Employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are critical in offering early support for employees to reduce the impact of mental health problems and having employee assistance programmes UK workplaces can adopt is critical in ensuring long-term employee wellbeing.
In the UK alone 70% of respondents to a survey stated that they accessed EAP services due to workplace stress while 57% of respondents revealed that they utilised these services due to depression.
The figures corroborate the need for EAPs in today’s business environment and the need for instating employee assistance programmes UK employees can count on. Even though EAPs have a positive impact on employee mental health, employers still consider it a ‘tick box’ activity rather than a meaningful tool that employees can use to thrive.
With the UK EAP services industry worth £295.8 million in 2022—a 13.6% per year increase since 2017— workplaces are prioritising EAPs as a serious way of safeguarding the mental health of employees.
EAPs cannot be implemented on a whim. They need to be able to prevent and address problems that could go on to impact their job performance. Offering EAPs are a great way to reduce burnout due to workplace stress, boost morale, and improve sourcing, and employee retention. Plus, research also shows that for every £1.00 employers spend on EAPs, they get back an average ROI of £8.00, meaning that EAPs pay for themselves in the long run.
Here’s how you can create an employee assistance programme that drives success.
Employees have different needs and your EAPs need to address every one of them at any time your employees require it. This is why employers need to ensure that every employee has access to EAP services and also has the resources needed to address any issue that could arise at any time. Online platforms offered by employee wellbeing professionals are a great way to offer this assistance.
An EAP policy can help you convey the importance and purpose of the programmes and also share guidelines to set expectations, access resources, and also convey what aims each component of the programme hopes to help them achieve. You can also incorporate details about confidentiality and privacy so that your employees are more comfortable about making use of these programmes.
Selecting EAPs can be a difficult process. Once an EAP is implemented it needs to be carefully and closely monitored to ensure that it still meets the needs of your employees. As time goes by, the needs of employees change and so do the problems that they face. This is why you need to monitor your EAP services and make the changes required to maintain the effectiveness of your EAPs.
Implementing EAP services can be a difficult undertaking, and this is why organisations are opting to partner with employee wellbeing professionals who can help implement or offer platforms that employees can utilise at any time. You can gain access to a number of resources and even specialists who will guide your employees through any challenge they’re facing—personal or professional.
44% of UK employees take time off from work due to being overwhelmed at work- hence, implementing employee assistance programmes UK employees can count on is becoming an increasingly vital priority.
Our blog—How employee assistance programmes in the UK help reduce burnout—discusses a number of areas including why personalised guidance is more effective, and so much more.
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