Support mental and emotional health
Employers with employee assistance programs (EAP) find they have lower absentee rates and health care costs, as well as more productive workplaces — which may help with burnout and stress for both employees and owners.1 Many EAPs include several supports for mental and emotional health, such as:
· Caregiving assistance — finding daycare or elder care, for example
· Family counseling
· Grief and crisis intervention
Both owners and employees often need updates on EAP existence, value, and access, says Kara Hoogensen, senior vice president of specialty benefits for Principal. Luckily, there’s a decreasing stigma around EAPs, especially among younger generations: It’s not an issue for millennials.2
“It comes back to creating an environment where employees are going to be best positioned to deliver their best work,” Hoogensen says. “If employees feel supported while at and away from work, they have more mind space available to deliver great results.”
