Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Services Australia

Short-term counselling is the most common service offered by EAP providers, however it need not be restricted to this. Allos Australia’s EAP method recognises that wellbeing is influenced by many factors; from financial pressures and nutrition, to career advice and leadership challenges.

The simple answer is, no. Neither your employer, your boss, or human resources can require you to use the EAP. Nevertheless, there’s nothing wrong with people recommending that you use the EAP service. While there is still considerable stigma around the topic of mental health, we are working towards a future where people recommend seeing a psychologist or counsellor as freely as they recommend seeing a doctor or a dentist. It’s all health in the end, and there should be no shame in seeking professional assistance. 

An EAP service is not a mandatory requirement under Australian law. However, under Australian work health and safety laws, all business owners have a legal responsibility to provide a safe work environment.

Importantly, the law does not distinguish between mental and physical safety. Therefore, employers are legally obligated not to cause mental injury, or mental illness. At the same time, employees have a WHS obligation to take care of their own health safety, as well as take care not to do anything that could hurt others.

Because poor mental health leads to distraction, accidents, conflict and suffering it’s vital that businesses have in place systems, services and a culture that prevent these hazards.

Traditional, reactive counselling programs are not the answer. What is needed is a holistic approach that incorporates systemic preventative measures throughout the organisation. Allos Australia’s proactive and whole-of-organisation approach is designed with is in mind.

Having an external counselling service that is free and simple to use removes the common barriers that stop people from seeking support.

Allos Australia’s proactive EAP amplifies this effect by empowering staff to master their own health and wellbeing and seek support earlier. This results in less down time and better team functioning.

Based on current data, for employees who use our service, you can expect to see:

• 45% reduction in absenteeism
• 26% reduction in presenteeism
• 7% increase in work engagement
• 12% reduction in work distress
• 21% increase in life satisfaction

As you can see, the impact is substantial. Plus, the more staff who use it, and the earlier they seek support, the better the outcomes.

Because the difference in price between a traditional reactive EAP provider and Allos’ proactive approach is marginal, we deliver a superior return on investment.

Unfortunately, employee assistance programs are too often used just as an emergency hotline. This is damaging for a number of reasons. 

Firstly, it reinforces the behaviour of people waiting until they are in crisis before seeking professional support. This would be analogous to someone waiting until they have stage-4 cancer before seeing a doctor. This is a wasteful investment for businesses, prolongs the suffering of the employee, and leads to worsens the likelihood of full recovery.

Secondly, EAP programs are sometimes used by employers to satisfy tick-the-box compliance. This is damaging because it ignores the systemic and cultural work that needs to be done to create a truly safe and healthy workplace. It is also a wasted opportunity because businesses are not able to achieve their true potential.

Thirdly, there are many accounts of breaches of confidentiality whereby an employee has been identified to the employer by the EAP provider. This is highly unethical and harmful to the individual. In other cases, some businesses require staff to request EAP access via their bosses or Human Resources. This approach deters utilisation of the EAP service. 

Lastly, many employees have poor experiences using EAP, either because they feel they are treated like a number not a person (a common complaint with very large EAP providers), or the EAP counsellor isn’t sufficiently skilled or compassionate to create a genuine therapeutic relationship.  

At Allos Australia, we fundamentally reject these approaches, and are dedicated to transforming the idea of what an (EAP) employee assistance program can do and the value it can bring to companies like yours.

Seeking EAP counselling can play a vital role in keeping your job. This is because poor mental health can have such a dramatic impact on both cognitive function and mood regulation that you may find yourself unable to fulfill your role responsibilities, or you may be lashing out at colleagues and even creating a safety risk. It can also assist in the prevention of a critical incident or other major issues which can put your job at risk. 

If you find yourself increasingly irritated, snapping at colleagues, or unable to focus or stay motivated, it’s a good idea to reach out and seek support from your EAP before things get worse. 

When implemented properly, an EAP benefits employers, employees and their families. This is because poor mental health affects not only the individual but everyone they’re connected to. 

However, the true benefits can only be realised if the EAP provider is actively engaged in your organisations and deeply understands the unique issues your organisation faces.

It’s crucial to find the right EAP counselor when you’re going through tough times. So how do you decide? You might think that certifications and experience are the best indicator. Maybe you think a psychologist is superior to a counsellor. The reality is, neither of these assumptions are correct. Decades of research shows that, by far the most important factor is how empathetic, hopeful, and supportive the counsellor is. 

To be clear, education and experience are necessary, however the best predictor in successful therapy is the quality of the relationship between you and the therapist. 

This is why Allos invests a lot of time and care when recruiting counsellors and psychologists. Here’s what we look for when recruiting therapists to our network;

1. They have a passion for helping others 
2. They can develop rapport easily and quickly
3. They don’t just listen, they ‘hear’ you
4. They demonstrate genuine empathy and understanding
5. They are pragmatic and solution focused
6. They appreciate business practicalities

The aim of EAP counselling is to help you to overcome the challenges you’re facing in life. Those challenges may be work-related or personal problems. Either way, to take the right action you need to get to the truth of the matter. This requires honesty and vulnerability, often about issues that you’re not comfortable with. This is why confidentiality is crucial.

Offering confidential counselling support means that an individual can speak freely, safe in the knowledge that what is said in the counselling session, stays in the counselling session. We never leak our private conversations to management, especially work related issues.

Confidentiality regulations for EAP counselling follow are the same as regular counselling; conversations and any information shared within a counselling session will be held in the strictest confidence. The only circumstances in which the counsellor can break confidentiality are if; 

• The individual attending counselling specifically requests sharing of the information. This must be done in writing. 
• If the counsellor believes the individual attending counselling poses a genuine risk of harm to themselves or others.
• A court order or subpoena

Prior to reaching out for EAP assistance, employees feel vulnerable, unheard, and overwhelmed by their situation. Consequently, they are unsure of how to move forwards in life. The aim of EAP counselling is to help them regain that clarity and control over their life. 

Supportive counselling facilitates this by normalising their experiences, building self-esteem through reassurance and encouragement, then looking at ways to reframe their situation. 

At the same time, counsellors will incorporate techniques from a range of therapeutic methodologies, depending on what will be most appropriate to the individual and their challenges. Commonly used types of therapy include; Cognitive behavioural therapy CBT, Interpersonal therapy, Action and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Family Systems Therapy, Solution-focused Brief Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR).