Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) have become a familiar component of many workplace benefits packages – either embedded within a core employee benefit such as private medical insurance, a cash plan or group risk policies or offered as a stand-alone benefit. Offering one, however, is not the same as having a strategy.

Used well, an EAP provides professional help to employees who are struggling in areas of their own lives, both in and out of work. From personal wellbeing to financial issues, an EAP is somewhere for your employees to seek confidential support. The services, however, are often underused.

Here are six ways employers can build an EAP strategy.

Employee Assistance Programmes give employees confidential access to professional support, often 24/7.

This support can cover a wide range of issues, from stress, anxiety and money worries to family problems, work challenges, relationship difficulties and legal queries.

With many EAPs now available by phone, online or through an app, employees can get the support they need in the way that suits them best.

It can be helpful to know what employees are dealing with before reviewing an EAP.

Some might need mental health support (mild to moderate situations are covered), while others may have money worries, caring responsibilities or may even be going through a bereavement or divorce.

For SMEs, where teams are often close-knit and resources can be stretched, one person being off work or struggling to stay engaged due to personal difficulties can impact the rest of the team, and the wider business. Understanding the pressures employees may be facing can help employers make sure the EAP is relevant and useful.

Employers don’t have to guess what people need. Absence patterns, staff feedback, exit interviews and benefits data can all help show where extra support is needed.

This is not about prying into employees’ personal lives. It’s about understanding the pressures people may be facing, so an EAP feels useful and easy to access to employees.

One of the biggest barriers to EAP usage is a lack of awareness.

For some, they are only there for a crisis, while others may not realise the wide range of everyday problems where they can help. EAP’s have also evolved, with many now offering much more than a traditional telephone helpline, some programmes provide further accessible support through online platforms and apps.

It is also important to understand what an EAP cannot support, including more complex mental health challenges. Offering an EAP in isolation may not be the best strategy if data suggests more mental health support is needed and this needs to be sourced separately.

What’s more, it’s easy for people to forget an EAP even exists if it was only mentioned once during induction or if it’s buried in a handbook.

Clear communication is essential. Employers should explain, in plain language, how the EAP can help, who can use it, how it works and how to access it.

This should not be a one-off message. EAP reminders can be built into wellbeing campaigns, internal newsletters, manager conversations, onboarding materials and awareness days.

It can also help to depict real-life scenarios, showing how the EAP can support people with issues such as stress, debt worries, caring pressures or coping after a life event.

Confidentiality is at the heart of EAP success. If employees are worried that their employer will know they've used it, or what they discussed, they may avoid reaching out for help altogether, even if this concern is unfounded.

Employers need to be upfront about how confidentiality works. Employees should know that the details of their call or conversations will not be shared with the business, even if the employer receives general, anonymised usage information.

This reassurance should be repeated regularly.

Managers, for their part, don’t have to know the details of an employee’s situation, but they should feel comfortable signposting people to the EAP, when appropriate. The same is true for mental health first aiders or wellbeing champions within the business.

Managers are often the first to spot when someone’s having a difficult time. They might notice that an employee seems quieter than usual, is missing deadlines, taking more time off or behaving differently at work.

They’re not expected to be counsellors – their role is to listen, respond with care and point employees in the right direction for support.

This is where EAPs can really help. They give managers somewhere to direct employees when a conversation moves beyond what they feel able, or qualified, to deal with themselves.

Managers also need to know what their EAP offers and how to talk about this sensitively, in a way that’s not awkward or forced.

They should also remember that they themselves can use it, both as an employee with life challenges but also if they need advice on handling difficult workplace situations as a manager.

When they’re properly communicated and linked to wider wellbeing support, EAPs can help employees get support earlier, before problems start to affect their health or performance.

This also matters for the business. Absence can leave teams stretched, affecting service levels and increasing costs. Presenteeism, where employees are at work but struggling to perform at their best, can be harder to measure, but it can still affect productivity and engagement.

In addition, EAPs can help employees feel more supported, which can strengthen loyalty and retention.

They should be part of a wider culture of support however, sitting alongside good management, manageable workloads, clearly defined job roles and objectives, open conversations and other routes to support, such as occupational health or mental health first aid.

Used in this way, they demonstrate to employees that their employer is taking wellbeing seriously.

Employers should keep tabs on whether an EAP is being used and what people are using it for. A lot of providers can share anonymous reports that reveal things such as call numbers, services being accessed and levels of engagement.

Other useful measures can include absence patterns, whether employees say they feel supported and whether wellbeing issues are having an impact on retention rates or workplace performance.

Low usage might suggest that employees are unaware of the service, that they don’t understand it or just don’t trust it. A rise in calls about stress or financial worries, meanwhile, may point to wider workforce pressures.

Furthermore, when reviewing an EAP, employers should look beyond price. They should ask what support is included, how employees access it, what management information is provided and how the provider helps employees with further support if it’s needed.

Reviewing benefits doesn’t have to be costly or complicated. It can simply mean asking whether the support already in place is being used effectively and whether it meets current workforce needs. Then you need to consider if you are communicating its existence clearly and regularly enough.

EAPs can be an extremely practical and cost-effective wellbeing benefit.

They are far more likely to be used, however, if employers understand what their employees need, talk about them regularly, reassure them about confidentiality and help managers to signpost support.