Employee Assistance Programs: Are They Utilized Enough?
The phone in the office rings. An e-mail pops up. Deadlines near. Stress pervades daily working life, but behind the schedules and meetings, most employees have challenges that exceed their tasks. Hence, companies introduced Employee Assistance Programs. Such programs are positioned as providing discreet mental health support, financial guidance, family concerns, and more. They are quietly in company handbooks and intranet pages, but the real question remains : are they being used enough? Most employees are not even aware of what such programs really offer. In passing conversations and surveys, professionals often attest to knowing a program exists but are unclear about the process, confidentiality, or even what one can request for support. This knowledge gap reduces utilization . A tool that could ease burdens remains underutilized because employees are reluctant to ask for help, either due to stigma or doubt over its efficacy. Even when employees ...