2024 Mind the Workplace Data from Mental Health America: EAPs Are A Solution, Not THE Solution

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 71 million workers have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). “. . . in the private sector, the percentage of workers with an EAP benefit ranges from about 1 in every 4 workers at the smallest size employers (under 50 workers), to almost half of workers at companies with between 50 and 99 workers, to about two-thirds of workers at medium size companies and better than 8 in every 10 workers at large companies.”

Offering an EAP has become as standard as PTO. An industry unto itself, high-quality EAP solutions are in high demand as employers look for investments that will deliver on improving health outcomes for their workforce. According to Verified Market Research, the EAP market was “valued at USD 7,104 Million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 10,934 Million by 2031.”

By now, the utilization rates overall for EAPs have surely increased, right? Not quite. They are still hovering between 3-7%, overall. Yet, the employers investing in EAPs are seeing results in improving the well-being of workers, right? Yes and no.

Mental Health America (MHA) recently published our 7th annual Mind the Workplace report, gathering data from employees on their workplace experiences of support, trust, safety, and belonging. As our research has shown for nearly a decade, positive health outcomes are realized when employers invest in all levels of support.

In the top 25% of healthy workplaces and bottom 25% of unhealthy workplaces, EAPs and traditional benefits are the few areas where these workplaces align. In 13 out of 15 categories, employees in healthy workplaces report higher levels of support in areas such as people manager training, mentorship programs, employee resource groups (ERGs), and professional growth opportunities.

The Mind the Workplace 2024 report explores how business leaders can integrate mental health into their workplace's infrastructure and culture with healthy employer practices, from building trust to cultivating supportive people managers. Practices and policies are important and, as we’ve learned from top employers, equally as important is how leadership models organizational values and creates explicit trust. In MHA’s Workplace Mental Health 2024 Report: Trends and Best Practices of Top Employers, 74% of employers openly shared their lived experiences, an increase from 71% in 2023. Sharing personal experiences with mental health, substance use, and overall the human experience of being human is one of many ways leaders create a culture of trust.

Overall, when employers implement healthy workplace practices, employees report more positive experiences of belonging, psychological safety, and empowerment in their workplace. Empowered employees are engaged employees. And, these factors contribute to an employee’s ability to successfully manage their work stress and maintain their mental health and well-being.

Here are some top themes from this year’s report to consider discussing with your leadership team, especially when planning 2025 workplace wellness strategies:

Building trust is #1. After 7 years of worker-informed research analyzing 75,000 work health surveys, building a culture of trust is a non-negotiable investment when achieving positive health outcomes is the goal. Only two in five employees agreed that their employer makes changes based on their feedback. However, of those who agreed, 91% strongly agreed the employer invests in developing fair and supportive people managers, and 85% strongly agreed they encourage transparent communication at all levels.?

How confident are you that your workplace is built on a culture of trust? If your confidence level is low, addressing this directly begins with leadership identifying and agreeing on where trust falls down, and at the very least being explicit about knowing what you don’t know and creating an action plan for gathering that data.???

Stress is relative. The environment, your work situation, and the ability to experience belonging and support are all factors in how work plays a part in higher or lower levels of work-related stress. This includes: how you work (at a desk, not at a desk, leaving home to work, etc.), how you identify (generation, unique characteristics), and how your workplace supports you (supportive managers, tailored benefits, etc.). It’s important to note that GenZ and Millennials reported poorer work health scores over other generations.

It can be common to make assumptions about why or how certain workers are not engaged in their work. Do you have a comprehensive picture of where the stress points are across your organization? Do your different worker populations need different things? What’s the plan for separating out performance issues from where gaps in support might be affecting productivity and engagement? Are you conducting pulse surveys or learning about how and where work-related stress impacts your people?

The greatest potential for impact is the least invested in by employers. People management training and mentorship are well-known industry best practices in employee engagement and retention, as well as an important factor in employee health. Yet, investing in training and supporting managers continues to be lower on the priority list by employers across the board. In the past two years, nearly every webinar or conference I attended, or published article I read on the value of taking a strategic approach to workplace wellness highlights the importance of having people managers. From emotional intelligence to cultural humility, and a range of areas in skills building and improving management consistency across departments is essential. From hiring practices and onboarding to personal and professional development, what is the plan for supporting your management team? How long has that plan been in place, and does it need a reboot? Are there major hot spots in some departments and not others which might indicate inconsistencies within the management team???

Employee engagement is personal. Of employees who agreed that their work is energizing and fulfilling, 90% strongly agreed that they felt they belonged in their workplace. Employees understand their value at work but often go unrecognized for their efforts. Seventy-eight percent of employees reported knowing how their efforts contribute to their organization's success, but only 59% felt appreciated by their employer.

Understanding how your role connects to the success of the organization is essential to see high levels of employee satisfaction and engagement. Do you also have formal recognition programs and channels for peer-to-peer recognition? How do managers give feedback and have conversations with employees’ contributions on an ongoing basis, and outside of performance review time?

Feedback rules. Decision making based on employee feedback is essential to a successful workplace wellbeing program, yet only 2 in 5 employees agreed their employer makes changes based on feedback. Of employees who agreed that their employer’s benefits met their needs, 81% strongly agreed that their employer makes changes based on their feedback. With four, and sometimes five, generations in the workplace, different work situations, a multitude of ways that people identify, and many more factors, your organization’s benefits and support should be uniquely aligned to meet those specific needs.

Worker-informed feedback should be the basis of all decision-making on workplace wellness investments. How do you understand the needs and the experiences of employees? How does work stress impact your different worker populations in different ways? Are you confident that the investments you make in health and wellness are true investments that will deliver on improving health outcomes, keep talented employees, and attract the workforce you want?

Workplaces impact our non-work life. Restful sleep and healthy relationships are key indicators of well-being. It’s clear that work can have a deep impact on our time outside of work. Three in four employees agreed that work stress affects their sleep. However, 90% of employees in unhealthy workplaces agreed with this statement, compared to 44% in healthy workplaces.?

Back full circle to the importance of creating a healthy work environment, do you know how and where your workplace impacts the overall health and well-being of your workforce? In tandem with prioritizing the creation of a healthy workplace, are you educating employees on the importance of whole health? Do you know the potential barriers for some employees to obtain whole health, such as working extra jobs, caring for aging parents, or not having adequate childcare?

How can your workplace make mental health a priority? Yes, keep that EAP, if you’re confident that care is high quality and meets the needs of your employees. Take the time to ensure that all your benefits are being communicated regularly and in creative ways to reach workers where they are (desk, deskless, remote, and hybrid), along with critical points of opportunity, such as onboarding, performance reviews, and during benefit enrollment season.

But, don’t stop there.?

Like in our personal lives, the actions and interactions we take in the workplace can make or break someone’s decision to seek help. Top employers understand that the more intentional they are about creating a culture of trust, the more their HR pros, managers, and co-workers will be successful in supporting employees. Individuals who have been the recipient of harmful behavior (or have witnessed harmful behavior), who live with a disability, who have been burned in the past at other workplaces, who are at greater risk of harm due to identifying as being in a marginalized community, and/or many other factors will be afraid to speak up and take risks in seeking help, unless management has done everything it can to create a healthy environment for all.?

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By Suzi Craig , Vice President of Workplace Mental Health at Mental Health America