Why Employees Aren’t Accessing Employee Assistance Programs

Written in collaboration with Greg Wells.

The increase of work-related stress and burnout has reached critical mass, as evidenced by the war on talent, languishing, burnout, job ghosting, and retention issues.

The solution most utilized by employers in North America is providing an employee assistance program (EAP). We believe that the intention behind EAPs is not flawed, but they’re just not working. The problem is that people are just not accessing the services they desperately need or are not accessing them in time.

Ultimately, you have bought your employees a great bed, but you can’t buy them a good night’s sleep.

We propose a radical shift in how companies craft well-being, learning, and coaching as core practices for all employees. We would use the EAP as an escalation point should an individual self-select to elevate to that type of support if needed.

This enables sustainable, healthy, high performance as a foundation and helps employees with specific difficulties get the help they need to overcome that personal or professional challenge quickly and effectively.

Why Your EAP Isn’t Working

Occupational psychology research tells us there are common reasons why people don’t access EAP services:

Stigma – There is still a stigma associated with seeking help for personal or mental health issues in the workplace.

Confidentiality – Employees are concerned about the confidentiality of their interactions with the EAP provider.

Lack of Awareness – Some employees may simply be unaware of the existence or benefits of the EAP.

Perceived Effectiveness – Employees may question the effectiveness or relevance of the services offered by the EAP.

Access Barriers – Practical barriers such as inconvenient scheduling, long wait times for appointments, or difficulty accessing services due to location or technology can hold individuals back from seeking the support they need.

Organizational Culture – Organizational culture and leadership attitudes towards mental health and seeking help can influence whether employees feel comfortable accessing the EAP.

Perception of EAP Providers – Employees may have preconceived notions about the quality or qualifications of EAP providers.

The above is a laundry list of why employees are not accessing EAP support. Organizations have invested significant resources in promoting awareness, reducing stigma, ensuring confidentiality, improving access, and enhancing the perceived effectiveness of EAP services, yet people are still not accessing services.

A different approach is needed.

We believe that a well-being program that is comprehensive and tailored to the specific needs of the employees and the organization should be run concurrently with the EAP.

An effective workplace well-being program needs to support the physical, mental, and emotional health of employees—and facilitate employees accessing the right EAP support at the right time.

Comprehensive Workplace Wellbeing Programs

In our experience, here’s what a comprehensive program must include:

Healthy Assessment to Establish a Baseline – Employees need a baseline to know where they are and identify any potential health risks, with a self-generated personalized plan based on research-informed recommendations for their next steps to improve health and well-being.

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Physical Wellbeing Education and an Active Environment at Work – Education and actionable tools around physical activity that encourage optimal movement, sleep, and overall vitality.

Nutrition Learning and a Healthy Food Environment at Work – Education around healthy food options in the workplace and at home for optimal physical health, mental functioning, and recovery.

Emotional Well-being and a Psychologically Safe Workplace – Educational support for working with stress in the context of the workplace and home to promote emotional regulation and preparedness. An environment where everyone practices psychological safety.

Mental Well-Being Support – Education on how to build self-awareness and conduct self-assessments when additional mental health supports are required. Offer resources, information, and training to raise awareness about mental health issues and reduce stigma in the workplace.

Social Connection and Community Building – Facilitate opportunities for employees to connect around well-being-related topics to foster a sense of community and belonging in the workplace.

Leadership Support and Engagement – Encourage leadership endorsement of the well-being program. Leaders need to actively promote and support a healthy workplace culture by example. Challenge shadow culture beliefs about the profession and employee well-being.

Feedback and Evaluation – Regularly solicit feedback from employees to assess the effectiveness of the wellbeing program and identify areas for improvement. Use metrics such as participation rates, health outcomes, and employee satisfaction surveys to evaluate the program’s impact.

Final Thoughts

By implementing a comprehensive workplace well-being program that addresses physical, mental, and emotional health needs, employers can create a supportive and healthy work environment that fosters employee engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Employees need to be given the opportunity to build their capacity for self-awareness and trust in the organization, and by doing so, they will be more likely to escalate to EAP support earlier and with more clarity.

We believe that effective well-being programs need to focus on elevating the quality of life both personally and professionally while using the EAP as an escalation point. In this case, an employer is supporting their whole organization and making trailheads into the EAP support for those who need it most.

Employees have a real problem with supporting their employees’ well-being while also getting the job done. We have a real solution to make this possible. A healthy and thriving workforce built on a foundation of employer-employee trust and strategic program delivery is within reach.

Special thanks to Dr. Greg Wells for collaborating with me on this article.