Employee benefits can be costly, and it can be stressful trying to find ones that are appealing to your staff and also fit in with your company budget. You may have noticed an increasing number of businesses taking on employee assistance programmes, and there is a reason why.
These programmes are incredibly affordable while also offering an array of benefits that are good for your staff and will leave them feeling both satisfied and secure. Suitable for small and large businesses alike, you can rest easy knowing they won’t break your budget.
What are Employee Assistance Programmes?
Employee assistance programmes are an excellent way to provide your staff with medical support so that they can have quick access to the care they need without having to go on waiting lists. This is a great way to reduce absenteeism and improve staff loyalty.
Generally speaking, an employee assistance programme will include physical and mental health support, and provide your staff with a safe place in which to discuss their health and work through their issues without fear of being fired or treated differently by management staff.
What Do They Include?
Typically, employee assistance programmes will contain the following:
- 24/7 support lines that are completely confidential
- Face to face counselling with licensed professionals
- Stress support
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Substance abuse support
- Domestic abuse support
- Bereavement and debt support
- Family support services
- Serious illness and accident support
- Critical incident support
- Medical advice helplines
Some plans may contain more benefits, but these tend to be the industry standard. Mental health awareness also plays a key role, especially as it has become a more prevalent issue in the workplace. Keeping tabs on the mental wellbeing of your employees is essential.
Being able to provide even basic medical support to your staff like this is a huge bonus for them and for your company. You get a massive range of medical support for physical and mental illnesses for an incredibly affordable price.
Some programmes will also offer coverage for immediate family members, which is an excellent bonus to offer staff members that have families and children. It means that they have less to stress over, and their families are guaranteed excellent health care if and when needed.
How Do They Benefit Employees?
The big thing with employee assistance programmes is the fact that they make your staff feel cared about, supported, and secure in their role. Here are a few of the ways you can expect it to positively impact your employees:
- Reduced absenteeism
- Improved productivity
- Reduced stress levels
- Improved staff retention
- Gives staff peace of mind
As you can see, there are a lot of positive benefits to your staff. However, as an additional positive for you, as the business owner, having employee assistance programmes can increase the value of your business – a return of £14 for every £1 invested.
To Conclude
You won’t regret taking advantage of employee assistance programmes, and the benefits that they offer your employees are absolutely fantastic. They are one of the most affordable options you can choose, and you’re sure to see those employee retention rates rise as well as an increase in high-quality work.
