02/12/2021
Data published by the Office for National Statistic’s (ONS’s) Labour Force Survey found that in 2019 “17.5 million working days were lost [in the previous year] due to mental health-related sickness absence”, with “stress, depression and anxiety [having] accounted for 44% of all work-related ill health cases”¹.
The impacts of working-from-home during the pandemic are yet to be quantified, but for many, the ‘new way of working’ hasn’t been a favourable experience and we strongly expect the number of working days lost to have significantly increased during this period. With this in mind, employers’ have an even greater responsibility to ensure that they are offering their employees support. Not only for their employee’s well-being, but because ‘healthier, happy employees are more motivated and productive’².
What’s the solution?
An easy and affordable solution businesses can provide are Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP). The main purpose of EAP is to help employees deal with personal problems that might be affecting their work performance, health and wellbeing. We work with Health Assured, the UK’s and Ireland’s largest award-winning EAP provider, who have helped more than 13 million people overcome physical, mental, social and financial challenges.
Organisations using their services have benefitted from³.
- a 35% reduction in workplace stress
- a 72% increase in return-to-work rate
- a 36% reduction in absences
- 20% of clients saw a noticeable increase in their well-being post counselling
Health Assured offer 3 levels of EAP, all of which include;
- Free 24/7 counselling, legal & information line
- Online health portal and access to My Healthy Advantage app
- Medical information line
- Critical incident advice and telephone support
- Management support line and counselling
- Relationship management
For more information about each of the EAPs Health Assured offer, download the guide here.
What are the benefits of EAPs?
There are numerous benefits an EAP can bring to your business and countless positive impacts that this type of programme could have on your employees - here are just our top five:
- Increased Productivity – employees who are stressed or under pressure from work or home life can become distracted at work, using sick days in an effort to cope, and the increased absences have negative consequences for employers. However, EAPs have been proven to reduce sick leave, by providing support to employees when it’s needed.
- Money Saving – Mental Health issues can cost employers a significant amount of money per year, however, businesses who have invested in EAPs have been proven to reduce their absenteeism rates.
- Increased Employee Retention – A positive work environment is key in retaining employees. An EAP helps keep staff motivated, productive and present while at the workplace, as well as a feeling of being looked after, rather than just another cog in the machine.
- Employee Empowerment – businesses who support their employees’ health and wellbeing when they need help, empower them to tackle their issues head on and get to the root of the problem.
- Positive Work Environment – EAPs can assist employees by providing mental, social and financial support, as well as a forum for discussing their issues. A direct result of this is employees’ improvement in stress-levels, which positively affects the workplace as a whole.
If you’re interested in offering an EAP to your staff, speak to a member of our Health & Protection team by simply calling 01444 688 115 or email healthcare@swib.co.uk
Sources:
¹MHFA England - New ONS data reveals 17.5 million working days lost to poor mental health
²Health Assured EAP Brochure (page 2)
³Statistics from Health Assured EAP Brochure (page 2) and Guide (page 3)
Category: Employee Benefits & Healthcare
