Making EAP Accessible to your Employees

There are so many challenges each individual faces at work that can make them not be as productive as they need to be. When you add to their lives outside work, you can see how it becomes easy for them to burn out. There are employee assistance programs like LifeWorks designed to help them deal with the challenges they face on a daily basis. 

When an employer takes time to provide employee assistance programs (EAP) to those under them, then the organization as a whole shall benefit. It is important to also make sure that the employees have access to this program if it to be of any use to them. Here are several ways you shall manage that. 

You need to make sure there is awareness of such a program. There should be no employee who does not know there is such help ready whenever they need it. You need to do regular reminders for the employees so that the new ones are also informed of its existence, as well as those who might have forgotten. The HR department should prepare presentations for them, in conjunction with your preferred EAP provider. Make it mandatory that your onboarding process has such a section in it as well.

You should also let them know how accessible the EAP benefits are. Something as simple as calling a number provided and scheduling an appointment should be put in place. This shall ease the restraint people have when they need to go through official channels for something that is mostly personal. This should also be accompanied by a facility where they can do over the phone or online consulting, which makes it not necessary for them to visit the therapist’s office. Learn more at https://www.lifeworks.com/ca/solution/employee-assistance-program-eap/.

At the same time, accessing those benefits should remain a matter of confidently. There should be no records kept of those who have utilized the EAP benefits. This should be made clear to the employees if you expect them to access this facility. Working with a provider that assures you of such confidentiality is an important consideration. Head over here to read our confidentiality policy. 

The program needs to also focus on improving the quality of life. The employees need to know that such a program is there to make their lives better, as it makes them the best versions of themselves. When they perform better at work, they get rewarded for it, as it also helps them get a sense of accomplishment. When they are also healthy mentally, they can enjoy more of what life has to give. 

You need to also remind them constantly of wellness. Make it easy for them to access useful articles, links, and blog posts that talk about employee wellness. You have your internal communication system to make sure they get access to it, such as newsletter sent to their email addresses. Red more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_assistance_program.

It is only after they grasp the importance of EAP and understand that they can access it any time that you shall see positive results from the program.