A new publication from Morneau Shepell, entitled the 2020 Workplace Outcome Suite Annual Report, a study of 35,693 employees over a 10-year period, has found that employee assistance program (EAP) counseling provides a positive return on investment for employers rather quickly.

In the study, 56 per cent of respondents reported that their issue or issues were making it difficult to concentrate on work. After EAP counseling, this was reduced to 28 per cent of all cases. Before counseling, 37 per cent reported dissatisfaction with life overall. This reduced to 16 per cent of all cases following EAP intervention. Other findings include 32 per cent reporting that they are not engaged with their work, a number which fell to 23 per cent following counseling. Finally, before counseling, 29 per cent said they missed half a day or more of work time because of their problem, a number which fell to just 13 per cent following EAP counseling.

Morneau Shepell adds that the estimated return on investment from EAP programs ranged from 3:1 for small employers, 5:1 for medium-sized employer and 9:1 for large employers in the United States. “A break-even 1:1 ROI was possible even at a very low utilization level of just one EAP counseling case per every 100 covered employees,” they write.