Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Providing Confidential Help for Personal and Workplace Challenges
What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an employer authorised scheme. EAP`s come at no cost to the employee, offering a confidential service enabling employers to assist their staff with personal or workplace issues that might be impacting their employee’s performance, wellbeing, mental or physical health.
EAPs offer a limited number of sessions focussing on short-term, specific therapeutic aims and goals. Please check with your employer to see if they offer EAP benefits.
Understanding Mental Health Difficulties
1 in 4 people in the UK experience mental health problems.
Employers are becoming more and more aware of the signs and symptoms that may indicate an employee may be struggling with mental health problems, for example (not an exhaustive list):
- Mood swings or change in personality
- Low mood or feeling sad, loss of interest in things or motivation
- Increased risky behaviours or suicidal ideations
- Reduced cognitive functioning; memory, concentration, reasoning or decision making
- Overwhelming anxiety, difficulty relating to other people, withdrawal, isolation, upset
- Increased irritability, anger, aggression or violent behaviour
- Increased use of stress directed coping strategies, for example, alcohol, tobacco, drugs or over-medicating of prescribed medications
These factors may potentially indicate that an employee may be going through some form of difficulty, which may or may not relate to a mental health problem.
In a world where anxiety, stress and depression are becoming very common and employees feeling they have to give much more to their job and personal lives than ever, it is now even more important to support your workforce as today’s pressures often mean that health, especially mental health, can come a long way back in second place.
Recognising when an employee is experiencing such issues and offering sensitive acknowledgement and support can greatly benefit their recovery.
Get in Touch
If you have any queries about Hull Counselling Services or would like to find out more about the services we offer, please do get in touch.
