Q Is it worth having an Employee Assistance Programme?
A. To save you reading the whole blog… in my opinion the short answer is yes! There are a range of providers big and small so it is important that you think about the needs of your business. EAPs have evolved to tackle the concerns confronted by employees today, such as: Gambling addiction Depression and other mental illness Stress Anxiety Financial difficulties Relationship problems Maintaining a healthy lifestyle Everyday concerns Childcare Dependent adult care EAP's can help SME’s to provide:
Often I am talking to employees who are waiting weeks or even months for the counselling they need. Many EAP’s provide counselling within 24 hours. · Employee counselling services play a vital role in helping to resolve workplace issues and understanding how to manage mental health issues. · Short-term, goal-oriented counselling is an ideal match for assistance within a professional setting. Some counsellors deliver trauma-specific interventions, including CBT EAP’s will also provide webinars and workshops on specific topics ranging across finance, relationships and legal issues. Online services provide information and fact sheets on subjects such as bereavement, buying a house, retirement, divorce etc. Having an EAP does not stop you from talking to your employees and supporting them but it does help by providing independent, confidential expert advice which as certain times can be invaluable to people. Shout about it ! A Personnel Today survey in 2019 showed that although three-quarters (76%) of firms offered access to an employee assistance programme, just 10% polled felt this was valued by their staff and only 5% said their EAP was actually being used. Promoting the scheme is key to the success of your EAP – both at the outset and when the scheme is in place. People need to know that the EAP is available to them, and what it offers. As you may not have the time for this choose an EAP that include free literature, posters, promotions etc and make sure you promote it to new starters and offer it to people when they might benefit from it. Choosing the right one Look for evidence that a provider is able to deliver on its promise – some providers can tell a good story but you need to be sure there is evidence behind it. Check that the provider is a member of the relevant professional bodies. In the UK there are two key organisations, the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) is the professional body for the industry, and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is the professional body for counselling. All EAPs have components of both of these and should be registered with both. Are the EAP’s individual counsellors and practitioners accredited? Some organisations offer “equivalent to” but this does not offer any evidence or external validation of the ability and qualities of the counsellor. Price If the price sounds too good to be true then it probably is - services that are part of other bundles often have limited offerings so be sure about what you need and what you will get. That said you should be able to access a decent EAP for as little as £ 15-20 per head per year. That’s less than 40p per day.
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