What is an employee assistance program (EAP) and is it a good investment?
Covid has caused drastic changes to work routines, rattled workforces, and left HR professionals squarely focused on the mental health of employees. What is an employee assistance program (EAP) and is it worth it? An article written by HRDs Coann Labitoria endeavours to find out.
What is an EAP?
A service offered to employees who may have emotional or mental struggles that are affecting their performance in the workplace. It is usually offered by a neutral third-party but can also be managed in-house.
The important role of an EAP
When employees are looked after, their health, productivity, morale and motivation improve and stabilise resulting in increased output and a better bottom line for the company.
The effectiveness of EAPs
Some employers believe that EAPs are a waste of time and money but there is a great deal of research disproving negative claims. Businesses who had an EAP saw an average 69.2% reduction in absenteeism. They also experienced significant reduction in workplace distress and marked increases in employee engagement and workplace distress.
Encourage employees to use EAP
Even the best EAP will fail if employees don’t buy into the concept. Here are a few helpful tips to encourage sceptical employees.
- Emphasise the importance of confidentiality
Discuss the laws around confidentiality breaches and ensure the councillors themselves are reassuring employees that all information is strictly confidential.
- Promote the program constantly
Be proactive promoting the program to remind employees that it’s there. This will encourage discussion amongst employees
- Confront stigma around mental health
Address misinformation around the stigma of mental health. Employees must understand the importance and health benefits of having talks regarding mental health.
Find the right balance in encouraging employees to reach out for help while not overstepping any boundaries.
