About EAPs and Workplace Counselling

Workplace counselling services and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) have been shown to benefit both employees and the organisations for which they work.

Properly positioned, they enable the employer to support the mental health and well-being of the employee whilst at the same time protecting and enhancing performance.

Such facilities usually provide employees, and often their immediate family members, with a support service for both work-related and domestic matters. Some services offer 24 hour access, for some the first contact is a freephone telephone number, and all services protect the confidentiality of the user within clear boundries.

The benefits are well-established to the extent that many employers who have such services consider them to be the most valuable personnel-related initiative they have taken.

EAPs are considered to be different from counselling services in that, although they involve counselling as a key component, they provide in addition:


	Access to a greater range of work/life balance services for employees (for example, information, legal and financial assistance, childcare, concierge services).
	Training and daily consultancy for line managers - to ensure they understand the ways in which they can protect the well-being and performance of those in their teams. (By making the occasional but skilful connection with the EAP, the manager increases the chances of both the employee and the organisation benefiting).
	Standards against which all aspects of the service can be measured, including the professionalism of the delivery as well as the impact on employee well-being and organisational performance.

Counselling services and EAPs may be designed creatively to reflect the unique requirements of each organisation.

Organisations are liable for the professionalism of their services, whether provided internally, externally or by combinations. In the light of experience, in the UK and internationally, standards have been outlined which purchasers may find helpful. It is also recommended that purchasers allow for the audit and evaluation of their service to ensure that they are consistently receiving best value for money.