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—through work experiences, financial education, and access to benefits.
“It’s unreasonable to expect that even the best employee won’t encounter phases of their life where they’re under a great deal of pressure, where something isn’t going right, and that temporarily impinges on their ability to show up and deliver,” says financial therapist Amanda Clayman. Having support systems—and normalizing using them—can help.
One such resource that offers personal and professional support: an employee assistance program (EAP).
“Employees may think an EAP is useful only to cope with the death of a colleague or family member or some other tragedy,” says Kara Hoogensen, senior vice president and head of workplace benefits, Benefits and Protection. “But they’re designed for much broader purposes—including help with budgeting.”
- EAPs can be flexible: They include a vast array of confidential services—often 24/7—by phone or online.
- EAPs can be affordable: They’re often embedded in broader benefits plans (like disability or life insurance) at little to no additional cost to the employer. There’s also typically no cost to the employee.
“Employees may think an EAP is useful only to cope with tragedy. But they’re designed for much broader purposes—including help with budgeting.”
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 Principal® 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—alcohol, nicotine, or opioids, for example—can 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’s 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.
“It comes back to creating an environment where employees are going to be positioned to deliver their best work,” Hoogensen says. “If employees feel supported while at and away from work, they have more mind space available to deliver great results.”
What's next
Visit our small business resource center for additional content, webinars, and tools. Or contact a Principal financial professional to work through your business needs one on one.
