Last week I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Global Employee Assistance Summit in Istanbul, Türkiye. Over the course of the conference myself and some wonderful ComPsych colleagues were able to meet with partners, attend sessions, accept an award for the reimagined GuidanceResources Online, and share more about the exciting work we’re doing day in and day out (check out our latest news here if you’re not up-to-date!).
It goes without saying that employee assistance is a complex topic always, but even more so when you consider it from a global lens, adding the nuances of culture, language, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and more. I truly believe no one understands the multifaceted nature of the global employee assistance space more than ComPsych: we currently serve more than 160 million people spread across 200 countries. Despite this extensive expertise, the Summit was illuminating – spotlighting some of the key issues companies around the world face when it comes to helping their employees thrive in work and life.
Here are a few insights from the event that I’ll continue to reflect upon in the days and weeks ahead as we work to help ignite human potential in workplaces worldwide.
Measuring Effectiveness
Now more than ever, there is a push to understand the impact of employee assistance programs. This means that measurable data is increasingly becoming vital for both organizations and their EAP partners to evaluate and demonstrate the effectiveness of their efforts. This extends beyond utilization data to measuring specific outcomes. For example, at ComPsych we track the impact using our services has on an individual’s well-being using clinically validated measures like the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 for depression and anxiety respectively. Globally in 2024, 79% of people who used our services saw a reduction in depression symptoms and 65% saw a reduction in anxiety symptoms. What’s more, 54% saw a reduction in absenteeism and 74% saw a reduction in presenteeism. These are the type of metrics that show the value of investing in employee assistance.
Using Employee Assistance for Prevention
Another topic that bubbled up quite a bit at the event was employee assistance as a means for prevention. What can employers do to better support employees in real time, helping them cope with issues before they escalate into significant symptoms with functional impacts? With burnout continuing to be an issue across industries and geographies, this is a question every organization should be asking themselves.
At ComPsych, we see the continuum of care as a key component to using employee assistance for prevention. Supporting resiliency-building, teaching self-care, prioritizing work life balance and providing services that range in acuity from coaching to counseling and self-guided digital resources and assessments helps us reach employees no matter where they are.
Holistic Care Goes Hand-in-Hand with Cultural Relevancy
For decades we’ve taken a holistic approach to employee assistance at ComPsych – offering everything from traditional counseling and coaching to helping workers cope with stressors like child care, financial well-being, or legal issues. The importance of looking at employee well-being holistically was highlighted during the conference. To do this right, however, cultural relevancy is essential. Without understanding the unique cultural norms and beliefs of a specific region, it is impossible to provide holistic care that is thoughtful and impactful. When we launched our reimagined digital experience in GuidanceResources Online, that is why we worked with local experts to ensure the assessments would resonate in each market specifically.
I’m proud of the work we’re doing to ignite human potential in workplaces worldwide and left the Global EA Summit engaged, excited, and encouraged about how we can continue to help the millions of people we serve around the globe.
