When looking to support your business’s growing team both an employee assistance programme can provide the ideal solution. As an employer-funded benefit, an employee assistance programme offers an affordable way to make sure your team can get effective support for both personal and work-related problems. An employee assistance programme, or EAP, will cover problems such as alcohol and substance abuse, bereavement, marital issues, mental health and work-related issues. By offering such comprehensive support, a good employee assistance programme is an effective and versatile way for businesses to balance risk and improve absence management whilst addressing performance, health and wellbeing problems amongst your team.
Keeping your top team covered
The type of cover that an employee assistance programme will provide will vary from insurer to insurer, but most policies tend to share similar, if not the same, levels of cover and access to treatment. In terms of treatment, an employee assistance programme will typically provide access to structured clinical counselling; whether it be face to face or over the telephone, the right confidential support will be provided to your employees. Giving your team the tools to address any issues or concerns that they may have with the support of 24/7 confidential counselling will mean that they can make a swift recovery and return to work sooner.
As well as access to treatment and care, an EAP will more than likely cover both legal and financial support and advice for your HR department.
Most employee assistance programmes also tend to work both ways, supporting both employees as well as their employers. Additionally, an employee assistance programme can offer employers support and advice on how to best deal with challenging workplace situations and incidents.
Benefits to the business
The many benefits of an employee assistance programme extend far beyond the support and guidance it offers. Absenteeism is a problem that a lot of businesses face daily, making the ability of an EAP to help make sick days a thing of the past all the more valuable. If your team know that they have access to help and advice as and when they need it, the less likely they are to take time off work, letting them stay focused on their productivity. It’s key to note that the right EAP can change the dynamics of an office, encouraging positive and productive approaches to work. So, if you are looking to boost productivity then an employee assistance programme will do just that. With access to care and advice, your team can stay free from worry both in and out of the workplace, giving them more space to focus on work and performing at their best. What’s more, when looking to increase your retention rates, an employee assistance programme is a great place to start. The benefits and general practicality of an EAP is a strong incentive for people to not only join your business but to stay with it for the years to come.
Empowering your employees
An employee assistance programme puts your employees at the heart of its purpose. EAP’s have an all-inclusive approach when it comes to the wellbeing and health of your team; your employee assistance programme will recognise that problems can spill over into all areas of life, including your work. Through this approach, your employees can discuss and get advice on all kinds of problems, not just those that have a direct impact on work performance but to support their wellbeing as a whole. Employee assistance programmes are also great for employees that are concerned about opening up about their problems. The confidential nature of an EAP harnesses trust between employees and employers through external organisations so that your team can feel better able to openly share their issues. For many employees, time is high in demand, so it’s worth noting that the support of an employee assistance programme is 24/7. With the option to access support face to face, online or via a phone call, and employee assistance programme gives your team more opportunities to get in contact with a trained professional. Through being so reliable, an employee assistance programme could be what you need when looking to restore harmony to your workplace.
A high-performing employee assistance programme will let your team address any issues that they may have in or out of the workplace, whilst providing your business with an abundance of benefits. At Protectus Healthcare, we make the wellbeing of your employees and business our priority. Get in touch for honest guidance on implementing the employee assistance programme that will give your team the support to keep them happy and healthy both now and for the future. https://www.protectushealthcare.com/company-insurance/employment-assistance-programme/
