Employee support: how EAPs can support employees and their families with a wide range of issues
As well as being available to employees and their immediate families, the support that can be accessed through an EAP can often fix the problems that threaten the stability and happiness of the family unit. These are some of the areas where an EAP can help:
Health advice
An EAP can provide practical advice and reassurance with any physical health concerns an employee might have. This could include worries about a child’s rash; concerns that their cough is Covid-19; or advice around which pain relief they can give their partner.
Emotional support
Whether dealing with relationship issues, troublesome tots or teenagers, or coming to terms with a bereavement, an EAP can provide impartial and practical support and advice when times are tough. This might include signposting an employee or their immediate family to further support or helping them develop coping strategies.
Elder and childcare
Juggling caring with all the normal day-to-day responsibilities isn’t easy but an EAP can help remove some of this pressure through practical advice. This might include advice on finding suitable childcare or, where a parent or grandparent requires care, invaluable insight into how to navigate social services.
Financial wellbeing
With many people coming under financial pressure, whether through being furloughed or losing their job or business, being able to call an EAP for advice can be invaluable. Trained advisers can guide employees through the financial support that’s available and, where necessary, help them with any debt issues.
Legal rights
EAPs also give employees and their families access to legal support and information. Being able to speak to an expert about their rights in situations such as redundancy, property issues and relationship breakdowns can provide considerable reassurance.
Counselling
Although employees are more aware of the wide variety of services available through an EAP, it’s important to remember that counselling is still very much part of the package. Covid-19 has meant it’s changed a bit, with face-to-face sessions now much more likely to be delivered by telephone, video call, email, electronic chat and even text,
In addition to having all this support just a phone call away, some EAPs now also offer a complementary app for employees to download. These give them access a library of resources on health and lifestyle-related topics but also interactive health checks and challenges.
As all these resources can be shared with their family members, an EAP is a great way to for an employee to look after the health and wellbeing of their loved ones, whatever challenges they may face.
This article is provided by Legal & General.
In partnership with Legal & General
One of the UK's leading group protection providers with over 85 years' experience.
