BBC investigation into EAPs: how the industry has reacted
Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are a mainstay of employee benefits packages and often the first point of support for employees, particularly for those experiencing mental health challenges. Yet a recent BBC Radio 4 investigation has highlighted concerns about the adequacy of some of the services provided.
The radio programme launched its probe into EAPs after provider Health Assured was reported to the British Association for Psychotherapy (BACP).
Health Assured has denied allegations that calls from vulnerable people were not always handled properly.
The EAP provider, which supports over 13 million people at more than 80,000 organisations across the UK and Ireland, refutes the allegations. In a written statement, Bertrand Stern-Gillet, CEO of Health Assured, said:
“Health Assured fully refutes the allegations that have been made by the BBC. We issued a full and thorough written response to all questions posed to us, making this explicitly clear, and it is good to see that reflected in the coverage.
“We wrote proactively to the BACP last week to advise them of this upcoming coverage, and to advise the BACP of our detailed responses to the BBC’s questions.
"We have worked closely with the BACP in a number of areas over the years, and we look forward to answering any questions they may have for us following this article. We follow all correct protocols and adhere fully to all industry standards and welcome any investigation into our service.
“Health Assured’s ultimate focus is on quality and client experience, and the testimony we hear from clients and service users every day speaks to the clinical excellence of our service. We hold ourselves to the highest standard with people at the heart of everything we do – both in the care we provide as well as ensuring the health and wellbeing of our employees.
"We are proud to be an industry leading provider of EAP services. Our 97% client retention rate, reviews, and accreditations are testimony to this.”
A spokesperson for the UK Employee Assistance Programme Association (EAPA) said:
"EAPA UK has not received a formal complaint regarding any member. As the representative body for the EAP sector, we set out professional standards which we expect our members to adhere to.
“The standards ensure the focus of provider activities is always, first and foremost, on the mental wellbeing of clients. A verification of standards process is in place to test and validate the approach and activities of EAPA members."
A spokesperson for AXA Health, which provides an EAP as part of its services, said EAPs remain a much valued employee benefit.
They said: “Employees are able to receive completely confidential support and reliable information, offering expert guidance on everyday matters impacting their mental wellbeing through to more serious problems too, such as relationship and family issues, coping with bereavement or consumer rights.”
Yet, there are some who are critical of the effectiveness of EAPs. Lou Campbell, director of occupational health and staff wellbeing service Wellbeing Partners, said: “As a provider of premium workplace mental health support for employees, I hear stories every day of poor treatment of employees by their EAP services.
“As the EAP model falls well-short of the promise to provide effective care and mental health support to employees, businesses are rightly looking at alternatives.
“The desire for the highest quality mental health support for employees is reflected in the exponential growth of specialist workplace counselling services, where a small team of named mental health professionals support employees with all issues presented to them and in a timely manner.
“I always advise HR professionals to use their EAP service themselves, to find out whether it meets their expectations - kind of like a “mystery shopper”.
So how can you ensure your EAP is effectively meeting the mental health needs of your workforce? Here are just a handful of questions to put to your providers:
- What does the user journey look like once someone contacts the EAP with a mental health concern?
- What practices and procedures do they have in place to protect vulnerable users?
- How many counselling sessions (and in what format, ie face-to-face, telephone etc) are provided as part of the benefit, and what happens if more are required than are covered by the benefit?
- How do they ensure calls meet the professional standards as set out by the EAPA?
What are you doing with your EAP? We’d love to hear from you.
