Blog Layout
We’re answering your questions about employee assistance plans!
Many small to mid-sized Alberta businesses have been thinking about ways to offer additional benefits and support to employees as they grapple with the fallout from the past year and start to plan for the future. An affordable and robust employee assistance plan (EAP) can be a great tool to help employees improve their mental health and feel excited about work again. We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions about EAPs to help you learn more about how this service can benefit your organization.
What is an EAP?
An EAP is a confidential service available to employees and their eligible dependents. It can be accessed for short-term counselling and support for issues that are affecting their well-being or work performance. Services are offered at arm’s length, which means they are delivered by third-party providers. Typically, services are offered offsite at the provider’s office. In recent years, there has been a significant transition to virtual options that include phone, email, and video counselling.
What services are offered?
EAP services are traditionally solution-focused counselling sessions offered on a short-term basis. The types of challenges that are successfully addressed with these services include
• Stress,
• Relationships,
• Work/life balance,
• Depression,
• Substance abuse, and
• Other wellness topics.
An EAP program can also offer trauma and critical incident support to individuals and entire groups within a workplace. Debriefing and counselling services can be deployed quickly, meaning it is often the first line of support people access following a traumatic event. This level of immediate support has been shown to help minimize the negative impact of a traumatic event and provide employees with tools to move forward in a healthy way.
How do you choose an EAP provider?
Choosing the right EAP provider is important. One easy way to start narrowing the options is by asking your professional network who they use and if they are happy with the service provided. When you have a few companies selected for interviews, compile a list of questions to ask. Here are a few questions that can give you a lot of information.
1. What are the standard services you offer?
2. What is the availability of staff members during traditional and non-traditional work hours?
3. Are there additional services available? Tell us about those and their related costs.
4. Have you worked with an organization similar to ours in size, structure, and culture?
5. What are your utilization rates?
6. Can you provide us with a summary of your customer satisfaction rates from both employers and plan users?
7. What options are available for accessing services in-person and virtually?
8. How long will an employee wait for services from the time the initial request is made?
9. Tell us about the expertise and experience of your service providers.
What are the hallmarks of a successful EAP?
Once you have all the information you need from a potential provider, it is important to have a benchmark against which you can compare that information. EAPs have been in operation for decades and we know certain features are consistent across successful programs. A successful EAP will
• Adhere to industry best practices and guidelines;
• Have a strict confidentiality policy;
• Have established and efficient referral procedures;
• Have established and efficient procedures in place for urgent referrals and critical response support;
• Ensure there is clear communication with the workplace, managers, and employees about how to access services; and
• Regularly evaluate the efficacy of the services and provide data-based updates.
What can you expect from CG Hylton’s EAP plan?
Our EAP plan is popular with businesses in Alberta and across western Canada for three reasons. These reasons are affordability, simplicity, and efficacy.
Affordable
Our plans are pay-per-use. This means there are no charges for services that are unused. Employers are only billed for the services accessed.
Simple
We manage everything for you. Employees and their eligible dependents call us to initiate services and we handle the referral from there. We even follow-up with the person who requested services to make sure they have successfully connected with a counsellor.
Effective
Finally, our EAP plans are effective. With a network of over 130 Master’s level counsellors across Canada, your employees and their dependents have access to a wide range of expertise. Services are offered in-person and virtually.
Having an EAP plan benefits your employees, their dependents, and you! Organizations with effective programs have better retention rates, improved employee morale, and fewer absences. Contact us to learn how to implement our affordable and effective EAP plan in your workplace.
The combination of pandemic-related layoffs, early retirement, the switch to entrepreneurship, and increased demand for goods and services has created a perfect storm that employers need to weather.
Get tips to help your organization have a successful benefits plan renewal.
Employers cannot ignore the rising cost of mental health. Failure to provide meaningful support will be costly in terms of talent, workplace culture, and the bottom line. There are three things that employers can do to support employees and create a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to be successful!
Just because we make travel plans, it doesn’t mean that things will go smoothly. Travel insurance is an affordable product that can be customized to your needs with innovative and practical add-ons.
The current and projected state of the Canadian economy is a hot topic this summer. People are worried about inflation and recession. For your employees, these concerns are compounded with additional fears about job security. We can’t predict the future, but we can help you understand how the current economy is affecting your workplace and the steps you can take to minimize its negative impact.
When people feel safe at work, they consistently perform better, show up more, stay with the company longer, and are less likely to have a mental health related disability claim.
Inadequate handling of an investigation can cause the situation to escalate, affect workplace morale, and disrupt workplace relationships. A lack of effective intervention can even lead to legal action.
Long Covid is real and its impact is significant for the people who have it. Employers should be aware of long Covid so they can be prepared to support employees who are affected. Employers can lessen the impact and provide meaningful assistance to employees through empathy, proactive policies, and ongoing support.
Don't overlook these tools and strategies for helping to support employee mental health.
Learn more about critical illness insurance and its benefits.