We’ve all experienced a time when life has become a bit overwhelming – sometimes it’s a result of work stress. Sometimes it's down to something else – our health, our finances or our relationships.It is not surprising then that the US Department of Labor reports that 59% of employees say they've suffered from the effects of work-related stress, and 87% state that actions from their employer would help their mental health.Poor employee mental health creates a burden for employers, too. The combination of employee healthcare costs, absenteeism, job turnover and poor productivity is said to cost US employers more than $300 billion a year. It's therefore vital that businesses try and protect this value by investing in services to support mental health in the workplace.What’s more, as the ‘Great Resignation’ takes effect, with more than 50 million Americans quitting their jobs in 2022 alone, companies will no longer be able to offer mental health initiatives as an afterthought if they want to retain their people and continue to attract the best talent.There are plenty of measures that can be put in place to support workplace mental health, a major one being Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). EAPs are an investment in the wellbeing of employees and can help individuals with pretty much anything that’s problematic in their daily lives - this could be work stress, a relationship breakdown or financial issues.Despite much of the population being faced with problems that EAPs deal with, studies have consistently shown that less than 10% of the average workforce uses their EAP. This suggests there’s a worrying gap between the support services being offered and what employees actually need and use.Simply offering an EAP for your employees isn't enough on its own. Its value is limited unless employees know what’s available and how to access it. So, how can you maximize awareness of your EAP within your organization and make it a key pillar of mental health support at work?Here are a few ways to make the most of your EAP:1) Boost your EAP’s visibilityOften businesses think that a one-off communication to their people is enough to promote their EAP effectively. However, the stats speak for themselves, and the fact that so few employees actually engage with these programs suggests that a lot more could be done to encourage usage…It’s important that businesses identify the best internal channels to share how the EAP works and highlight the benefits of using the service. As well as posting full details on the intranet, you could also try sharing information via messaging channels like Slack, email, or even asking business leaders to talk about the EAP during team meetings.Promotional campaigns need to be frequent and ongoing if you want the message to stick. If your company runs health and wellbeing events or celebrates awareness days such as World Mental Health Day, these can be excellent opportunities to get your EAP in front of your people and remind them of how it can help them.2) Guarantee confidentialityEven if they know about their EAP, a major reason why employees may not make use of the program is due to a lack of trust in the services and uncertainty around whether their issues will really be kept confidential from their employer.EAPs deal with deeply personal issues, from financial and family struggles to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. If your employees don't have complete trust in the service, they simply won't use it.It is a standard practice for any good EAP provider to adhere to strict confidentiality guidelines. So, by highlighting that confidentiality is guaranteed, particularly when it comes to counseling and mental health services, and reiterating the message at every opportunity, you can help reduce people's reluctance and increase the uptake of these vital support services to improve workplace mental health.3) Integrate it into a wider wellbeing strategyWhile EAPs are very important for improving mental health in the workplace, they shouldn’t be the only component of your wellbeing strategy. Additional employee benefits and services including virtual healthcare, fitness and mindfulness subscriptions and insurance coverage can all serve to promote overall employee wellbeing.It is therefore important that the employee journey is as simple as possible and your EAP is linked to these related services. Ensuring that different services integrate and work effectively together is fundamental when delivering a wellbeing strategy that is accessible and engaging.YuLife’s Employee Assistance Program, in partnership with Workplace Options, supports employees with work, relationship or financial issues - providing life coaching, access to qualified advisors, structured clinical counseling and 24/7 access to clinically trained mental health experts.Our in-app Wellness Hub makes it easy for employees to access their EAP alongside their entire suite of health and wellness tools from one location on their smartphones.Providing a general culture of wellbeing that meets the needs of the workforce is key to improving mental health across your business. YuLife offers companies an easy way to provide and integrate all the key elements of employee health and wellbeing including life insurance, digital health services, an EAP and a gamified employee app that rewards employees for practicing healthy behaviors such as walking and practicing mindfulness.Click here to get a quote and learn more about how YuLife is working with hundreds of growing businesses to provide workplace benefits that engage and protect their people.