In a 2020 global study by Workplace Intelligence, 76% of workers believe their company should do more to protect their mental health.
COVID-19 created a climate that exacerbated the rate employees get burnt out, exhausted and overworked. In Gallup’s latest report, ‘The State of the Global Workplace’,
employee stress and burnout are still the main concerns across organisations despite the elevated awareness of mental health and the implementation of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs).
Some companies make their EAPs the heart of their business and have become a critical component of a company’s well-being strategy. CHROs also view EAPs as a way to support employees in crisis better and as a strategic decision to improve productivity, strengthen employee satisfaction, and ensure a psychologically safe workplace.
Despite this, many companies still underutilise their EAP or offer one in name only. When implemented well, an EAP can help employers address key cost factors and prevent costlier problems later. The challenge is ensuring that employees know how to access it, trust its confidentiality, and see it as a meaningful resource.
To address this growing concern, companies have turned to structured Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) to aid their employees in navigating this new environment and provide them with resources to help them manage their stress and well-being.
The 2020 Annual Report for the Workplace Outcome Suite (WOS) measured the effectiveness of EAP counselling on employee performance. The report found significant improvements in five outcomes, i.e., work presenteeism, work engagement, workplace distress, work absenteeism and overall life satisfaction.
An EAP is also a way to signal to employees that the company genuinely cares for their well-being. When employees feel cared for by their company, they will be more loyal to the company and work harder to achieve favourable results. In turn, this delivers value to companies by reducing absenteeism, presenteeism and improving employee engagement.
A study by Harvard researchers revealed that medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programmes and that absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent.
Simply put: well-designed EAPs are no longer optional benefits. They should be integrated as an essential pillar in company values to pave the way for a resilient workforce.
Companies must consider what suits their employees’ needs best, whether it is self-learning resources on managing stress, a mindfulness programme, or allotted counselling sessions. A well-designed EAP should offer holistic care, accessibility and insight into employee well-being. EAPs such as Naluri offer customisable solutions that cover a full spectrum of support, from preventative to severe. They allow employers to provide their employees with a personalised solution that matches the individual’s health goals.
Now employees can refer to EAP resources and tools to address work-related problems, even on a more personal level, such as financial advice, crisis management, or parenting advice for working parents. When employees can take charge of their lives for the better, their happiness and quality of life will increase, eventually having a spillover effect on their productivity in the workplace.
EAPs are now also more accessible. For instance, Naluri is available digitally through its mobile app, allowing users to access resources and materials for their well-being at their convenience. This also makes it easier for employers to scale the EAP to their entire workforce, regardless of whether their employees work at home or in centralised offices.
Some EAPs are more activity-based, focusing on tracking members’ activities through applications such as step trackers or calorie counters. Naluri, on the other hand, focuses on the result, relying on clinically significant outcomes to measure the progress of its members and track their improvements.
For instance, a reduction in blood sugar levels for members managing their diabetes or an improvement in blood pressure levels for members at risk of heart disease, measured through Naluri’s in-app digital health monitor.
As a digital healthcare provider, Naluri makes it easier for companies to scale to teams working in centralised offices, at home, and in hybrid work modes and provides convenient, outcome-focused healthcare for employees.
For more information about how Naluri can support your employees’ health and wellbeing, explore our EAP, or talk to our sales team.