Many employers provide access to an Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) as part of their employees' benefits package but what are they and how can you access them to support your mental health?
Your employer has a legal duty of care towards their employees under health and safety laws and although in the UK it is not a legal requirement to provide access to an Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs). EAPs are often seen as one way the employer can make sure that they are demonstrating their duty of care to their employees.
Employers see providing an Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) as a benefit to their company as having an EAP often results in lower levels of absenteeism and an uplift in morale within the workplace. In 2021 over 40% of people who changed jobs said they chose a business with a mental health support programme (such as an employee assistance programme) over a business without so providing an EAP can improve a company’s ability to attract the right talent.
What is an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) has a range of services that the employee can access for free. You can think of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) like an insurance policy, that your employer pays for, that means when you need support, it is there for you. Like an insurance policy the cover provided depends on what the employer has requested. The services that can be provided include a support line, often 24hrs/365 days a year with a range of professionals to assist the employee. This may include access to counselling sessions including couples counselling, counselling for your partner, practical advice like legal, financial and family support, assess to wellbeing apps like Headspace, and SilverCloud. Legal and financial support can include support with issues like family law, personal injury, landlord disputes, pensions, discrimination, debt, welfare and benefits – and many more.
How do I access an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
Many employees are not even aware they have access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) as the information is often provided at induction, so can be easy to forget as there is so much information when you start a new job. If you are at all unsure if your employer has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) talk with your HR department or line manager and they will be able to advise you and direct, you to a support line telephone number. Sometimes a manager or HR personnel can make a managerial referral to the service on your behalf.
What happens when I first access an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
Once you have confirmed that you have access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) you can use the telephone number provided to access their services as and when you need to. This support line is usually 24hrs and 365 days a year. When you call in to the number the provider will ask for a few details about you, who you work for, and what support you are looking to access. You will then be transferred to the relevant service within the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
Will my employer know if I have accessed the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
All information you share with the services provider is confidential and they will explain any limitations to confidentiality in your initial call. The employer usually gets statistical information from the service provider which might include how many users there are within a calendar year but not the details of who has accessed the service. If there has been a managerial referral for you, the only information the employer would receive is that contact has been made with you and that counselling sessions or other services have been arranged for you.
What happens when I first access mental health support through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
Most Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) have counsellors on the support line who you can talk to within your first call to the service. You can request just a chat if you have a single issue that has come up that you would like to talk through with a counsellor. If you feel you might benefit from a few sessions with a counsellor, then you will be taken through a telephone assessment to see if that would be a useful option for you. The assessment will usually involve questionnaires your GP would use to assess low mood and anxiety and general wellbeing. If the assessment shows you would benefit from sessions with a counsellor, then a counsellor will contact you after your first call to arrange a first session. Depending on the policy your employer has chosen you may have telephone, online or in-person sessions. If the sessions are to be in-person you will usually find that the counsellor is within a 30-minute drive of your home or workplace. You can request a male or female counsellor, if you have a preference. Some Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) based in the UK offer counselling in other languages than English, so it is worth asking is this is something available.
Depending on the issue you are dealing with and what provision is allowed under your employer’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) you will usually receive between 4 and 8 sessions.
These sessions will be provided by what is known as an affiliate counsellor who is a self-employed counsellor who is not directly employed for the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). There is a 3 -way contract between the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), client’s employer, and affiliate counsellor and this is separate from the contract agreed by client and counsellor. This means that the EAP holds overall clinically responsibility for you which means should you need to access your clinical notes you need to request this information from the EAP rather than the counsellor.
How many times can I access an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)?
You can access a provided support line as much as you need to. There is usually also no limit on financial, legal and family support that you can access. Access to apps like Headspace or SilverCloud can vary from unlimited to limited to a year, depending on your employer’s policy. With counselling sessions there is usually a yearly entitlement like an insurance policy. You can also request the same, or a different counsellor from previous sessions.
For more information contact me at info@forcounselling.co.uk.
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