Joe Kerns
An Employee Assistance Programme (often referred to as an EAP) is a unique employee benefit which helps your staff with any personal problems they are facing that could affect their work performance.
In this blog we’ll go through exactly how EAPs work, why they are so important, give you tips on how to implement your own EAP plan, and answer some of the most frequent questions business leaders and HR teams have about them.
Why Employee Assistance Programmes are important?
Employee Assistance Programmes are essential for organisations to be able to support the wellbeing of their people and offer support during challenging times.
Supporting wellbeing is key to maintaining team morale, which is intrinsically related to their performance – happy staff are naturally more motivated and focused on their work. And while you might have created a comfortable and friendly office environment, personal issues can still pop up and impact individuals in your workforce.
This is why EAPs are so important. They can help staff deal with these kinds of out-of-the-office issues, keeping morale high and allowing your team to remain focused on their work.
A strong EAP will also solidify your organisation as one that cares about the wellbeing of your staff, helping with both recruitment and staff retention.
What services can EAPs provide employees?
Employee Assistance Programmes can provide a wide range of services to meet the needs of your staff. These include:
Mental health services
A forward-thinking organisation should always keep mental wellbeing within their workforce as a priority.
By offering mental health services as an EAP, you’ll be helping your team maintain good mental health while also removing any stigma around discussing mental health and, crucially, asking for help.
Legal advice
Your staff may encounter legal issues outside of work that they don’t have the knowledge to deal with. Offering legal-based advice as part of your EAPs can help with this.
Help with addiction
At any given time one or more of your staff may be trying to give up cigarettes, alcohol, gambling or another vice. By including support for addiction in your EAP, you’re not only giving them to tools to face this challenge, but also demonstrating that you’re supporting them while they tackle it.
Gym memberships
Many organisations offer gym memberships as part of their employee benefits package, which can easily make up part of the EAP. The connection is clear – by offering a gym membership you’re demonstrating your support of an employee’s fitness journey.
Financial advice
Financial difficulties can have a huge impact on someone’s mental health. That’s why an Employee Assistance Programme that offers staff advice and guidance on financial health, whether it’s help on escaping debt or tips on smart saving strategies, will always be appreciated.
What is EAP counselling?
Employee Assistance Programme counselling offers your staff confidential short-term counselling and support sessions. Rather than general advice for your entire workforce, these will be one-on-one, individually tailored sessions, allowing staff members to speak to the counsellor about their issues.
As part of an EAP this counselling will usually be short-term, however the counsellor will be able to refer the employee on to longer-term counselling if they believe it to be necessary.
What does EAP counselling cover?
EAP counselling can cover a wide range of issues that an employee might be facing. Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, addiction problems such as alcohol or gambling, and even financial worries such as falling into debt can all be discussed and worked-through privately through your EAP counselling benefit.
Some employee benefit packages will also extend EAP counselling to employee’s family members.
What is included in a Reward Gateway | Edenred EAP?
Reward Gateway’s EAP provides a truly holistic approach to employee assistance, giving employees access to emotional, physical and mental health wellbeing resources.
By working with Health Assured – the UK’s and Ireland’s largest EAP provider – we can offer around-the-clock support to your employees. The process of accessing support is also seamless and straightforward thanks to our user-friendly platform. Reward Gateway | Edenred’s EAP includes:
Quick and confidential support
Whatever support your employees need, our EAP can provide it. Whether they’re facing issues with their physical or mental health, or even dealing with a crisis that might require more discretion such as debt or addiction, our partnership with Health Assured means that your staff will be receiving the best possible support.
24/7/365 access
We know that sometimes support is needed immediately, which is why our EAP’s support services are open all day, every day to employees and their immediate family members. Health Assured offer phone-based counselling services and advice, as well as an online portal and even a smartphone app, so it’s always possible for staff to get in touch and find the support they need.
Educational content
Employee assistance shouldn’t be just about offering support during a moment of crisis. A strong EAP should also include educational tools to help staff maintain good physical and mental health. Reward Gateway | Edenred’s EAP does exactly that, providing content that allows employees to become the best versions of themselves under their own tutelage.
You can learn more about our EAP and even schedule a free demo of our service.
How to implement your EAP plan
Implementing your own EAP is made quick and easy through Reward Gateway | Edenred as we’ll do the work for you, providing a robust and easy-to-use service for all your staff. However, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your EAP reaches the levels of success you’ve dreamed for it.
Speak to your staff
Before you launch any employee benefit, it’s always wise to speak to your staff to learn about their needs and be sure your new benefit will help them. The same is true before you launch your EAP.
You might decide on a formal process that includes sending out a survey asking employees what areas of life they need assistance with, or a more casual approach such as speaking to your team – either one-on-one or collectively – to get a sense of what they’re looking for in an EAP. However you do it, be sure to really listen to your employees and structure your EAP in a way that provides them with assistance that will make a real difference in their lives.
Communicate your EAP to your team
Your EAP could prove to be one of the best parts of your benefits package, and is sure to boost your employee value proposition as it highlights your organisation as one that truly cares about the welfare of its staff.
However, your staff won’t be able to enjoy this benefit if they aren’t aware of it! That’s why it’s crucial to effectively communicate your EAP to your organisation.
Rather than simply relying on a single email informing staff of their new EAP, why not add a bit of grandeur to the launch? Setting up a company-wide town hall meeting and turning the announcement of your new EAP into an event will ensure all your staff are aware of it.
Gather feedback and alter your EAP if necessary
All the best plans retain an element of flexibility, and your EAP should be no different. Six months after launch it’s worth sending out a survey asking your employees if the current EAP is working for them, or if they’d like to see anything improved or added.
Do the same thing a year or two down the line. After all, your team and the people in it will always be growing and developing as individuals.
By gathering employee feedback and considering their recommendations, you can ensure your EAP stays relevant and useful to your staff.
EAP FAQs
Here are some answers to questions you might have about EAPS that haven’t already been covered on this page.
Is EAP counselling free?
As part of an Employee Assistance Programme, the cost of EAP counselling will usually be covered by the employer, demonstrating their commitment to helping their staff in all areas of their life.
Is an EAP affected by tax?
If your EAP is offered to your entire workforce, as opposed to just your senior team, then it will be exempt from P11D Benefits in Kind tax.
If your EAP includes a legal advice service then keep in mind that if it is used for issues not affecting an employee’s work, it won’t be exempt from tax. Be sure to make this clear to your team if you choose to offer legal advice in your EAP.
Why is employee stress so important to deal with?
As a business leader you’re likely reading a lot about the importance of helping your employees avoid or manage stress at the moment. And for good reason.
Our survey of 2,026 UK employees revealed that, of those who reported feeling frequently stressed, 48% said it had negatively impacted their wellbeing with 40% admitting it had led to them no longer going above and beyond their responsibilities at work.
Therefore, helping your team deal with stress by offering a solution in the form of an EAP can not only improve your office environment, but also lead to a more efficient and present workforce in your organisation.
To learn more about implementing an EAP as well as supporting your employees through a wider wellbeing strategy, speak to one of our employee experience experts today.
