What are EAPs and how can they help staff manage stress?

The modern workplace can be a source of immense stress for employees, with increasing workloads, tight deadlines, and high-pressure targets which when added to complex personal lives can significantly contribute to mental and physical exhaustion. This in turn can impact workplace performance and increase absences. In fact, according to statistics from the Health and Safety Executive, 17 million working days were lost in the UK due to stress, anxiety and depression in 2021/22 alone. 

So how can employers support mental health wellbeing in the workplace to maintain employee performance and reduce absence?

More and more employees are turning to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)  to support their teams manage workplace stress and general wellbeing.  

But what are EAPs and how do they help?

Employee assistance programme meaning

EAPs are game-changing mental health and wellbeing solutions providing 24/7 access to unlimited mental health and wellbeing support, that include personal mental health coaching and therapy touch points all at a touch of a button. Services can be accessed via the internet or telephone app. 

Not only is their individualised counselling support delivered by qualified professionals available but there is a range of materials including videos that can help employees with their individual issues.

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How do they help?

So, having learned what they are, how do they help reduce and manage the stress your employees experience?

1. A safe space

One of the most significant benefits of providing an EAP for employees is that they give employees access to a safe and confidential space to discuss personal and work-related issues with qualified professionals.  This is particularly important for employees who may be hesitant to discuss their problems with their manager, for fear of being stigmatised or potentially jeopardising future opportunities for promotion. EAPs can provide a confidential platform for employees to seek support without fear of judgment or reprisal. Some EAPs allow users to meet like-minded individuals online, giving them a community that understands, empathises and can offer advice on managing stress. 

And whilst businesses have been focused on dealing with the challenges of Covid-19 over the last few years, there’s another crisis that has been affecting workplace performance. This is the effect of ‘burnout’ as employees have had to juggle their work and home demands.

2. Preventative care

Secondly, EAPs can also provide employees with resources and tools for maintaining their mental health, such as stress-management techniques, mindfulness practices, and self-care strategies. Use consistently, these handy resources can help your team build mental resilience and manage their stress. This can help prevent stress long-term or reduce the number of times staff take time off to manage their stress. In fact, 76% of users of our EAP, MyMindPal, found that they can lower people’s stress levels after they use the app for a few minutes every day, a strong indication of how powerful EAP tools can be at lowering stress levels. 

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3. Education

There is still a lot of stigma and confusion around mental health generally. Whilst there have been great strides made in improving awareness across society, many people still do not understand the variety of mental health conditions that people can suffer from and what symptoms may indicate that they are starting to become unwell. 

By providing access to online resources, such as articles, videos, and interactive tools, employees can learn more about mental health, stress management, and other related topics. This can raise awareness generally, and help workers become aware that they need to care for their mental health and the steps to take to ensure that this happens. 

If employees are educated to spot the onset of stress, they can more effectively take action to manage and minimise its impact. 

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4. Immediate support care 

Finally, another key benefit of EAPs is that they provide employees with access to mental health professionals when they need it. Although employers and managers naturally do everything they can to help their team manage the stress of the job, there are occasions when employees require quick and easy access to mental health support. 

If team member finds their stress levels are beyond their normal levels, they can get access to qualified professional counselling support through their EAP. All EAPs give employees direct access to a professional helpline. Through this, they can access counselling services and in really critical situations, an emergency team. 

EAPs: not a one-stop solution

Trying to support employees struggling with their mental health won’t improve their overall wellbeing unless it forms part of a larger workplace wellbeing strategy. 

People are complex creatures, and our wellbeing is determined by a variety of factors, factors such as our health, financial security and emotional state. 

EAPs are most effective when they form part of a wider employee wellbeing programme. 

But how can they fit into an overall strategy?

The first step is determining whether you are catering to all aspects of wellbeing. 

To do this you will need to audit your existing strategy. This will help you cover all bases. 

We’ve created a handy tool to help you do this. In “How to achieve workplace wellness: A step-by-step guide” we unpack the importance of wellbeing for business success, as well as provide tools and processes to help you audit your existing programme and make impactful improvements.