How Your Employee Assistance Programme Aids Mental Health
Summary: A helpful tool for helping employees with mental health issues and enhancing their overall well-being is an employee assistance program (EAP). Benefits for mental health can also help to lessen the stigma associated with mental illness in the workplace, prevent burnout, and increase motivation and productivity.
An employee assistance program EAP for mental health is a useful tool for assisting employees with mental health concerns and improving their general well-being. Furthermore, mental health benefits can assist in reducing workplace stigma about mental health, avoiding burnout, and boosting productivity and motivation.
Employer Utilisation Advice
Choosing the EAP mental health services is only the beginning. Maintaining the effectiveness of your program and meeting the demands of your staff is an ongoing project.
The following are some strategies for increasing EAP program utilization:
• Define the scope of EAP services your organization will provide and make sure management, employees, and family members are aware of it.
• Be proactive in managing EAP programs to ensure high-quality and pertinent services.
• Actively coordinate the EAP's duties with those of other productivity and health programs.
• Employ the organizational services provided by the EAP to assist with the management of disabilities and human resources.
• Discuss methods for analysing EAP performance and employee engagement statistics, including validated outcome assessment techniques (data collected privately).
• Include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as well as language that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ people and people of color.
• Consider changing the EAP's name and branding to emphasize that it offers more than just counselling and may support employee and family issues and concerns in an unbiased manner.
• To help staff and family members who may have time or transportation issues, encourage the use of alternate counselling techniques, including texting and telephone consultations.
What to Say about Your Programme in Communications
Employees may be reluctant to inquire about the resources available due to the unfortunate fact that the stigma around mental health has not completely vanished. Employee education on EAP services will increase utilization and guarantee that staff members are aware of the resource when they need it.
There are a number of ways to inform staff members about EAPs and mental health services:
Orientation and on boarding
When distributing information, stress the program's accessibility and anonymity. Do this straight away when new employees join.
Company newsletter
The program is kept top-of-mind with a recurring reminder in the business newsletter.
Ads on posters and flyers
To make your program more visible, you may put these in public spaces like break rooms.
Sessions for training and growth
Train managers, supervisors, and staff members on how to spot stress or mental health problems in themselves or their co-workers. Remind them that they have access to resources EAP for mental health as part of the program.
Adapt to Changing Employee Needs
Due to changing employee needs, firms must also adapt their benefits packages. The assistance of employers is more important than ever for employees. Reminding employees of their perks is a good practice for employers.
