How do you look after the mental and emotional wellbeing of employees working from different countries? It can be a tough ask when your employees are scattered here, there and everywhere!
International Employee Assistance Programmes (iEAPs) have been designed to meet this very challenge.
And they are increasingly popular: the number of UK employees seeking support from their Employee Assistance Programmes leapt by nearly 350,000 between 2020 and 2021.
In this article, we provide a jargon-free guide to iEAPs which explains:
- How an iEAP works
- The process of buying an iEAP
- How much it will cost
- The benefits it can bring to your business and employees
Need help finding the perfect international benefits for your global staff? Give our award-winning team a call on 01273 974419 or email us at [email protected].
What is an International Employee Assistance Programme?
An International Employee Assistance Programme (iEAP) is designed to provide global staff with the tools they need to tackle work-related problems, personal issues, and general everyday health and wellbeing needs.
iEAPs can be accessed from just about anywhere in the world, using a mobile or desktop app. This toolbox of health and wellbeing services enables staff to take control of their own health and prepares them for anything they might encounter which impacts their physical and mental wellbeing.
What’s typically included?
The services usually offered with iEAPs vary from provider to provider, but most will offer the following tools and services:
- 24/7 confidential support services
- Legal support
- Financial advice
- Childcare support
- Work-life balance management tools
- Stress support
- Relationship support
- Alcohol/drug abuse support
- Anxiety and depression services
- Life transition tools
- Grief, bereavement, trauma, loss services
- Multi-lingual capabilities
- Counselling services e.g., CBT, face-to-face sessions, virtual sessions
- Data confidentiality
- Employer support to help with critical incidents/traumatic workplace incidents
- Access to staff engagement stats to measure what’s being most useful
How do you buy a Global EAP?
Global Employee Assistance Programmes can either be bought as a standalone product from iEAP providers, or as an additional service included in an International Business Health Insurance plan.
If opting for the standalone option, your selected iEAP provider will set everything up for you and your staff as quickly as possible. This also includes all the necessary documentation, guidance and contact information for staff.
If you’ve purchased an iEAP as part of an International Health Insurance policy, it’s important to promote it to your staff – so they know that it exists and how to use it. We are surprised by how often this is forgotten (but as a broker, we always help our clients with this step!).
For an iEAP to be a good investment, it’s important that staff know it’s there and how to use it!
Would you like one-to-one advice about Global Employee Assistance Programmes and the practicalities of investing on one? Engage Health Group is an expert brokerage and consultancy which offers its advice for FREE. Contact our award-winning team on 01273 974419 or email us at [email protected].
How much does an iEAP cost?
There is no set menu of price ranges for iEAPs. However, according to the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association, the rough estimation for an EAP lies between £5 and £15 per person. Price points are influenced by a range of factors, each based on the specific and unique needs of your business:
- Number of employees: products are designed for different workforce sizes, the more employees the bigger the per person discount
- Location of employees: it’s more expensive to provide in different areas of the world due to the varying costs for professional services attached to the product, such as counselling support
- Features included: there is often some choice on which features to include, for example an employer can set an upper limit on access to consultations
- Purchase method: it can be bought as a standalone service or bolted on to a global health insurance policy
What benefits will an iEAP deliver?
Investing in an iEAP can deliver a range of benefits, including:
- Provides a broad range of wellbeing services that anyone can benefit from, all accessible under one platform
- Multi-lingual capability and services, making it truly accessible to the whole global team
- Supports staff to better handle whatever life and work throws at them
- Reduces staff absence rates
- Boosts productivity and wellbeing
- Reduces pressure on HR
- Low-cost support compared to other global insurance benefits
- Highly beneficial to expat staff where the stresses and strains of being away from home can be particularly challenging
- Support from therapists and psychologists who can assist both on-location employees and HR teams should any major incidents occur such as terrorism, social unrest or natural disaster.
- Impressive ROI: according to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), every £1 spent on an EAP will return £8
Get FREE one-to-one advice on iEAPs
Finding the right International EAP service provider that fits with your business needs can be challenging. There are hundreds of providers each vying for attention with a range of price points and services included. Speaking to an independent broker, like the team at Engage Health Group, can help.
Our friendly and expert international team will talk through your options at your pace and explain in practical terms how it might address the needs of your specific business and at what price point.
At Engage Health Group, we have a huge global reach spanning 61 countries and territories. We guarantee the best advice and deliver the most competitive quotes in the global healthcare and protection market to help support your remote international workers.
Contact our award-winning team at [email protected] or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.
