For decades now, Employee Assistance Programs(EAPs) have been the cornerstone of workplace wellbeing support. EAPs are still today a popular and easy go-to solution for employers wanting to(or having to, as they are often mandated by statutory requirements as well) provide mental health and well being support and beyond(from fighting alcoholism in the early 1900s all the way to financial and parental advices).
However, while being used all over the world, the evolution of the modern workplace and employee needs, many are starting to notice that traditional EAPs might not fully meet today’s expectations both from the employers and employee s side.
As we observe low engagement rates and limited impacts, a few questions are raised: how truly effective are EAPs today, what challenges are they facing and how can we better serve the current needs of organisations?
WHAT ARE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANT PROGRAMS?
The first EAPs can be traced back to the US as early as 1917. These programs, mostly supported by the state, had one main goal: combating workplace alcoholism.
EAPs have evolved to cover many more issues, such as family, legal, and marital problems. The concept really became popular in the 1970s. In the 1990s, they started considering much broader health problems, and in the early 2000s, they even started offering parental and wellness resources.
How do Employee Assistant Programs’ work?
EAPs are usually built around a central call center model.
The call center is the first point of contact for anyone in need of assistance. From there, the caller is redirected(or not) towards a network of external collaborators that provide professional services.
These professionals can be counsellors and therapists, as well as financial and legal advisors or wellness coaches.
How do they remain so attractive financially?
“Gatekeeping” Strategy
EAPs use gatekeeping strategies to manage resources. An employee usually undergoes an assessment before being referred to a specialist or directed towards self-help resources.
The first and primary first step is always over the phone with someone who is not a mental health professional. This implies that the employee is not the one deciding what professionals they can talk to, or even if they will talk to a professional as it is the prerogative of the call center to decide who goes through to the next step of support.
That way, EAPs are able to manage cost by controlling how often people get access to more expensive professional services. This strategy however has downsides as studies show thatgatekeeping is associated with lower patient satisfaction levels. On top, employees will not have enough freedom to decide on the usage of the employer benefit that they have an access to.
“Basic”User experience & Scope
Most EAPs still rely heavily on phone-based services rather than chats, apps or even video calls. Making the user experience unappealing to many employees from younger generations.
In addition, the scope of EAPs is usually pretty limited, as they tend to offer a short-term crisis and a one-size-fits-all approach.
HOW MUCH ARE EAPs ACTUALLY USED?
While Employee Assistant Programs are proposed widely around the world, the data on how many people actually receive support through them(usually between 2 to 5%) while research has shown that 25% of employees need mental health guidance is quite telling. It suggests that EAPs are not fully equipped with dealing with today’s workforce needs.
Why are EAPs not much used?
The past years have seen a clear shift towards more flexible, technology-enabled, and employee-centric workplaces that emphasise well-being and collaboration as integral parts of their productivity strategy. We saw earlier that the poor user experience and gatekeeping are discouraging many to use these options.
More than anything, today’s job market is being accessed by generations who are much more self aware, in tune with their health and needs and expect empathy, support and effectiveness from their employer. Having been raised with the internet and social media, they are used to quick, efficient, personalised as well as great user experience. They tend to see mental health support as an ongoing process rather than a quick fix counselling session that will probably not tackle the root cause of an issue.
Newer generations prefer to use online services than phone-based support
But it is not only the employees who have higher expectations in terms of mental health support. Nowadays, measuring engagement and use rates of mental health support tools is becoming essential for employers to make data-led decisions and better understand the need of their organisations.
These are essential points where EAPs are lacking and not really been able to catch up on.
The need for innovative solutions
These shortcomings are creating a growing need for more modern mental health solutions and EAP alternatives. Digital mental health tools and services that can respond to the demands of the new generations. Generations who are tech-savvy and proactive regarding mental health, and have a more long-term vision and expect personalised mental health support approaches.
To conclude, yes, EAPs have been around for a long time and still serve their purpose in some specific cases, but it is indisputable that more comprehensive mental health support services are needed for modern employees and employers, who expect tools offering personalisation, immediacy, and measurability.
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Tarmo Pihl is the Co-Founder and CEO of Siffi, a platform dedicated to enhancing employee well-being through mental health support, including counseling, coaching, and mindfulness. With a strong background in launching impactful startups, he is passionate about creating innovative solutions that address the challenges of modern work environments and improve global accessibility to mental health services.
Tarmo Pihl
mental well-being and coaching services 
