EAP in the Workplace

As part of their Duty of Care, employers must protect the welfare and wellbeing of their workers in the workplace. This duty extends to stress and mental health challenges. Among the most effective methods to protect workers against stress and mental health issues in the workplace is by offering an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This forms part of an employer's worker benefit package and gives employee access to a range of services that support them in times of challenge and stress, such as counselling support.

To implement an EAP, employers need to properly research EAP providers before selecting. Also, running employee surveys before implementing an EAP, to find out which services would be most beneficial, is highly recommended. This will ensure that services provided are specifically relevant and tailored to the workplace.

Mental health and wellbeing fall under The Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This means that employers have an obligation to protect their employees' mental health, as per their Duty of Care.

This, along with the UK's strong emphasis on mental health awareness and well-being in the workplace, places the responsibility to provide protection for employees' physical and mental health problems on employers. Employers must also ensure that their overall working environment is safe, and risk assessments have been undertaken.

Employers must also ensure that employees are protected from discrimination against their mental health. But how do employers support their staff with their mental health? The most effective approach for most organisations is to implement an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

With over 80 years' experience helping UK businesses of all sizes with their HR and Employment Law challenges, we confidently provide the right solutions for yours. For more information on how we can help your business integrate an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) into your employee benefits package, talk to our HR experts on 01455 858 132.

• What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
• EAP program benefits
• What does an EAP offer?
• How to onboard an EAP service
• What do my employees need from an EAP?
• How do I offer an EAP as part of my employee benefits package?
• Remember to continually evaluate your Employee Assistance Program
• Get EAP and other mental health resources support

What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?

What is an EAP? An employee assistance program, or EAP for short, is a benefit employers can offer employees during stressful and challenging moments. EAPs are designed to offer practical support and advice in a range of areas, not least mental health services and support. Below is a list of just a few of the services an employee assistance programme can provide:

• Face-to-face mental health counselling with healthcare professionals.
• Short- & long-term counselling options to manage stress and mental health issues.
• Online counselling sessions and over-the-phone counselling.

EAP program benefits

There are several benefits to providing an EAP: both for your business and employees. Better support for staff wellbeing can reduce the risk of poor mental health in the workplace, physical illness, and depression and anxiety, which is a win all-round.

Adding to this, EAPs can provide the following tangible benefits:

1. Improved employee retention

If employees feel valued and supported, there's a much stronger likelihood that they will stay with your business and feel happier in their work.

Employees with easy access to mental health support are less likely to struggle with things like burnout and physical health problems, and this means your business will lose less talent (lower rates of staff turnover).

2. Improved employee engagement and productivity

An EAP offers an enhanced level of support to your employees; they are more likely to be productive instead of distracted by stresses in and out of the workplace.

The additional support also means that employees are less likely to take sickness absences due to mental health-related reasons.

3. Confidentiality and trust

Trust is a fundamental part of being able to effectively talk about personal problems. One of the great things about employee assistance programs is that they are completely confidential.

What does an EAP offer?

An EAP isn’t limited to just mental health support for employees but also offers a plethora of other services to help your workforce.

Some of these services may otherwise require an employee to wait weeks or months to be seen, so offering employees this support on demand is a significant benefit.

Access to a range of mental health, bereavement, and trauma counselling

Mental health counsellors can help employees develop and maintain healthy coping mechanisms and strategies towards both work and life-related stressors. Bereavement and trauma counsellors can help staff through mourning the loss of a loved one or in the event of a particularly traumatic experience.

Carer and childcare support

Your employees are people first and foremost, which means that they may have priorities outside of your business, particularly if they are a new parent and/or are caring for an elderly family member.

This can raise an internal conflict as there may be times where there are unavoidable clashes with their working life and their life as a parent or carer.

An EAP can help support them during these times of additional stress, helping to offer them the right support to manage the situation effectively.

Legal advice for employees

An employee assistance program can offer employees practical advice on dealing with legal proceedings, for example divorce or custody matters. It can also be utilised to offer advice on things such as consumer rights and financial challenges.

They can also be used to help workers facing issues in the workplace that are negatively impacting their emotional health and personal life.

How to onboard an EAP service

The good news is that there are plenty of ways you can implement an EAP into your business.

However, before you go ahead, you should take the time to research your options and ask yourself the following questions.

What do my employees need from an EAP?

A survey is a good starting point for determining exactly what your employees would require in a business-tailored employee assistance program.

Look for common themes in their answers, such as support with mental health or childcare, for example. You can then look at providing benefits such as counselling access, referral schemes, and/or an online health portal within your EAP.

How do I offer an EAP as part of my employee benefits package?

You should consider how your company will offer the EAP. For instance, do you want to work with an outsourced company or do you want an in-house provider. There's also the option of on-site or off-site EAPs to consider.

Take your time and assess what works best for your business and your employees.

Research EAP providers

Once you have undertaken the initial research it's time to look at providers, make a list of providers that fit your business requirements and outline the pros and cons before making any final decisions.

Remember to continually evaluate your Employee Assistance Program

Once an EAP is in place, it's a best practice to continually revisit it. This process ensures it's still serving your business and your employees' needs.

Gather feedback from your employees and ask your provider to provide you with feedback data. This will give you insight into the service and how it is being used.

Get EAP and other mental health resources support

With over 80 years supporting businesses with their HR needs, Croner can help you incorporate an EAP service for your employees.

We offer free, in-person events and webinars on HR and Health and safety near you. Check out our Events page to get involved in our upcoming events. 

Call us today to discuss how you can better your employee support package. Call 01455 858 132.