24/09/2024

5 mins

When employers purchase a Group Insurance policy for their employees – be it Group Life, Group Health, or Group Income Protection Insurance – employees are often given access to a range of support services through their insurance providers.

These are employee assistance programmes, designed to support employees’ physical, mental and financial health, in some instances even extending access to employees’ family.

And with 91% of employees experiencing stress in the workplace, it’s never been more important to prioritise wellness.

Yet many employers are unsure how to tackle these problems, especially with a limited budget. However, for some employers, the solution may be sitting right under their nose in the form of an Employee Assistance Program without them even realising it.

The benefits that you find within Employee Assistance Programmes can be an effective means of addressing stress and mental health in the workplace.

Some of the more popular types of services offered with group insurance policies are:

Legal, medical and financial advice
Counselling / cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) face-to-face or over the phone
Bereavement counselling;
Online and over the phone information and guides.

These services benefit everyone and can be highly appealing employee benefits by themselves, regardless of the insurance product attached to them. However, not many people are aware that these services come with their group protection.

How Do Employee Assistance Programmes Work?

Most of the services in an Employee Assistance Programme don’t require the employee to make a claim on the attached policy in order to use them.

In fact, many of them are aimed at preventing a claim before one starts.

While these services are often used as an employee attempts to return to work from a period of illness, which would potentially be after a claim has been made, many programs are aimed at preventing these absences from occurring in the first place.

Many of these services can be used at any time, particularly the provided helplines and information services. Some providers even extend availability of these services to employees’ families.

Most of these services can be used an unlimited number of times, although some types of services, like face-to-face counselling or physiotherapy, will be limited to a certain number of sessions per employee. These limits will be outlined in the documents provided.

Aside from these particular limits, employees can continue using these services until they leave the group insurance scheme.

martyn coates, employee benefits consultant at drewberry

Some employees don’t use these services because they worry that any information they share might be passed onto their employer.

However, these services are usually provided by companies separate to the insurance provider and operate with guaranteed confidentiality.

Martyn Coates
Employee Benefits Adviser at Drewberry

Why Aren’t Employee Assistance Programmes More Popular?

Employee Assistance Programmes are often parcelled in with Group Risk and Group Health policies, but many people covered by such insurances simply aren’t aware that these extra support services are available to them.

There tends to be a lack of communication about these additional benefits, with the focus being on the main risk the policy is addressing rather than on what else it can do for workers.

Many employees don’t find out until it is too late that they are able to access these services. Others that are aware of these services don’t know how to access them or don’t know that they are not required to make a formal claim with the insurer in order to use them.

Overlooking these support services can be a big mistake for employers considering the positive impact they can have. When employees are aware of the services available to them and know how to access them, some instances of long-term absence may be avoided.

Before Employee Assistance Programmes are able to tackle the problem of workplace stress, employers need to look closer at the group insurance products they apply for and learn how to properly promote the services available.

Which Are The Best Employee Assistance Programmes In The UK 2024?

The employee assistance services provided by the following insurers come free of charge when you purchase a Group Income Protection Insurance or Group Life Insurance policy.


24-hour telephone support service provided by Care First, offering counselling and practical advice on a range of personal issues Face-to-face counselling where needed (up to 8 sessions per employee) Stress Free Island: A mobile tool that helps employees manage condition such as stress, anxiety and depression Care First Lifestyle: An information resource provided by Care First, containing articles, webinars and general advice on a range of topics

EmployeeCare: providing telephone and face-to-face counselling as well as support for additional matters such as childcare and eldercare advice, legal issues, and debt management Second Medical opinion from a UK specialist Treatment Sourcing Service: Advice and help to find the most suitable healthcare options, including access to treatment at private facilities at competitive prices

Telephone based bereavement counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, immediate crisis intervention, legal advice, medical advice, and more Online information and resources, including guides, fact sheets, web links and podcasts Face-to-face structured counselling (up to 5 sessions per employee where appropriate) Face-to-face bereavement counselling (up to 5 sessions per employee for the immediate family of a deceased employee)

Rehabilitation services, including advice and support and expert recommendations of absence management practices to make health conditions easier to work around. Unum LifeWorks: A 24 hour helpline for everyday advice and face-to-face counselling for more serious issues. Mental Health Pathway: An intervention service that gives employees and employers access to specialist support to help with any mental health concerns. Free workshops on issues like cancer and mental health to improve awareness amongst employers and help employees manage their diagnosis.

Bupa Positive Health: An online, interactive health & wellbeing programme that gives employees access to health assessments, advice, and tips on how to manage health problems at home and at work. Health Matters: An online resource that gives information, support and advice on a range of health related topics, helping employees take better care of themselves.

Need Employee Benefits Advice?

Even before employees have had a chance to use Employee Assistance Services, they can have a positive impact on your organisation.

85% of UK workers say that they are more likely to work for employers who offer clearly labelled benefits and putting your Employee Assistance Programme at the forefront of your employee benefits package can make for an enticing offer.

When you consider that Employee Assistance Services are essentially offered as a bonus extra when you provide Group Health Insurance or Group Risk, promoting them to your workforce costs nothing and could see significant benefits for the future.

Why Speak to Us?

We started Drewberry™ because we were tired of being treated like a number.

We all deserve a first class service when it comes to things as important as protecting our health and our finances. Below are just a few reasons why it makes sense to talk to us.

We are award winning 🏆 independent insurance advisers who work with all the leading UK insurers
You’ll speak to a dedicated expert from start to finish
We are very proud of the 3900 and growing independent client reviews rating us at 4.92 / 5
We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can find us on the financial services register here 🧐
Claims support when you need it most.

For more information about Employee Benefits and the Employee Assistance programmes that accompany them pop us a call on 02074425880.