance your personal and professional well-being – at no added cost to you. If your company has a good EAP program, know that they’re looking out for their employees’ best interests, and want you to do well and be well. Take advantage of these to get advice when you need it, which may serve you well even in the future.
Key Takeaways
EAPs, or Employee Assistance Programs, are workplace benefits offered by employers to support employees and their families. EAPs cover a range of services to help address personal and professional challenges. Services range from mental health counselling, legal or financial advice, substance abuse problems, and more. All such EAP services are meant to be confidential, to respect the employee’s privacy.
Companies should provide relevant information to their employees about their services, and provide a channel for clear communication between employees and HR representatives or support channels. Employees should pay attention to orientation materials to understand what benefits their company’s EAP provides. Pay attention to whether an offered service is covered fully or partially, this can also help you plan how much you will have to pay. This is especially relevant if you’re on a budget or trying to become debt-free. If you’re currently dealing with debt, you can contact one of our trained credit counsellors for advice – they can help you figure out which debt relief strategy could be the right fit for your specific situation.