By Alison Nelson, Employee Benefits Account Manager
Many employers offer a Long-Term Disability (LTD) policy to their employees, which allows people to maintain a portion of their income if they are no longer able to work. But did you know that most LTD policies include an additional benefit that can be used, even if you don’t have an LTD claim? This benefit is called an Employee Assistance Program.
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential program that allows you, or anyone in your household, to talk to a professional for any number of things that could impact your mental or emotional well-being. EAPs are a fantastic resource for counseling, stress-management, personal and professional relationships, grief, trauma, and so much more. If a family member become diagnosed with a serious illness, you can contact your EAP for help managing that stress and finding resources for that family member.
Most people don’t think about their Long-Term Disability policy unless they need it, which makes it easy to overlook the associated benefit of an EAP. Even if you don’t have an LTD policy, it’s worth checking with your Benefits Administrator to see if you have an EAP available to you. Mental health is something I’m very passionate about (I even wrote two blogs about it, here’s Part One and here is Part Two). I believe incredibly important to provide resources that aid in the mental and emotional well-being of employees and their families.
Not only does an EAP assist employees, it can help businesses to increase productivity and reduce employee absenteeism! After all, an engaged and productive employee is healthy AND happy. Here is an article that dives into the benefits of an EAP, which can be an all-around win-win. If you’d like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out to RISQ Consulting!
