Our EAP: Southeastern Railway

Our EAP: Southeastern Railway

A fresh review of an EAP offering — looking at how it works, who’s being targeted, the kinds of services available — can make a huge difference to usage and impact.

Southeastern Railway was having particular issues with long-term sickness absence. One in three rail workers has a mental health condition (compared with one in six in the UK population more widely), and levels of anxiety are one and a half times higher (according to the industry’s health and wellbeing performance indicators). At the same time, however, the established EAP at Southeastern, set up decades earlier, wasn’t being valued or used.

“When we actually looked at the recent numbers, we found that of the people who were entitled to receive counselling, only 20 had made it through,” said Alex South, Senior HR and Operations Executive.”

In 2025, Southeastern began trials of a new EAP service more suited to the needs of shift-based, frontline workers with 24/7 access to physical, mental health and safety support. “We knew we’d have to pay more than we were already paying,” said Alex, “but we were prepared to do so if we could guarantee getting more of a wraparound and holistic service that could be more easily accessed.”

The new offering has led to much higher levels of access: 21% activation of the app (more than 1,000 staff) and around a 50% conversion rate to counselling, and one on three reaching out to their GP.