An estimated 96% of organisations in the UK provide an EAP for their employees, yet the number of UK workers taking sick leave has recently hit a 10-year high. This contradiction clearly shows that EAPs aren’t being used to their full potential. To maximise your EAP’s effectiveness, HealthHero believes that a shift in mindset toward a whole health approach is required – after all, mental health and physical health are intrinsically entwined. In fact, Mind reported that 40% of GP appointments relate to mental health.
Highlight and champion your EAP
The stats on EAP adoption rates clearly show that nowhere near enough employees are aware of their EAP’s benefits, or even know that they have an EAP available in the first place. According to a recent survey, only 27% of employees are aware that their workplace offers an EAP, and nearly 85% of employers say that only 3-5% of their employees use their EAP.
EAP providers must deliver a quality service with materials that engage employees, and work in partnership with organisations to effectively communicate to their members that:
- An EAP is available (and detail the services it provides)
- EAPs are for all employees
- EAPs aren’t just for when your health is suffering
Health problems aren’t binary, and neither are their solutions
Approaches to employee health and wellbeing typically focus on either physical or mental health – but focusing on only one of these pillars in isolation completely fails to consider the interconnectedness of the whole person. Physical and mental health are intertwined, inter-reliant and symbiotic, as we see when we feel anxious because we haven’t slept enough, feel nauseous because we are suffering from anxiety or feel depressed because we haven’t exercised…because we feel depressed!
To truly be impactful, a holistic, whole health approach toward employee health and wellbeing benefits is required.
There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to health
Health difficulties are complex, and so are their solutions, but a great example of how to approach these solutions is how a mental health counsellor deals with an employee who contacts their EAP. A counsellor knows that no two people or situations are the same and acts accordingly by meeting patients where they are on their health journey.
Instead of imposing a set solution or blanket approach on their patients, counsellors take a collaborative approach that explores and achieves a better understanding of the difficulties that the employee is facing, thereby empowering them to move forward. Depending on the employee’s circumstances, this could involve providing self-managed CBT resources, or signposting to a finance and debt specialist. When an employee contacts their EAP, they may be offered structured counselling, or they may be signposted to other health services that would benefit them, such as GP or physiotherapy, or a referral into higher intensity psychological care such as EMDR.
A series of structured counselling sessions may be the best solution available for one patient, but another patient may be able to find a resolution in a shorter timeframe, in which case an EAP could provide employees with the option of single session counselling. At HealthHero we have developed this approach as one of the options available in our clinical pathway and we have observed that clients can find it extremely impactful – across 2023 and 2024 our mood rating scores increased by an average 22%.
By taking a similar approach to their employees’ health, and by using their EAP as a partner and not a box-ticking exercise, organisations can empower their people to do what is best for their own individual needs, thereby being much more effective in maintaining their health and wellbeing.
EAPs are for prevention as much as cure
We must remember that health is not an absence of illness, and that EAPs are here to promote and maintain good health, as well as to support employees struggling with their wellbeing. EAPs aren’t just for tough times, they are here to support people throughout their life and this needs to be communicated regularly with employees.
A whole health mindset focuses on prevention as much as cure, and organisations must combine episodic care with proactive guidance that enables early intervention to prevent health deteriorating more than it needs to, before support is available. It’s important to note that if employees are aware of the resources and support network available before a health issue arises, they will be more resilient and in a much stronger position to manage their own wellbeing effectively, as well as being better placed to support their colleagues.
This puts some responsibility on employees to improve their health but, crucially, it gives them the knowledge and skills to self-serve. Quick fixes are sometimes necessary, but by giving employees the education and resources to manage their wellbeing e.g. guides on mindfulness, signposts toward screening examinations, and information on physical symptoms to look out for, they reap the longer-term benefits while organisations can build a culture that truly values health and wellbeing.
Employers must embrace and champion a holistic, whole health strategy that balances physical, emotional, financial and mental wellbeing. Underpinning this strategy should be tools that guide employees to effectively and proactively manage their health, as well as the resources to support colleagues who may be struggling. An employee’s health and wellbeing journey doesn’t travel in a straight line, but if utilised effectively, an EAP can help at every step.
Visit HealthHero at The MAD World Festival on 17th October to learn more about how we use a whole health approach to improve the physical health and mental wellbeing of 30 million lives across Europe.
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