The modern alternative to EAPs: why it’s better for employee wellbeing

Traditional employee assistance programs were designed to support workers’ mental health care. Since their introduction to the UK workplace in the 1970s, and more significantly since the early noughties, they’ve been a lifeline for people struggling with substance abuse, grief, or complex issues related to their emotional health. The problem? EAP providers can be disappointing. Many support programs are stuck in the past, not covering the range of issues workers actually experience. It’s unsurprising, then, that EAPs boast incredibly low participation rates of just 3 to 5%.

To combat this problem, modern EAP alternatives like Sonder go beyond the traditional model to deliver medical, safety, and mental health support. Here’s why each of these is important to supporting employees through a holistic lens.

Mental health challenges have reached a crisis point in the UK. In England alone, 1 in 4 people experience a mental health issue at some point each year. Yet, unfortunately, over 2 million people are stuck on waiting lists unable to access the support they desperately need.

For those requiring emergency support,1 in 5 calls to NHS helplines go unanswered, and callers to 1 in 10 trusts have average wait times of more than an hour for someone to pick up. In a case reported by the BBC, one caller was advised to “think happy thoughts” by staff.

Mental health encompasses a variety of conditions. According to our Sonder research*, our members’ top five concerns are:

• Work stress management
• Relationship or interpersonal family issues
• General stress or anxiety
• Low mood, anger, unhappiness, and burnout
• Suicidal thoughts

Employees’ personal and professional lives both feed into their mental wellbeing. But in the context of work alone, 1 in 5 UK employees have taken time off work in the past year due to stress. This is more likely to happen when people don’t feel comfortable discussing high levels of pressure and stress with their manager – a problem for 35% of working adults.

EAP alternatives, like Sonder, can support this by offering:

• 24/7 mental health resources for employees (including access to mental health professionals and self-help resources)
• Push notifications prompting support check-ins
• Instant chat sessions with an average response time of less than 10 seconds
• Access to preventative care for employees
• Regular updates to keep healthy habits on track

Employees who are unwell or injured cannot be expected to attend work or be productive in their roles if they do. They need swift access to medical guidance or treatment to get their physical health back on track. Workers with spouses and dependents face the extra challenge of sourcing care for their loved ones while holding down their jobs.

The National Health Service (NHS) is a free and vital service that provides medical support to employees in the UK, but it can often be difficult to access timely care or advice when needed. NHS wait times are a huge barrier for UK employees, as a recent report reveals:

• 60% of employees struggle to access NHS services
• 56% of employees struggle with NHS availability and wait times
• 20% of employees are unable to get time off work to attend appointments or access necessary support
• 47% of employers claim access to private healthcare is one of the top health and wellbeing priorities for their employees

Sonder’s medical support saves members a trip to the hospital or GP around 60% of the time.* With Sonder Care Specialists under 10 seconds* away, members spend less time arranging and attending medical appointments. They gain faster support and lose less time from their working day.

Sonder members report the most common medical concerns* as:

• Pain
• Cold or flu-like symptoms
• Work-related
• Medical admin
• Unwell child

Working in a safe space is a fundamental part of any job, and its importance extends beyond working hours, ensuring employees feel secure both at work and in their personal lives.

At work, safety protocols minimise the risk of accidents and create a supportive company culture where everyone can focus on their tasks with peace of mind. But this environment can be impossible to create for lone workers who face a wide range of safety risks, including:

• Accidents, emergencies, or sudden illness at work
• Lack of access to first aid, equipment, or assistance
• Inadequate provision of rest, hygiene, and welfare
• Violence and abuse from members of the public
• Theft
• Intruders
• Travelling during antisocial hours

UK employers must comply with regulations set out by the Health and Safety Act at Work 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to protect all their workers. Despite this, many still report concerns about their safety, especially in the professional sector, which employs around21.4% of the UK workforce. Of these:

• 71% worry about personal safety when working late
• 75% worry about personal safety when travelling for business
• 69% worry about personal safety on their commute
• 1 in 4 feel unsafe travelling home after working late (increasing to 1 in 3 for women)
• 75% of women would use a personal safety app if offered it, compared to 66% of men

Employees value 24/7 access to safety support, whether for emergencies, travel disruptions, or reassurance in daily life. With Sonder, individual employees can feel safe at any time of day or night. The app offers:

• Geo and environmental scanning to identify any local disruptions or incidents
• 24/7 harm prevention, critical incident response, and trauma recovery
• ‘Check on me’ and ‘Track my trip’ tools to ensure employee safety on the move
• Network of responders on the ground for emergencies and critical events

Traditional EAP services are no longer cutting it, which directly impacts employee satisfaction. But they’re not the only option. Instead, modern alternatives like Sonder empower employees to thrive both at work and in life, with a proactive approach offering comprehensive support for mental health, medical, and safety concerns.

Check out our Insider’s Guide to Employee Assistance Programs to learn how to compare vendor offerings, and book a free Sonder demo to explore how our mobile app can support your employees 24/7.

Note: Data points marked with an asterisk (*) are based on Sonder’s internal dataset, reflecting insights from support cases handled between October 2023 and October 2024.