UK EAPA elects new Chair, Eugene Farrell

The UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association is pleased to confirm the election of Eugene Farrell as its new Chair.

The election took place last week at the Association’s Annual General Meeting, held at the Health & Wellbeing at Work conference on 5 March 2019. Speaking on his election, Eugene, who is the Mental Health Lead at AXA PPP healthcare, said:

“There has never been a time where mental health has been talked about and promoted as much as it is now. EAP’s have a very important role to play in the promotion and support of mental health in the workplace and are a key component of mental wellbeing for many organisations.

“It is a challenging time too, with growing awareness creating greater demand upon wellbeing services and their delivery. Workplace demographics are changing with increasing numbers of young professionals joining the workforce. Having grown up using the internet, mobile devices and social media, they expect to be able to access support services via mobile apps and web-based platforms as well as more traditional routes.

“I am looking forward to working with the Board to continue establishing UK EAPA as the voice for the EAP industry, by demonstrating the value and return of EAP programmes and promoting the role of EAP’s in the workplace.”

A full report on the new Board and the recent AGM will be made available to members in the coming weeks.

New ROI tool removing barriers to employer workplace health promotion

The final report from the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) on Designing and Testing a Return on Investment Tool for EAPs has now been published and is available to download from the UK EAPA website.

Created by the IES on behalf of UK EAPA, the tool responds to a lack of evidence for the cost-effectiveness of workplace health initiatives, as identified by the Stevenson-Farmer, Thriving At Work report.

An interim study report highlights that, despite evidence of the business case for investment in employee mental health promotion, previous data have not sufficiently related to the conditions of UK small- and medium-sized businesses – data are from large businesses in the United States.

Therefore, this tool aims to capture data of sufficient quality to demonstrate cost-effectiveness and workforce health benefits. IES drew on analysis from the field of human capital to calculate reliably the organisational productivity gains associated with improved wellbeing as a result of the use of EAPs.

In order to estimate the direct and indirect costs of sickness absence to an employer, the tool adds realism to cost estimates borne from the human capital approach, by making assumptions about the balance between direct and indirect costs.

Early indications from the data collected from the tool suggest that the ROI of EAPs is positive, even with lower absence and utility figures. IES will publish core findings of the study later in 2019.

IES Research Fellow and co-author of the report, Zofia Bajorek, commented: “There is a wealth of evidence available to suggest that the health and wellbeing of the workforce is important to focus on, yet the personal and financial costs of poor mental health for individuals and their employers suggest that more needs to be done to help those with mental health problems at work. In this context, it is important to ensure that health and wellbeing interventions should be evidence-based to be of greatest value to organisations.”

Neil Mountford, Chair of EAPA, commented: “While EAPs are among the most commonly used wellbeing interventions in the UK with close to half of the workforce (a total of almost 14 million) having access to an EAP, very few providers or employers have been able to collect data beyond basic take-up and satisfaction surveys.

“Data from the first users of the tool have shown that EAPs have a significantly positive return-on-investment in terms of organisational, as well as individual, outcomes. As we gather more data from EAP providers, IES will be able to further develop the tool and provide more in-depth analysis of financial outcomes – meaning increasing levels of credibility for the figures and their use with senior management and for wellbeing strategy investment.”

Getting evidence on good mental health ROI

While support for employee mental health and wellbeing generally has become the norm, there’s still a lack of hard evidence of ROI – limiting investment and making the HR approach look woolly. We’ve reached the stage where depression and anxiety is talked about, out in the open rather than dealt with behind closed doors, and people are more able to be people, not forced to adopt a rigid employee persona.

According to the Government’s Thriving at Work report, the cost of poor mental health among employees is costing employers between £33 and £42 billion. UK employers bear much of the burden of the costs of ill-health in general, chronic disease and incapacity, and HR need to have a better grasp of which particular interventions help them mitigate against these costs. In other words, talking about new attitudes to mental health, providing yoga sessions and free fruit, may feel the right thing to do, but there need to be hard numbers on Return on Investment.

There’s been some research on the ROI of some workplace health interventions over the last 30 years. But much of it originates in the USA where employers bear significant healthcare costs and have a direct financial interest in improving workforce health and promoting early intervention. The more reliable research includes a study by the large US insurance firm insurance firm LifeSolutions which found a return of between $5.17 and $6.47 (in terms of increased work productivity) for each dollar spent on the EAP. An academic study involving work with the Australian Fire Service found that mental health training for managers led to real impact on work-related absence and an ROI of £9.98 for each pound spent; while the Government’s Thriving at Work highlighted a significant return for employers investing in mental health interventions: an average of £4.20 for every £1 (with a range up to £9).

And while EAPs are the most commonly used workforce health intervention in the UK with close to half of the workforce (a total of almost 14 million) having access, very few providers or employers are able to collect systematic evaluation data beyond ‘take-up’ or utilisation statistics and satisfaction surveys. To help bridge this gap, EAPA launched the EAP calculator in October last year. Independently developed by the Institute of Employment Studies (IES), this new tool can be used by HR professionals to estimate the value of their EAP investment. Since the launch, there are now 529 users with the average return on investment calculated at £10.44 per £1 investment.

The more the calculator is used, the richer the dataset becomes. In turn this data can be used to revise and update the methodology, building the rigour and realism of the figures put forward to senior executives in boardrooms. There’s then a clear basis for investment in more specific mental health initiatives for employees. And over time, as the UK dataset grows and the anonymous data is collated and analysed, there is the detail needed for organisations and HR teams to benchmark returns and value against comparative employers in their sector and region.

The web tool available here and is available to everyone. We encourage EAPA members to try the EAP calculator and share with their clients to help build the data available. The full calculator has more detail, variables and greater intricacy and can handle employers with over 15,000 employees. Plans are underway to make the full calculator available in the coming months and we will keep members updated as this progresses.

EAP calculator delivers ROI figures for a future of benchmarking

Earlier this week, as a partner of the Mad World Summit, EAPA was pleased to write an article for the summit website explaining why it has funded the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) to design and develop an EAP calculator.

The article explains how buy-in for employee wellbeing initiatives has always been hampered by a lack of hard data. Making a case for investment into mental health benefits has meant scratching around for impact on absence rates or relying on intangibles like the value for engagement and employer branding. It had become clear, following the first phase of EAPA UK funded research with The Work Foundation, that there was an urgent need for evidence and attention to real-life figures, particularly when the cost of poor mental health among employees is costing employers between £33 and £42m (Thrive at Work report). To help fill this critical gap, EAPA UK stepped in, funding the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) to design and develop an EAP calculator.

You can read the full article here.

UK EAPA is delighted to be supporting this important event, taking place on 9 October in London. Good mental health in the workplace is fundamental to business success and Mad World is playing a key role in this by putting mental health at the heart of the business agenda. The focus of the event is about moving from stigma to solutions when it comes to workplace wellbeing and attendees will hear from an outstanding line up of speakers. The comprehensive agenda, which features keynote presentations, roundtables and networking opportunities, has been designed to help delegates learn how to integrate mental health into existing wellbeing strategies, gain inspiration from innovative leaders, uncover the right solutions for your organisation and share ideas and experiences with peers.

As a supporter of the event, EAPA is pleased to be able to extend a 30% discount on the delegate price to all EAPA members who may be interested in attending the event in October. Click here to register for the event and use the discount code: EAPA30 to book your place today.

EAPs can help support mental health among middle managers

Last week, the CIPD launched the UK Working Lives survey, the first comprehensive measure of job quality in the UK. Combining previous research on the factors that affect job quality with a 6,000 sample survey, representative of the whole UK workforce, the results show that while overall headline satisfaction with work and jobs is reasonable, there are significant numbers who feel differently, and importantly some major systemic issues with overwork, stress and a lack of training and development.

It reports that while two-thirds of workers (64%) are satisfied with their job overall, one in four workers (25%) feel their job negatively affects their mental health, while nearly a third (30%) say their workload is too much. In particular, the survey highlights a concerning trend among workers in middle management, indicating that they have too much on their plate, a factor which is having a detrimental effect on their wellbeing. Among its recommendations, the CIPD advises employers address cultures of presenteeism, place a greater focus on wellbeing and encourage more flexible working.

“While many organisations already have an EAP in place to support the wellbeing of their employees, there appears to be a lack of awareness around the coaching and guidance element of many EAP programmes which are there to support line managers specifically,” said Neil Mountford, chair of the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association. “We urge employers to talk to their EAP provider about these services and to work together to more actively promote the training and coaching services available to line managers which can help them manage their day-to-day pressures more effectively.”

You can ready the CIPD’s UK Working Lives Survey here.

Promoting EAPs during National Stress Awareness Month

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 12.5 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/17. During the same period, more than 500,000 workers stated that they were suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. GPs also report that symptoms of stress are on the increase in the UK, with the majority of GPs (85%) reporting a rise in the number of patients with symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in the last five years according to a survey by Royal London.

While the majority of work-related stress is attributed to workload, around 1 in 7 people say it is due to lack of support. Yet we know that Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) are the most popular wellbeing initiative provided by employers in the UK. While awareness is growing slowly, a gap still exists between awareness and the services already being provided by organisations to support mental health issues. “The issue here is that while some employees are aware their organisation has an EAP, they don’t necessarily know what it means and how it can help,” says Neil Mountford, chair of the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association.

“Hosting regular EAP awareness and mental health awareness sessions can help give employees a better understanding of mental health , as well as an awareness of the services and support available to them. Improving knowledge of how EAPs can help will also increase usage of the service. If there are concerns around confidentiality of the EAP, it is vital to communicate that any discussions are private and confidential and will not be shared with their employer. It also helps if managers have a better understanding of the EAP and other support services available so that they can talk to employees about these.

“In order for an EAP to deliver significant benefit and value, employers need to work with their providers to raise awareness and provide education for employees. Organisations that do this will see the long term benefits of a successful EAP and the positive impact on employee wellbeing and organisation through improved productivity and fewer days lost to mental ill health. Line manager education and coaching on how best to manage mental health issues is also a key part of the equation and while EAPs have the capability, expertise and capacity to do this, this is less well known and utilised by employers.

“If take-up of your EAP is low, consider creating events or communications to tie in with key events on the wellbeing calendar and help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. Ultimately, it is in the interest of all EAP providers to raise awareness of the issue of mental health at work and the role we can play in eradicating the problem and April’s National Stress Awareness Month could be the perfect place to start.”

New ROI tool for EAPs

Two years ago, EAPA UK commissioned The Work Foundation to investigate the use, impact and ROI of EAPs. This first phase of research found that while Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are among the most commonly used wellbeing interventions in the UK, very few providers or their clients are able to collect systematic evaluation data beyond take-up or utilisation statistics and satisfaction surveys. More detailed findings and discussion of the study conducted by The Work Foundation is available in the full report, Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs): Supporting good work for UK employers?

The research found that most EAPs, at minimum, covered their costs but that more work could be conducted to identify the main components of both costs and benefits at employer level. Based on these recommendations, EAPA UK funded further research, carried out by Professor Stephen Bevan at the Institute of Employment Studies (IES), to design, test and develop an algorithm that would enable employers and EAP providers to measure return on investment.

“We are looking forward to unveiling the UK’s first ROI tool for EAPs at our AGM next Tuesday 6 March at the Health and Wellbeing at Work event at the NEC. For the first time EAP providers and employers will be able to demonstrate the value of their EAPs, using the results to better inform their health and wellbeing strategy and deliver even greater value to employees. Importantly, over time, this ROI tool will also provide a UK benchmark of EAP providers to help employers make more informed judgements of EAP value and quality,” said EAPA UK Chair, Neil Mountford.

Watch this space for more information about the ROI tool which will be made available on our website very soon.

UK EAPA’s latest research to quantify the ‘return on investment’ of EAPs

Following the recent publication of UK EAPA’s research in partnership with the Work Foundation into the use, impact and reach of EAPs in today’s organisation, the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association’s next research project will quantify the ‘return on investment’ of employers’ investment in these programmes.

“The UK EAPA has asked The Work Foundation, alongside Professor Stephen Bevan from the Institute of Employment Studies, to assess the economic returns that employers can expect to accrue from their investment in an EAP. Based on data collected from EAP providers, we will build an ROI calculator that will enable those who are assessing the cost-effectiveness of their current workplace health interventions to better understand the value that an EAP can deliver,” said Andrew Kinder, UK EAPA’s Chair.

“Work has already begun to collect data from EAP providers to help build the ROI calculator and we are looking forward to working with the Work Foundation once again to develop an independent and objective appraisal of the economic returns of investment in an EAP,” said Paul Roberts, UK EAPA Executive Board Member and research lead.

EAPs are among the most commonly used well-being interventions in the UK with the EAPA’s Market Watch report (2013) identifying that almost 12 million employees in the UK are covered by EAP provision. Other data, for example from Employee Benefits (2013), suggests that 71 per cent of employers in the UK are making use of EAPs.

“These figures highlight that EAPs have the ‘reach’ to make a significant impact on the well-being of a large number of UK employees, saving UK businesses a considerable sum in reduced sickness absence and improved productivity.  We are looking forward to working in partnership with UK EAPA, as well as the Institute of Employment Studies, to better understand return on investment and make recommendations about how the design, implementation and targeting of EAPs can be adapted to maximise their reach and effectiveness,” said Dr. Zofia Bajorek, researcher at the Work Foundation who will lead this project.

The research is expected to be published in early May 2017. If you would like to receive the new research report on publication, please email info@eapa.org.uk to request a copy.

UK EAPA wins Outstanding Branch Award at 2015 World EAP Conference

UK EAPA has been named ‘Outstanding Branch’ at the 2015 World EAP Conference in San Diego on 2 October 2015.

The Outstanding Branch Award honours the UK Branch for outstanding growth, development, and community outreach and reflects the significant efforts we have made in recent years to promote the employee assistance profession in the UK and establish partnerships with government bodies and other industry associations.

“I am delighted the UK has been globally recognised as an outstanding branch of EAPA International. The award is testament to many years’ hard work by our members and the dedicated support and commitment of our Executive Committee and Past Chairs. We are an energetic Branch with ambitious plans for the future and we will continue to promote best practice and standards within the EAP industry in the future,” said Andrew Kinder, Chair of the UK EAPA.