"We are seeing more and more people talking to us about the difficulties of being productive and being effective at work because of home working circumstances,” says Stephen Galliano, clinical psychologist and Chief Customer Officer at Workplace Options. “And younger people are probably overrepresented in that population of people who are experiencing these difficulties.”As the Great Resignation continues to impact the business world, Stephen highlights the value EAP provision can play in engaging and retaining your staff.From valuable data to services you may not know about, here Stephen highlights how an EAP service can benefit your business.1) There’s a switch to preventative treatment“We are trying to broaden the appeal of the EAP, so that people don't just see it as a last resort, with a new program of services: a six-session mindfulness training on the phone, one-to-one, for anybody that wants it through the Aware program," Stephen says. "It’s a proactive, preventive program where we encourage people to call us not because they have a mental health issue, but because they're concerned that they are under some sort of pressure. And if that were to continue, it could evolve into a mental health problem: sleeping difficulties, or an inability to disconnect from work life over the weekends.”2) Globalization has changed EAP“The globalization of EAP has been a big trend in the last 15 to 20 years,” says Stephen. The shift to digital service delivery means this is likely to increase. “But already, companies that are global can now offer these programs to their employees from Spain to Singapore.”3) EAP offers other services too“Primarily it covers counseling and work-life support – but there's legal information provided to people, financial support in terms of debt, in terms of understanding financial mechanisms," he says. And with so many calls regarding mental health, "programs such as mindfulness training also take a proactive, preventive approach.”About 65% of all of our calls are typically mental health-related and usually result in counseling in one form or another.4) Communication is key to engagement levels“The level of engagement that we see from our clients is driven very much by how well the program is promoted and understood by employees of the organizations. If they fully understand what it is, and if they don't see any blocks to accessing it, then we find the utilization levels.”5)People typically reach out with mental health issues“About 65% of all of our calls are typically mental health-related and usually result in counseling in one form or another,” says Stephen. “But we are trying to broaden the appeal of the EAP so that people don't just see it as a last resort.”6) COVID-19 accelerated the shift to technology solutions“90% of counseling was done in person pre-Covid. Now I would say only 10% to 15% is done in person – with the majority now taking place via telephone or video call.”7) An EAP program gives you hard-to-reach data“We give feedback on trends – if we've noticed that in a location, you've got a high prevalence of bullying cases, for example. These are priceless gems that we can give to clients,” explains Stephen.