The Needs & Benefits of EAP
For a long time, professional life has been viewed as completely separate from one’s personal life. But as any person will know, it is rarely easy to compartmentalize all the different aspects of one’s life: everything is personal. How people cope with the problems they have, their work-life balance or lack thereof, and their mental health affects their performance at work. Rising stress at home can adversely impact work life and vice versa.
EAPs or Employee Assistance Programs were developed as a solution to the rising need for various forms of support towards employees’ wellbeing, development and performance. EAPs try to address personal problems an employee may be facing or professional issues that are impacting their work negatively. Although EAPs were first developed in North America and directed towards coping primarily with substance abuse, today these programs exist all over the world and help deal with myriad situations. These problems may be related to stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, workplace violence, financial difficulties and family issues, among other things.
The services provided by an EAP include but are not limited to face-to-face, telephonic or online counselling, wellness programs like Mindfulness and Resilence, workshops and webinars and referral services redirecting employees to the help they need. What goes hand in hand with well-planned EAP is a work culture that does not see employees as robots churning out work mechanically but as humans with varied life situations that are deserving of support.
Some employees may hesitate to use these services out of a sense of pride, guilt or shame, but here are some reasons to consider utilizing these resources:
It is important. An employee spends a great deal of their time and effort contributing to the company. They deserve access to these services which help reduce stress and improve wellbeing.
It is safe and confidential. Counselling and mentoring services are provided by professionals. It is a safe space for employees where anything they share are kept in the strictest confidence and all ethical standards are maintained.
It is free of cost. Companies, not employees, bear the costs of these services. In fact, companies actually save more money investing in employees’ wellbeing than the costs incurred in neglecting them.
It enhances wellbeing. Whether the problem is big or small, or even if there is no problem at all, EAP programs have been proven to give employees an overall sense of well-being and a feeling that they are valued.
Ready access to mental health care and services aimed at wellness are things that should be available to all. Many companies are already enjoying the benefits of introducing EAPs into the workplace including improved productivity, lower levels of absenteeism, conducive work environment and less turnover. Employees are enjoying better work-life balance, higher morale, boosts in self-esteem, a sense of being valued and overall better physical and mental health. Psychological wellbeing is not a tool or commodity; it is an individual’s desire for a better quality of life, and every organization should aspire to make it accessible to all its workers.
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Author: Debanjali Saha
Debanjali Saha is a counselling psychologist who works primarily with young adults using a compassion-focused approach in therapy. She is very passionate about Self-Compassion, a topic she has been researching since 2014. She has started a wellness community called Couch of Compassion, where she tries to help people relate to themselves with kindness through her writing and workshops.
