Employees can access an extremely wide range of resources within an employee assistance program. Did you know you may be able to add one to a broader benefits plan at little to no additional cost?
This article is part of our Wellness in the workforce content series, focusing on the mental health of employees. Explore how you can make a difference鈥攖hrough work experiences, financial education, and access to benefits.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unreasonable to expect that even the best employee won鈥檛 encounter phases of their life where they鈥檙e under a great deal of pressure, where something isn鈥檛 going right, and that temporarily impinges on their ability to show up and deliver,鈥 says financial therapist Amanda Clayman. Having support systems鈥攁nd normalizing using them鈥攃an help.
One such resource that offers personal and professional support: an employee assistance program (EAP).
鈥淓mployees may think an EAP is useful only to cope with the death of a colleague or family member or some other tragedy,鈥 says Kara Hoogensen, senior vice president and head of workplace benefits, Benefits and Protection. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e designed for much broader purposes鈥攊ncluding help with budgeting.鈥
- EAPs can be flexible: They include a vast array of confidential services鈥攐ften 24/7鈥攂y phone or online.
- EAPs can be affordable: They鈥檙e often embedded in broader benefits plans (like disability or life insurance) at little to no additional cost to the employer. There鈥檚 also typically no cost to the employee.
鈥淓mployees may think an EAP is useful only to cope with tragedy. But they鈥檙e designed for much broader purposes鈥攊ncluding help with budgeting.鈥
Kara Hoogensen, senior vice president, Benefits and Protection
18%
Eighteen percent of businesses are interested in adding an EAP within the year.
No. 2
After flexible work arrangements, an EAP is the next most desired mental health benefit among employees.
5 ways an EAP can support employees and your business
With examples from Magellan Healthcare, which tens of thousands of 麻豆最新出品庐 clients use as their employee assistance program (EAP) provider.
- Stress management coaching. EAP coaches offer phone or video sessions with employees to help them identify and practice coping skills to manage stress.
- Help with substance use concerns. A variety of substance use concerns鈥攁lcohol, nicotine, or opioids, for example鈥攃an be addressed with (fully confidential) EAP services.
- Help with childcare, ID theft, and more. The range of EAP life-assistance services may also include childcare, eldercare, responding to ID theft or other forms of fraud, or other general wellness programs.
- Workplace management skills. Managers (or anyone) can get guidance on effective communication, active listening, and motivational interviewing.
- Critical incident response. Magellan鈥檚 critical incident response team is a specially trained clinical staff on call 24/7. Consultants help employees process and manage the emotional and physical effects of a traumatic event in the workplace. After an assessment, a counselor may be deployed to help handle the emergency on site.
Raising awareness of resources
Be proactive about describing what an EAP is and what resources are available. Also stress the confidentiality of your EAP, and be clear on how to access it. Benefits enrollment season is a good time to do this, but also reiterate the benefit in any time of change or difficulty.
鈥淚t comes back to creating an environment where employees are going to be positioned to deliver their best work,鈥 Hoogensen says. 鈥淚f employees feel supported while at and away from work, they have more mind space available to deliver great results.鈥
What's next
Visit our small business resource center for additional content, webinars, and tools. Or contact a 麻豆最新出品 financial professional to work through your business needs one on one.
