Traditional employee assistance programmes tick plenty of boxes, especially when it comes to mental health initiatives. But often, they don’t produce the outcomes employers expect when they offer these programmes to their employees. Even though 79% of employers provide an EAP to their workers, only 3 to 5% of employees with access actually use it.
This article discusses five main reasons why your employees don’t use EAPs and what you can do to encourage uptake.
Understanding the barriers preventing employees from accessing EAP services is the first step towards improving participation.
Your employees can only access your EAP or any other type of employee benefit if they know it exists. This sounds obvious, yet rehabilitation and case management provider HCML finds that only 27% of employees know about their employer’s EAP offering.
Why? This is usually down to a mix of communication and culture. If you’ve silently introduced an EAP but failed to promote it effectively, your employees won’t know it exists or how to access it, resulting in a limited engagement rate.
Overcome this by amplifying your internal communications, using the following to educate your workers about the EAP services available:
Today’s employees expect more than mental health care advice. 28% of UK workers want better workplace health and wellbeing support from their company, and 70% of employees would look for a new role if their current employer falls short. To perform at their best, many employees require comprehensive care that improves health outcomes by extending to physical and mental wellbeing, safety support, and more.
Provide the perfect match by:
Even though many companies are committed (at least in theory) to supporting employees’ mental health journeys, 73% of workers feel unable to disclose their challenges to their employer, believing this admittance would impact their job status. Additionally, 91% of UK employees consider that people with mental health challenges are treated differently.
Because of this, some employees feel they lack “permission” to access help through an EAP, worrying about how others might perceive their vulnerability in the workplace.
Company leaders can overcome this by actively encouraging their team members to access support, stressing the importance of employee wellbeing. Don’t think managers should be getting involved in mental health? Think again. UKG research finds that managers impact employee health 18% more than doctors and 28% more than therapists.
True leaders will feel comfortable connecting with their employees during 1:1 meetings, sharing their own struggles and vulnerabilities where appropriate, and signposting EAPs as an important resource.
Some19% of employees who don’t consider their EAP relevant to their or their family’s well-being issues cite privacy concerns as a significant barrier to usage. Employees who don’t trust their EAP interactions will be kept confidential may be reluctant to access the program. And rightly so, as a BBC investigation uncovered that the UK’s largest provider of workplace mental health services actively allowed corporate bosses to listen to employee calls without their knowledge – a serious breach of privacy and data protection laws.
So, naturally, some employees may distrust both the employer and EAP provider to handle their confidential data appropriately – which has a negative impact on participation.
To break down this barrier, it’s important to explainhow EAP confidentiality works. In most cases, contact with EAP services is confidential. Any clinician, counsellor, or social worker communicating with an employee must adhere to a code of ethics ensuring patient confidentiality. Legal and professional misconduct claims may be pursued if this confidentiality is broken. The only exception is if there is a risk of harm to the patient or others; in this case, the relevant authorities and Human Resources department will be informed.
If your employees have been stung before with a poor experience from a former employer or EAP vendor, they may be reluctant to access your program. Some common EAP turnoffs are:
If you’re confident your approach to employee assistance is superior to their previous EAP experience, take steps to communicate and educate your staff about the benefits of your programme.
Traditional EAPs often fall short when addressing the diverse needs of today’s workforce. To truly improve employee engagement, consider a proactive alternative to your current model of care.
With Sonder, you’ll have access to a comprehensive and preventative approach that addresses the full spectrum of employee health and wellbeing. Here’s what sets Sonder apart:
Ready to move away from your lacklustre EAP offering? Check out our Insider’s Guide to EAPs and book a free Sonder demo to learn the modern approach to employee assistance.
Ready to get started?