Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPS) are quickly becoming an essential feature on employee benefit schemes. How do you choose the right EAP for your workforce? Well, each EAP offers a slightly different service. So, to help you make the best decision for your team, this guide for employers will walk you through the factors to consider when selecting an EAP. What’s more, we have included practical tips to help you maximise the impact of your EAP!
What is an Employee Assistance Programme?
An Employee Assistance Programme is a company funded scheme that enables employees to access independent, professional support on a confidential basis. This support should help your team deal with any personal or work-related problems that may be impacting their performance at work.
The professional support available will vary between EAP providers, but may include a 24/7 helpline; counselling services; legal information and financial advice. EAPs can operate in a variety of ways, from face to face support, to telephone or online.
Employee Assistance Programmes are different to any other form of mental health counselling, as the emphasis is on employees’ work performance. The EAP Association define it as, “An EAP is a strategic…workplace programme that is designed to assist productivity and attendance issues within the workplace and support employees to identify and resolve personal concerns that may affect job performance“.
The origin of Employee Assistance Programmes dates back to the 1940s, when they were developed to tackle the mental, emotional and financial issues caused by employee alcoholism in America. Over time, the scope of EAPs expanded to cover a broader range of issues that may affect an employee’s performance at work.
EAPs became popular in the UK following a series of employment law cases that considered the employers’ duty of care in relation to work related stress. For example, in Sutherland v Hatton, Lady Justice Hale stated ‘An employer that offers a confidential advice service, with referral to appropriate counselling or treatment services, is unlikely to be found in breach of duty’. As a result, an effective employee assistance programme can be an effective resource for employers to offer their employees where possible.
The benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme
Offering access to an EAP will undoubtedly support a company’s employee value proposition, as it demonstrates the importance placed on the health & well-being of its people. This can help attract the attention of talented job candidates in a difficult recruitment market.
However, the benefits of an EAP go far beyond recruitment. It has long been recognised that investing in employee wellbeing results in higher performance and productivity, reduced sickness absence and higher levels of employee engagement and resilience.
For example, Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) identified ‘a wealth of evidence’ suggesting a positive link between the introduction of wellness programmes in the workplace and improved business key performance indicators.
An EAP can also act as a valuable source of information to gain insights into a workforce. While EAPs are confidential, anonymous data is available on metrics such as the level of usage, the type of support accessed and the nature of the issue etc. The data provided can help identify early signs of workplace issues (such as occupational stress or bullying), enabling companies to take proactive steps in response.
How to choose an Employee Assistance Programme
The EAPA states, ‘The most essential function of a successful EAP is… its ability to provide confidential support services, on demand, when they are needed, and free of charge to employees’. However there are many different EAP providers, all offering slightly different services. As every employer is unique with its own set of circumstances and business needs, you should carefully consider which EAP is the best fit for your business.
These are some factors that you may wish to consider before deciding on an EAP provider:
Timeframes for support
Many EAPs will offer a 24/7 helpline service, that employees can access in urgent situations. Waiting times for appointments can also vary, so this should be considered. For example, some EAPs provide a same day service for emergency counselling sessions. Consider the anticipated uptake of these services in your company to ensure you choose an EAP provider that suits your team’s needs.
Location
Many companies have adapted to hybrid working or remote working over the last few years, so where EAP services are based may not be a high priority to some companies with a remote workforce intending to use an online or telephone EAP only. However, if you’re looking to work with an EAP provider who offers face-to-face counselling, it will be important that their services are local to your workplace, as employees may be unable or unwilling to travel long distances.
Method of communication
Further to this, you should consider whether face to face appointments are required (which are likely to come at a higher cost), or whether telephone, video call or online sessions are sufficient.
Online portal or Mobile App
An online portal or mobile app is a simple, easy way for employees to access services or book appointments, so this may be a good feature to look for in an EAP provider.
Services available
The services offered by different providers vary considerably. You should carefully consider which services your team require, for example, some providers will offer cognitive behavioural therapy and financial and legal advice. Some providers also offer additional services such as occupational health or private medical insurance. The services you need will be unique to your company and your team, so spend time comparing different EAP providers to ensure they offer what you need.
Eligibility
Most EAPs are available to employees only, however others can be extended to family members as well. Personal issues at home can affect our performance at work, so extending your EAP service to employee family members could be a valuable addition to your employee assistance programme.
Qualifications
Of course, it is essential that all EAP professionals hold relevant qualifications and accreditations. Make sure this is on your checklist to ensure your employees are getting the best support possible.
Annual Packages
Most providers will place limits on the number of sessions per employee that are included in the annual package. Some services may come at an additional cost, over and above the annual fee. You may wish to consider whether extra sessions or services are available if needed by an employee, and what the additional cost would be.
Promotional support
For the EAP to be successful, employees need to be made aware of the services available and how to access them. Many providers offer promotional support, such as on-site education sessions, webinars, posters, emails and newsletters.
You may wish to include your own branding or logo on the promotional material. If this is important to you, this is something you should discuss with potential EAP providers.
Management training and support
Managing an employee who is experiencing mental health issues can be extremely challenging. Some EAPs even offer training and coaching for managers. Many also offer the option for management referral to services, as well as self-referral. An EAP that works with you is likely to be a more effective tool for supporting your team.
Data
The data gained from EAPs can be a powerful tool to help with early identification of issues in the workplace, such work related stress or bullying. Depending on the provider, the type of information that may be available includes: usage levels; the services accessed; the nature of the issue (for example, workplace issue or financial problems). In addition, having an EAP provider with an online management portal makes accessing the data easy. Ask potential EAP providers about the data that is available to you, and how you can monitor your EAP programme uptake.
Account management
Regular meetings with the EAP provider can be beneficial so that the Account Manager is able to gain an understanding of the business and may be able to offer targeted support when needed, for example during a redundancy process or a bereavement. If this is something that would benefit you, ensure this is something your EAP provider can offer you.
Ultimately, each company will have a different set of requirements and business needs. The EAP Association recommends that the right EAP provider is one that ‘you feel comfortable to work with, and fits your existing culture.’
How to effectively manage an EAP
While EAPs undoubtedly have the potential to provide a multitude of benefits for employers, these benefits rely on the programmes being managed in an effective way. Research by the EAP Association found that employers are missing opportunities to make the most of their EAP.
So, to prevent your EAP from becoming a tick in a box, rather than the valuable asset it should be, here are some tips on how to maximise the benefits of an EAP:
Regular promotion
Many companies are great at promoting their EAP when it’s first launched, but fail to maintain the momentum. To get the most out of an EAP, companies need to proactively advertise it. Employees should be properly informed about all of the services available and constantly reminded that help is only a phone call away. It’s important that emphasis should be placed on the confidentiality of EAPs.
Apps and online portals make accessing the EAP easy, and are particularly useful with a younger workforce. Brian Taylor, Head of EAP, Clinical and Wellbeing, at Health Matters suggests that EAPs should be integrated into day-to-day practice, for example, the programme should be discussed during return to work conversations, disciplinary meetings and appraisals. As Clara McSweeney, HR Business Partner at MTR Crossrail, says ‘It’s our responsibility… to champion it and ensure all colleagues are aware of the benefits and opportunities available to them’.
Avoid Stigma
Historically, there has been stigma associated with accessing an EAP, in a similar way to mental health services. Organisations should carefully consider how they position their EAP to avoid perpetuating perceptions of stigma. When Dr Davis first joined the Royal Mail as a Global Director, the company had an EAP called ‘Help’ which few employees utilised. The promotional material showed a man hanging off a cliff. Dr Davis rebranded the programme, renaming it ‘Feeling First Class’ which transformed the way in which the programme was perceived by employees.
A simple way to avoid perceptions of stigma, is to encourage leaders (if they feel comfortable to do so) to share their experiences of accessing the EAP. What could be more powerful than the CEO talking openly about the benefits they’ve gained from accessing support?
Management referrals
Brian Taylor identifies management referrals as being one of the key tools of an EAP. A line manager who notices that an employee needs support can proactively refer them to EAP instead of waiting for the employee to self-refer. As Brian Taylor says, ‘Management referral is a vital feature of the EAP because the person who needs support is often the last to realise it’.
Data Insights
The statistical data gained from EAPs can provide incredibly useful insights for organisations. The data can be broken down to show the number of cases that involve personal circumstances and those that are work related. While the data remains anonymous, it can reveal crucial information that companies can use to guide decision making. The key to fully utilising the data is to identify patterns. For example, if there are lots of ‘conflict at work’ issues, then it may be time to develop training for line managers on how to manage conflict in the workplace. Similarly, if patterns of addiction are identified, then a company may want to review its drug and alcohol policy.
What can we do to help?
To sum up, Employee Assistance Programmes come in all shapes and sizes, and you should ensure the EAP you choose is the right fit your team’s needs. This will ensure that it is a worthwhile investment, increase employee uptake, and be an valuable addition to your benefits scheme.
You can find out about our Employee Assistance Programme services here: Fitzgerald HR Employee Assistance Programme services
If you would like advice on selecting an EAP, please contact our team on 0330 223 5253 or office@fitzgeraldhr.co.uk. We would be delighted to help you.
We hope you found this guide useful. You may also find the resources below helpful.
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