The value of employee assistance programmes: How EAPs can create lasting change

Key takeaways

• EAPs work best as ongoing support, not just a crisis line. Susan's story shows how one employee assistance programme conversation helped her, and how she later returned to the same support for family stress years later.
• Awareness drives impact. According to the TELUS Mental Health Index, EAP awareness alone boosts mental health scores by two points in the UK, yet many employees still don't know what support is available to them.
• Employer support is directly tied to mental health outcomes. Workers in the UK who rate their employer's support for mental wellbeing as excellent have mental health scores 23 points higher than those who rate it as poor.
• The wellbeing continuum matters more than a single crisis moment. Meeting employees where they are, whether they’re feeling well, struggling or feeling unwell, can help stop small problems from becoming serious ones.
• Practical accommodations count as much as counselling. Flexible work arrangements and covered rehabilitation costs are part of what makes an EAP valuable.

"I'm strong today. I'm okay. And that's a good place to be," says Susan Mulderrig.

Susan has worked for TELUS Health for 12 years as the Executive Receptionist. Often, she serves as the first point of contact for a client looking for support.

Susan explains that many of the phone calls she receives are from users of TELUS Health's wellbeing programmes, specifically the employee assistance programme (EAP). Her story shows the role EAPs can have in mental health support, and why they matter so much for UK employers right now.

"They could be calling about their recently deceased mother's pension," she says, "or they could be enquiring about medical prescriptions or how to access their EAP or case worker."

In Susan's eyes, her role goes beyond directing a client to the right department. "My role has evolved over the years into what I call a support triage," she says. "When clients call, they're often under a lot of stress. It could be the loss of a loved one or someone struggling with their own mental health."

Susan needs a deep understanding of the business to perform her role. But if you ask her about the most important quality she brings, her answer may surprise you.

"Empathy is essential," she says. "When I get on the phone with someone I tell them my name, I say I'm here for them and that we're going to work this out together."

Susan meets callers where they are and reassures them that they will find a solution together. She serves as a vital, personal touchpoint that connects clients to TELUS Health.

But how did Susan get so good at it? Fielding calls with high emotions, navigating the complexity of departments, referrals and more?

Susan credits her ability to empathise with people to a particularly meaningful call she had with a case manager, from a time when she needed the support from an EAP herself.

"I wish I knew her name," says Susan. "She changed my life."

Susan's journey: An employee assistance programme case study

Before Susan joined TELUS Health she was struggling. Her work and her personal life had seemingly imploded. And as we know, people's work and personal lives are deeply intertwined.

According to the Q1 2026 TELUS Mental Health Index (MHI), 25 per cent of workers in the UK report that their mental health is negatively affecting their productivity at work, and 29 per cent across Europe report the same, a struggle that Susan was intimately acquainted with.

Susan's mother had passed away, she had been recently made redundant from her job and was navigating the complexities of a particularly difficult breakup. "I was mentally, emotionally, financially and physically broken," she says.

When she was made redundant, the company she worked for handed her a pamphlet for the TELUS Health EAP, a service designed to support employees dealing with personal issues as well as work transitions.

That pamphlet mattered more than her employer may have realised. Many workers int he UK struggle to get mental health support on their own. The MHI shows that 37 per cent of workers cite cost as their main barrier to mental healthcare, while 20 per cent point to the availability of care, including NHS waiting times. An employer-funded EAP can help remove both barriers at once.

"I was desolate, but I called the number," she says. Susan didn’t yet know that this phone call would help set her on a new path. "When I called, the EAP operator stayed on the phone with me for hours when I was at my lowest," says Susan. "I was a mess, but she stuck with me and I felt like she really cared."

The EAP operator demonstrated empathy and unwavering support at a time when Susan needed it the most. She also helped Susan look for employment opportunities, referring her to a career counsellor that eventually led her to finding her current position with TELUS Health.

Susan credits the EAP with helping her gain employment at TELUS Health. Her newfound job helped alleviate her financial stress and improve her mental health. "I love my colleagues," she says, "and every day I feel like I am helping others. I know how much the EAP operator meant to me, so every day I try to pay that forward when a caller needs support."

The role of EAPs in confidential mental health support

The fact that Susan received such invaluable support from the EAP suggests that it’s critical that employers not only provide these wellbeing supports, but ensure that their existence is communicated to employees continually. EAP services only deliver real value when people know they exist and confidentiality is a crucial reason staff are more willing to use them.

According to the MHI, EAP awareness alone boosts mental health scores by two points in the UK. Unfortunately, when it comes to communication about health benefits, workers around the world report being unsure about what's available to them. For example, nine in 10 workers in Germany and France report that their organisation's communication about health and wellbeing programmes is unclear.

The UK is no exception. TELUS Health research shows that 68 per cent of workers in the UK are unsure whether their employer offers an EAP. When communication makes confidential care easy to find, employees feel supported and more engaged. That's a lot of people who may be struggling alone whilst support sits unused.

How to help increase EAP engagement rates

An EAP only creates value when people use it. If engagement with your programme is low, these steps can help:

• Communicate continually. Promote the EAP through email, intranet, posters, team meetings and onboarding. One launch announcement isn't enough.
• Reduce stigma. When leaders talk openly about mental health, employees feel safer asking for help, which can help them stay focused and protect workplace performance when personal concerns arise.
• Prepare line managers. Managers are often the first to notice when someone is struggling. Train them to spot the signs and point people to the EAP with confidence. HR teams can also use anonymised usage insights from the provider to spot trends and regularly evaluate what is working.
• Make access easy. Promote every channel available, whether that's phone, app, web or in-person counselling.

These steps sit at the heart of a strong workplace wellbeing strategy.

Personalised, preventive support across the wellbeing continuum

The wellbeing continuum is a framework for conceptualising mental health that moves away from the idea that people are either "mentally well" or "mentally unwell". Instead, it recognises that wellbeing exists on a continuous scale that ranges from optimal wellbeing to serious mental health issues.

For employers, this means providing the right tools to meet employees where they are on the continuum: whether they’re feeling well, struggling or feeling unwell.

The cost of waiting until someone is unwell is steep. According to the CIPD, UK sickness absence has reached its highest level in 15 years, at an average of 9.4 days per employee each year. And the Health and Safety Executive reports that stress, depression or anxiety accounts for 52 per cent of all work-related ill health in Great Britain. Early intervention through preventive support can help stop a struggling employee from becoming an unwell one.

Although Susan had found some relief with her career at TELUS Health, a few years into her employment she began to have some issues with a family member. Knowing that she had resources available like her EAP, she called right away to receive counselling support for her emotional wellbeing.

"The best thing about the EAP is that it's always there for you when you need it. The support that mental health professionals provide also teaches you how to cope with future problems when they eventually arise. I feel a lot more resilient now," says Susan.

Together, Susan and her counsellor worked through her feelings about her situation, how to cope with them and how to communicate going forward with the family member.

"The tools I learned at counselling have become invaluable to me," she says with tears in her eyes. "Life can be challenging, but I now know I can rely on myself, with the support of my counsellor, my social worker, my community and my faith."

Susan's journey with her EAP underscores the importance of preventive care that provides support throughout the wellbeing continuum. Not only did the EAP coach Susan on coping strategies going forward, but relying on the support provided helped get her back on track before more serious problems arose that could potentially affect her ability to live and work. This is one of the clearest benefits of EAP programmes: they can catch problems early, improve the overall quality of life, and support recovery before a more serious illness affects work.

What employers need to know: The value of employee assistance programmes as employee benefits

Susan is a strong advocate for EAPs, and her passion for them highlights how important employee health and wellbeing solutions are. Without the support of her employer and EAP, Susan wouldn't be able to pay it forward, and provide such high quality, meaningful support to other people on the end of the phone.

"I want people to know that there is hope for them, that TELUS Health's programmes work," she says.

At one point in her tenure with TELUS Health, Susan broke her wrist. She worked with her manager to ensure her workload and work days were manageable. This included the flexibility to work from home until her wrist was healed enough to go back into the office, as well as health benefits that ensured her physiotherapy and rehabilitation expenses were covered. Her manager's role here mattered. Line managers who know how to adjust workloads and point people to support can be among the strongest links between employees and the help available.

The numbers back Susan up. Workers in the UK who rate their employer's support for mental wellbeing as excellent have a mental health score 23 points higher than those who rate it as poor. Deloitte research shows that poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion a year, and every £1 invested in workplace mental health returns an average of £4.70 in improved productivity. Businesses invest in EAPs as part of broader employee benefits because the service helps support the workforce, strengthens overall productivity, and can lead to increased productivity, higher morale, and employee retention. EAPs also often include consultations with financial planners and legal professionals within the services included.

There's also a legal dimension. UK employers have a duty of care to protect employees from work-related stress. The HSE Management Standards ask employers to assess and manage psychosocial risks in the same way they manage physical hazards. An EAP gives employers a practical way to act on that duty, with confidential support available whenever employees need it. EAP providers can be internal or outsourced third-party providers, and the right provider can help an organisation support even a global workforce. It's one reason wellbeing sits high on the list of employee wellbeing trends HR leaders in the UK are watching.

If there's one call-out that Susan wants to make to employers, it's this: "Your people are human, and if they're not doing well, their minds will be elsewhere. It's essential that you support their  holistic wellbeing not only for the success of your company, but for the greater health and wellbeing of families and communities everywhere."

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Frequently asked questions 

What role does an EAP play in mental health support?

An EAP gives employees free, confidential access to professional support for personal and work-related challenges. It's often the first place people turn for counselling, financial guidance or career support, and some providers also include legal support, with services varying by provider. Because it covers the whole wellbeing continuum, an EAP can help with everyday stress as well as more serious concerns.

Are employers legally required to offer an EAP in the UK?

There is no law that requires UK employers to provide an EAP. However, employers do have a legal duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act to protect employees from harm, including harm caused by work-related stress. The HSE Management Standards set out how to assess and manage psychosocial risks. An EAP helps employers meet that duty in a practical way.

How can employers increase EAP engagement rates?

Communicate the programme continually, not just at launch. Train line managers to point people to support. Ask leaders to speak openly about mental health to reduce stigma. And make access simple across phone, app and web. Awareness matters, because many UK workers don't know their employer offers an EAP at all.

What is the return on investment of an employee assistance programme?

Deloitte research shows that every £1 invested in workplace mental health returns an average of £4.70 in improved productivity. EAPs support that return by helping reduce sickness absence, presenteeism and staff turnover, by catching problems before they become crises, and by providing support after a traumatic event to limit the impact on absence and performance.

What's the difference between an EAP and a wellbeing programme?

An EAP is one part of a wider wellbeing programme. It provides confidential, professional support when employees need help. A broader wellbeing programme may also include physical health benefits, flexible working and manager training. The strongest results come when these elements work together across the wellbeing continuum.