More than eight out of 10 employers (85%) that offer an employee assistance programme report take-up as low as 3%-5%, according to a poll.
The survey of 200 employers by corporate health and wellbeing company HCML also found that, while 79% of the employers polled offered an EAP, more than a quarter (27%) of the 503 employees also polled had no idea it existed.
This indicated that many EAPs are a wasted resource and investment, costing organisations money yet not delivering what is needed in terms of employee help and reducing sick days.
More than half (53%) of the employers polled said their main reason for sickness absence was mental health conditions. Given that EAPs are focused on providing support for mental ill health, the fact they still have such a low utilisation rate was therefore a further concern.
The report found that 88.5% of employers felt it was their role to support an employee’s health and wellbeing. Yet, at the same time, 52% of employees said they wanted more support from their employer to improve their health and wellbeing.
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This indicates a lack of understanding surrounding what is available and the perceived uptake of healthcare offerings by employees, HCML argued.
The reasons for this could be a lack of communication or employees simply not knowing what their EAP offers because they have not had to use it. There may also be an issue around organisations providing EAPs that are not fit for purpose for their workforce.
The research found the top five areas of health and wellbeing support employees want more support on are good nutrition, including food and drink (38%), how to keep active (36%), how to sleep well (36%), how to maintain a positive attitude (35%), and how to manage weight (30%).
HCML has therefore recommended employers look to broaden the support offered by their EAP to encompass wider lifestyle factors such as poor nutrition, musculoskeletal complaints and lack of exercise, all of which can contribute to ill health, mental ill health and workplace absence.
Pamela Gellatly, strategic development director at HCML, said: “Our research makes it clear that the right support is not being offered. A rise in sickness absence, particularly when it comes to mental health, shows that existing EAPs are not really identifying or addressing the issues. This is because many EAPs on the market offer a one-size-fits-all approach which is not representative of the different demographics within any business and the varying complexities which make up mental health conditions.
“Instead, there is a need for EAPs now to offer a ‘whole person’ approach. For example, only 16% of those surveyed say that their EAP offers musculoskeletal support, despite around a third of the nation suffering from MSK conditions, and less than a third say their EAP offers nutrition support.
“We see digestive issues as one of the main reasons for ill health across our clients and are well aware of the impact this has on people’s mental health. Therefore, an EAP that offers this kind of support can be extremely effective in supporting employee health and wellbeing, and reducing absence,” Gellatly added.
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