Debunking Marketing Myths About Employee Assistance Programs in Australia and New Zealand: A Data-Driven Profile of EAPAA Member Providers
Description
This report is intended for business leaders in Australia and New Zealand who are interested in supporting the mental health and well-being needs of the employees at their organisations. Sponsoring an employee assistance program (EAP) benefit for employees and their family members has long been considered a best practice toward achieving this goal. Recently, however, there have been some troubling changes in this market created by newer companies that sell digital apps and emphasize online platform approaches to providing counseling and other kinds of workplace mental health support services. Although the established EAP provider companies in the region do not shy away from competition, the marketing myths and limited offerings of some of these new disruptor companies deserve to be exposed and refuted with facts and research evidence. EAPAA collected book of business data on key operational and delivery issues from 26 of the leading EAP vendors in the region through three survey projects conducted in 2021 (n = 14) and twice in 2023 (n = 16/19). These vendors support over 13,300 employers in the region and 9.3 million workers. Program data revealed that over 1.5 million employees, when combined across all EAP vendors, use individual counseling services or workplace related services each year. This data shows that “traditional” full-service EAPs continue to have great success at supporting both the worker and the workplace through a variety of worksite based, in-person and digital access options. This report can serve as an insider’s guide for employers on what to ask about when selecting a provider in order to distinguish the imposters from the real EAPs.Keyword
EAPimposter eap
Occupational Health Services
Psychological Well-Being
Employee assistance programs