Employee Assistance Programs: yes or no?

How to make the most of good mental health at work

An organisation’s focus on employee mental health and wellbeing is now so much more than just the latest trend. Not only is it a strategic point of difference, but it is also a legal obligation. One commonly available mechanism for supporting wellbeing at work is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). These programs provide counselling and referral services to support employees in managing their mental and emotional wellbeing.

Mental health challenges among employees may stem from a range of personal or professional factors. Some of the more obvious personal factors might be depression, anxiety, addiction, family or other interpersonal relationship struggles, and let’s not forget your big ticket items such as pandemics! Workplace factors include pressures such as poor conditions, perceived lack of task control, increasing workloads, lack of career development, and struggles balancing work and home life.

The business case for introducing an EAP is based on the premise that good mental health is good for business. Overwhelmingly, the evidence supports this, with reductions in absenteeism and improvements in engagement, morale and staff retention. The increasing number of organisations offering EAP support is indicative of how effective the programs can be, but also of how much they are simply another employee expectation.

So, how do we make an EAP more meaningful? How do we turn an EAP initiative into something more than just a tick-a-box add-on? Here are three links that offer evidence-based tips for getting the best out of your EAP (and provide additional resources):

1. https://www.nsw.gov.au/mental-health-at-work/stories/mental-health-at-work-blogs/tips-to-boost-effectiveness-of-your-employee-assistance-program
2. https://www.comcare.gov.au/safe-healthy-work/mentally-healthy-workplaces/mental-health-initiatives/better-practice-employee-assistance-program-services
3. https://www.hcamag.com/au/specialisation/benefits/are-employee-assistance-programs-worth-it/323799

In brief, most suggestions centre around a few common threads:

• Promote the EAP. All. Year. Round. People won’t use a service if they don’t know it exists.
• One size does not fit all. Consider expanding service delivery options, accessibility for rural areas, and allowing for a needs-based assessment in session allocations.
• Monitoring and evaluation. Don’t treat this as a set and forget item. Identify how you will monitor and measure the use and impact of the program. This is key to ensuring the EAP is a meaningful value-add to your organisation.

While I believe an EAP is an organisational must-have, I also believe it’s just as important to understand why you have it, what you want to achieve out of it, and how will you understand its impact.

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Photograph: Jack Sparrow on Pexels.