A few weeks ago we sent out a survey just to get a sense of what people wanted from an EAP program.
Some of the responses that come back were about wanting more information about mental health and wellness e.g managing stress, work life balance and so forth.
Two responses came back which reported that they didn’t know what an EAP is!
So I’ll talk a bit about what it is and why it’s a good thing to have.
The Australian Government realised that companies were losing a lot financial resources due to employees being absent from work for various reasons, both personal and work related.
No blame attached. What we know about mental health is that it’s not like a localised injury to your body which can be treated in isolation and healed. Mental health concerns can permeate all aspects of your life, whether it’s relationship issues, family concerns, money issues, illness, or any other stressors. They can all have a knock-on affect on your performance; how you’re showing up at work and at home.
Therefore, an initiative to help mitigate that was to provide support to employers to help them manage the mental health of their employees. The program is paid for by your employer, so that you can cope better at work. That support has taken the form of an EAP (Employee Assistance Program).
EAPs provide essential, confidential psychological counselling and coaching that is free and independent of the employer.
The confidential element is most important, so employees can feel comfortable accessing the service without fear of it affecting their employment.
We will continue to provide resources and information that will be of value, and of course our PFG Wellness Hub is available with a range of resources, podcasts, and activities that you can implement.
The hub is available only if your employer has signed up to our EAP.
So I hope that helps to clarify what an EAP is, and some of the benefits for you.
Please CALL us if you need support, or if you wish to have more information about anything related to your well being.