Tips to maximize the impact of your EAP
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are not new to business. Companies first began incorporating EAP services in the 1940s to address alcoholism and alcohol-related incidents on the job. EAP professionals would intervene and refer employees to alcohol treatment programs. Over time, their assessment and referral services have expanded to address more employee needs, including mental health counseling, crisis intervention, financial and legal assistance, general wellness, workplace conflict resolution, and dependent care concerns.
About 53% of all Americans have access to an EAP program (The Current State of Employee Assistance Programs in the United States), and the rate is higher among those working at larger organizations. More than 97% of U.S. companies with more than 5,000 employees offer EAPs. Eighty percent of companies with 1,00-5,000 employees and 75% of companies with 251-1,000 employees offer EAPs (International Employee Assistance Professionals Association).
Graphic describing the functions of Employee Assistance Programs
Some EAPS are internal, meaning company employees manage the services. More programs are external, where the company contracts with a third-party provider. Increasingly, companies are moving to a hybrid model mixing internal and external providers in response to changing employee needs. Regardless of the model, the initial services are provided at no cost to the employee, and confidentiality is highly protected.
Yet despite the prevalence and robustness of EAP programs, fewer than 10 percent of employees use the service. Local professionals shared the following insights about increasing the participation rate:
According to Meg Switala, Director of Healthy Cultures at TiER1 Performance, normalizing the need for assistance is critical. "The best way to do this is to get buy-in from the organization's leadership. They need to talk about why the company supports mental health, and EAP services. They must make it normal and acceptable for employees to avail themselves of the services. If they have used EAP services, it is very powerful for them to share their personal experiences."
Kerry Tuttle of 1N5 agrees that leadership support is essential. 1N5 is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit dedicated to preventing suicide by erasing the stigma around mental health. She also stressed the importance of well-trained frontline managers. "Employees are most likely to talk about their issues and show the signs of their struggles to their supervisor. The more companies can prepare their frontline supervisors to recognize warning signs and encourage workers to seek assistance through the EAP, the better."
Employers should also consider new avenues to deliver services. A recent survey of employers with 500+ employees by Mercer, Inc. found that 45% plan to add coaching and text therapy to their menu of employee options. 29% plan to provide in-person counseling at one or more worksites, and 28% plan to offer more free counseling sessions to employees in 2025. Only 17% of companies surveyed indicated they do not plan to alter their EAP services in 2025.
"Young employees are comfortable using technology to access healthcare, but many employees still prefer in-person sessions, especially for mental health concerns," Kelley Bright said. Bright is Mercer’s Kentucky and Tennessee Office Managing Partner. She presented their survey data at the 10th Annual Kentucky Workforce Summit on March 18 where she encouraged companies to offer a variety of modalities to increase participation. (The full survey results are available here.)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing-Kentucky Group HR Manager Michelle Evans echoed Bright's comments later in the summit. "We have added onsite services at some of our facilities. We want to make it clear to employees that EAP services exist to help them. The more we can do to make it easy to access the care, the more impact our program will have."
It makes good financial sense to invest in EAP services. Estimates of the exact return on investment vary, ranging from a low of $3 returned to a high of $16 returned for every dollar invested. However, all outcome studies report better employee retention, lower absenteeism, increased productivity, and lower healthcare costs for companies with strong EAP programs (Return on Investment for EAP and Mental Health in the Workplace - Northstar Employee Assistance Program).
NKY Works encourages companies of all sizes to adopt policies and procedures that support employee health and wellness as a proven employee retention strategy. If your company is experiencing workforce challenges, we can help. Contact NKY Works at 859.657.WRKS (9757) or email us at NKYWorks@NKADD.org. We will connect you with resources to address your specific needs.