Are employee assistance programs worth the investment?

Having access to employee assistance programs (EAPs) may be the answer to keeping workers happy, healthy and engaged, according to the findings of a new study on employer-sponsored support services.

While not all EAPs are the same, evidence published in the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health pointed to the positive effects of EAPs on the wellbeing and overall life and job satisfaction of program participants.

Canadians who were given up to 12 hours of counselling per year under such programs showed higher engagement and improved mental health, as well as reduced presenteeism and work-related stress.

READ MORE: The future of employee assistance

The researchers in particular examined the impact of EAPs sponsored by Arete Human Resources Inc. They compared their findings on the life satisfaction, workplace functioning, and mental health of employees who had access to the programs with those who did not have employer support.

In a follow-up evaluation six months after the study launched, participants “demonstrated significantly reduced psychological distress, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to the control group of non-EAP users,” the researchers said.

“Considering the significant impact negative mental health conditions have on employees and their performance, we felt that it was extremely important to have our Arete EAP services independently evaluated in the context of clinical and workplace outcomes,” said Allan Stordy, president and CEO of Arete HR.

“For cost savings, engagement, life satisfaction – all of those things – we now know that [an EAP] does truly work,” Stordy said.

Since the 1980s, employers have sponsored EAPs to bolster productivity and to support staff members who are undergoing professional and personal challenges in the workplace.