The Valuable Employee Benefit You Might Be Forgetting About

Sarah Mitchell

By Sarah Mitchell

March 23, 2022

Employee wellness is at the forefront of post-pandemic conversations. To attract and retain high-quality talent, your benefits plan should support the evolving needs of the workforce. One effective but often forgotten way to prioritize employee health and wellness in your group benefits plan is by offering an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), also known as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

What Is An EFAP?

An Employee and Family Assistance Program provides confidential, short-term counseling and advocacy services to employees and their eligible dependents. The services offered can be used to address personal, family, or work-related stressors and are proven to reduce employee absenteeism and illness, and improve engagement and retention.

What Is Offered In An EFAP?

The standard Employee and Family Assistance Program offers a 24/7 toll-free support line that can connect employees to services such as:

  • short-term therapy/counseling
  • trauma/crisis management and intervention services
  • financial, legal, family, and stress-related services
  • health system navigation, case management, care coordination, and concierge services for acute illnesses
  • caregiving for age-related illnesses, familial support with care transitions, and related community care support

An enhanced EFAP may also be able to offer services via live chat, telesupport, or video chat.

Simply Benefits Partners With HumanaCare

Humanacare

Simply Benefits offers its clients an Employee and Family Assistance Program through HumanaCare. HumanaCare provides compassionate, holistic support and counseling for individuals and their families experiencing work-life challenges. Included within Humanacare's EFAP is:

  • financial and legal counseling
  • nutritional health and wellness counseling
  • elder care navigation
  • child care navigation
  • healthcare system and service navigation
  • psychological counseling

Members experiencing a crisis situation can contact the HumanaCare Clinical Response Centre 24/7, toll-free, and those seeking counseling services can call the Clinical Response Centre or request counseling online.

Key Takeaways

An Employee and Family Assistance Program is an often forgotten way to integrate employee mental health and wellness into your group benefits plan. Providing a confidential platform for employees and their eligible dependents to receive the support they need has proven to lower rates of absenteeism and ultimately increase employee engagement and retention.

Want more information about the HumanaCare EFAP?

Learn More About HumanaCare

About Simply Benefits

Simply Benefits is Canada's newest Third Party Payor (TPP) that provides Employee Health Benefits 100% digitally through our Canadian Advisor partners. Our all-in-one digital solution provides three portals that enable Benefits Advisors to digitally manage all client plans online, Employers to efficiently administer employee coverage, and Employees to view, update and use their benefits 24/7 via desktop or smartphone app.

We help ENGAGE Employees Anytime, Anywhere, SIMPLIFY the Benefits Experience, and EVOLVE an Advisors’ Benefits Business.

Connect with us at simplybenefits.ca or on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Employee Benefits Made Simple. 

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