The EAP, An Untapped Employee Benefit

Feb 3rd, 2023 | Hire Wire

Mental health struggles. Difficult family dynamics. Caring for elders. Financial concerns. The number of challenges affecting today’s workforce are numerous and can feel overwhelming. It can be difficult as an employer to know how best to support these needs. However, many employers overlook Employee Assistance Plans (or EAPs) as value-add services for employees, in turn failing to make employees aware of or encourage the use of the EAP benefit. In today’s competitive job market, employee benefits remain a top differentiator both in attracting and retaining talent, and using the EAP can fill a much-needed gap in most benefit offerings.

An employer-sponsored employee assistance plan (EAP) is a work-based intervention program designed to identify and assist employees in resolving personal problems that may be adversely affecting their performance at work, such as marital, financial or emotional problems; family issues; or substance or alcohol misuse. Employee Assistance Plans are not only almost always a free benefit for employees, but also for family members living in their homes.

Many think of the EAP just as a few free counseling services, and indeed, most EAPs do provide free counseling sessions. However, EAPs offer many more resources for employees to use- most of which are services that they wouldn’t have access to typically. Services range from financial counseling, loss and grief support, referrals for children or elder care, substance abuse support, legal services, and care for mental and physical health concerns. While the EAP doesn’t provide ongoing services for any of these areas, they are a helpful “first line of defense” for employees in need and often times become a bridge for longer-term care.

As an employer, encouraging the use of the EAP has business benefits as well. A healthy workforce is a more productive workforce! As SHRM mentions, “EAPs are valuable resources that can help employees cope with issues affecting their ability to reach that potential.” Providing resources to support employee wellbeing enables employees to reach that potential. Alternately, when your workforce is afflicted with pressing issues outside of work, productivity and employee morale can falter, negatively affecting the bottom line.

With the potential benefits and free cost, why don’t more employees use EAP benefits? Firstly, many are unaware of the benefits available and may feel a stigma towards using EAP services. After all, getting help can be hard! Initial marketing of EAPs focused primarily on substance abuse which may lead many to believe that substance abuse services are all that’s offered. This is a great opportunity to communicate the expanded offerings of the EAP to your team! Additionally, many employees worry that their employer will find out about their challenges, and it will adversely affect their job. However, EAP services are confidential, so employers should be sure to communicate this clearly when sharing about the EAP benefit. Finally, many may view using the EAP for only serious, time-sensitive situations, but increasingly EAP services provide advice on important but not critical life events such as marriage, pregnancy, and retirement.

Research shows that encouraging EAP use for your workforce is worthwhile. A recent study published in the International Journal of Health and Productivity looking at 24,300 employees found that absenteeism from work dropped 27% for employees who used an EAP. The study also discovered that employees' engagement at work grew by 8%, while life satisfaction climbed 22%.

To increase awareness and usage of your company’s Employee Assistance Program, think about your communication plan. In addition to sharing during new hire orientation and open enrollment, share about EAP resources throughout the year, whether it be tied to certain calendar events or specific events that occur in your organization. In everyday conversations with employees or during an employee relations discussion, consider how the EAP can support your employee’s situation, and help them connect to the services you offer. In short, there is no downside to creating more understanding of these essential services to create a healthier, happier team!