When a company signs up with YuLife, employees don't just get high quality insurance cover, but a whole range of extra benefits. One of them is the YuLife app, which offers financial rewards for completing fitness and mindfulness tasks. And via the same app, staff can also get instant access to YuMatter, an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) delivered in partnership with Workplace Solutions and YourHalo. The range of services YuMatter provides to staff is wide and comprehensive. It includes mental health counselling, computerised CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy), legal and financial information, life coaching, a mindfulness programme, bereavement counselling and more. And all these services are available to employees' family members too.Best of all, staff can access these services directly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with complete confidentiality, via the Wellness Hub in the YuLife app. This all adds up to a killer combination which employees and employers both benefit from. And you don't have to take our word for it. We've spoken to companies large and small about their experiences with YuMatter, and share some of their insights below. "Our people needed that extra support"We'll start with xDesign, an award-winning digital development company based in Edinburgh and Leeds. "YuLife gives us the full package,” says Ciji Duncan, its chief people officer. “It gives us financial wellbeing, it gives us mental wellbeing with the EAP, and physical wellbeing with people going out, doing their steps, and a Virtual GP. That's all incredibly important to us as a business."YuMatter, she stresses, is key to that offer. "It means employees have someone they can speak to independently," Ciji explains. "Our people need that extra support, and an EAP really gives that to us." What's especially significant to Ciji is how easy YuMatter services are to access. She explains that with average download rates of 70% for the app, xDesign saw a fivefold increase in EAP utilisation rates after moving to YuLife. “People didn't need to log into a portal through systems at work,” she explains. “They could have the app on their phone when they were anywhere, and they could connect with their colleagues, and stay connected to so many other different things as well.” All this has all made a big difference in how staff at xDesign perceive their employer. As digital designer Emma Harvey points out: "Having the whole benefits package that YuLife provides makes me feel more looked after in work. That they actually care about our wellbeing as people." Andrius Korsakas, principal software engineer (automation), agrees. "This benefits package would make me think twice before I leave the business," he reveals."It's been a definite game-changer for us"We see a similar dynamic wherever businesses sign up with YuLife. Staff love being able to access YuMatter's services, while employers love the resulting drop in sickness and absenteeism, and rise in loyalty and staff retention. Managers love it too. "A number of staff have come to me with problems that they're dealing with, or I've gone to them because it's clear that they're struggling with something, and I always recommend that they access the Wellbeing Hub," says Alix Hobbs, director of operations at London recruitment firm Cloud International. "One hundred percent would I recommend YuLife to other businesses. It has been a definite game changer for us from a wellness perspective."Gemma McCall, co-founder and CEO at Manchester tech startup Culture Shift, takes a similar line. “We regularly encourage people to access the EAP,” says Gemma. “I say those three letters a lot – not because people are needing to access them because of what we do at Culture Shift, but because people’s lives are difficult and we’ve got such a huge range of things that have happened over the last few years.”Of course, when life does get difficult, the last thing employees want is to wade through layers of bureaucracy, or wait for days before they can access help. And they probably don't want their boss knowing about their personal problems either. So the instant and easy access to YuMatter provided by the YuLife app, along with its complete confidentiality, is something that's highly valued. That's certainly the case for Maddie Smith, a service team integrator at Vanti, a creative technology contracting firm based in Birmingham. “With YuLife’s EAP you can get referred, and if you’re going through a really difficult time or if you just want some career development advice, or anything you just need help with – life matters, maybe insurance – you can have a confidential conversation," she explains. "No-one gets told that you’ve contacted them, and sometimes it’s easier to speak to a stranger than somebody you know.”Ben Johnson, head of staff at London B2B data business Harbr, is also enthusiastic. "Being able to virtually access counselling has given us all peace of mind," he explains. "I’m really pleased with the experience we’ve had since we joined. YuLife has a great offering, which is why I'm a really big fan. I think having a lot of the benefits together in one place made it an easy decision.""Benefits are accessible and valued by everyone"It's important to stress that YuMatter benefits all of a company's employees, however diverse. That's something that food giant Del Monte UK particularly prized when they partnered with YuLife. “We have two different groups of people to manage: head office and the factory," explains human resources director Shelly Webb. "YuLife stood out because its benefits would be accessible and valued by everyone, from head office to the factory floor." In addition, due to language barriers and restricted communication channels, Del Monte experienced challenges in reaching their entire workforce. Their previous EAP showed very low engagement, but now that's all changed, Shelly adds: “With YuLife, we see our team engaging with the app every day."That said, you don't have to be a big company to take advantage of YuMatter. Emma Murray, founder at London PR firm Meantime Communications, has done just that, and feels that the duty of care is actually greater for smaller companies such as hers. “It is even more important for a small business to punch above their weight when it comes to staff welfare," she points out. "Not only because it is the right thing to do, but also it is a good way of attracting and retaining great talent.”ConclusionTalk to any company who has partnered with YuLife and one thing quickly becomes clear: YuMatter is bringing huge benefits to employees and employers alike. By providing instant, 24-7 access to confidential support through the YuLife app, employees are able to freely seek advice and guidance without the barriers of bureaucracy or confidentiality. And that's making the lives of managers and employers easier, by reducing the drain on business of workers who are distracted, under-performing or absent due to mental health, financial or other issues.In short, by blending cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human needs, YuMatter offers a great way to boost employee wellness and organisational efficiency. That's why companies large and small are partnering with YuLife. Isn't it time yours followed suit?