Employee Assistance Program (EAP): 8 Best Providers in 2026

It’s not an exaggeration to say that EAP programs play an essential role in organizational success. These programs can provide not only a full spectrum of preventative care solutions for mental and behavioral health, such as daily meditation apps and counseling but also crisis management for life challenges.

Specifically, companies, big and small, can use an employee assistance program for:

1. Managing Stress Effectively

Given that 77% of Americans reported being stressed out by work, EAP programs can be a valuable resource for managing this stress. These programs offer counseling, stress management workshops, and relaxation techniques that equip employees with the tools they need to cope with pressure.

By doing so, EAPs help reduce burnout and increase productivity. According to new data, EAPs result in a 5:1 return on investment (ROI), with 85% of the savings coming from decreased medical claims for stress-related conditions.

2. Addressing Workplace Challenges

EAP providers can lend you a great hand when it comes to workplace conflicts, performance pressures, and adjusting to organizational changes. With these resources, you can expect healthier team dynamics and reduced employees’ levels of stress.

Studies show that EAP programs can cut sick leave by 33%, as employees feel supported in managing work-related challenges, which leads to improved attendance and performance.

3. Supporting Caregivers with Elder and Child Care

For employees managing caregiving duties, EAPs provide resources like eldercare and childcare referrals, along with financial planning assistance. This support eases the burdens on caregivers and as a result, allows them to focus better on their work.

For employers, considering that 98% of HR professionals are experiencing burnout, these programs can also relieve HR teams from the pressures of crisis management and channel their focus on strategic HRM instead.

4. Boosting Employee Career Growth

EAPs help employees with career counseling, goal setting, and professional development resources. By aligning personal aspirations with organizational objectives, employees experience greater job satisfaction.

Recent stats show that EAP programs can cut the time managers spend addressing performance issues by 74%, as employees receive proactive career guidance.

5. Resolving Family and Relationship Issues

Through family and marriage counseling, EAPs help employees address conflicts and build healthier relationships. Addressing personal challenges improves emotional well-being, which positively affects employee experience and work performance.

Research indicates that EAPs can foster a more harmonious workplace by reducing employee grievances by up to 50%.

6. Promoting Mental and Physical Well-being

EAP programs have been shown to reduce workplace accidents by 65% by addressing individual well-being and substance abuse issues, a recent study indicates. 

This makes sense, as the programs enable employers to support employees’ mental health by giving them access to mental health professionals and wellness programs, which is vital for early intervention in health challenges.

7. Providing Grief Support

Managing grief in the workplace is everything but easy, but EAPs can provide valuable grief counseling to help your people cope with the loss of loved ones. Effective bereavement support can reduce absenteeism by allowing employees to process their feelings in a healthy manner. This support enables them to stay focused on their work while they heal.

8. Addressing Addictions and Risky Behaviors

Some EAP providers can also offer addiction counseling, substance abuse programs, and referrals to rehabilitation services to help employees get back on track and maintain workplace safety.

These programs are great for lowering risks from impaired behavior at work, which can significantly cut down the likelihood of accidents.

9. Assisting with Financial and Legal Concerns

Most EAPs assist employees in navigating financial and legal issues by connecting them with financial wellness programs and legal consultants.

By tackling these concerns, EAPs can reduce stress, which in turn eases the financial worries that often play a big part in employees' mental health and productivity.

An effective EAP provides a custom range of services that fits the needs of the organization — both employers and employees. However, there are many pitfalls that can prevent a program from effectively serving an organization. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

• Poor Communication/Misunderstood Benefits: Employee assistance programs rely on active enrollment in all initiatives. If employees don’t understand the program's details or how it may serve them, not only will your investment be wasted, but your employees won’t be getting the help they need when they need it. 
• Value vs. Cost: If your EAP program is underutilized, or a poor fit for your organization, the expense of providing an EAP may outweigh its possible benefit. If the available services aren’t clear and easily accessible, employees and management may view it as money better spent on more traditional employee benefits and perks, such as revamped health insurance, child care, or elder care.‍
• Stigma and Cultural Acceptance: Everyone knows that life isn’t perfect, and has its share of ups and downs. However, employees won’t feel comfortable seeking help from an EAP program if they fear that they will be looked down upon by management or colleagues alike. Organizations should take an active role in promoting company-wide acceptance of the utilization of these programs, and the common life circumstances that make them necessary.
• Inability to Prove ROI: The initial and continued buy-in of an employee wellness platform by upper management relies on the data to prove its efficacy. Without proper tracking of enrollment, as well as pre-and-post-implementation statistics on absenteeism, medical costs, and more, organizations might dismiss EAPs as ineffective.‍
• Perception of Confidentiality: In addition to the services offered in response to drug test results or onsite behavioral incidents, EAP services should be completely confidential for employees or their family members. However, this is often not clearly communicated—or if it is, the employee lacks confidence that their privacy will be respected and that seeking treatment could have professional repercussions.‍
• Quality of Services: The effectiveness of your employee wellness program not only relies on its communication but also on he quality of the services offered, which depends heavily on the level of expertise possessed by EAP providers and counselors. Organizations should always vet the experts under an EAP’s umbrella to ensure that the advice and counseling employees receive are beneficial.‍
• Employee Misuse: Unfortunately, employee misuse of EAP services to avoid disciplinary action is all too common. Such employees will claim they are struggling with substance abuse problems or other traumas to avoid penalties, demotions, or dismissals, sometimes even promising to seek help through the employer’s EAP to tackle the issue. This type of behavior ties the hands of an employer, as the employee is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.‍
• Clunky Technology: No matter how great a program’s benefits are, if the app or website used to access them is difficult to use, employees will be too frustrated by the platform to engage with the EAP. This is especially important if one of the major EAP offerings is a virtual coaching app or platform for relevant, helpful content.

As an organization, you have an obligation to help your employees care for themselves, and that extends outside of the office. But doing the right thing is far from the only benefit of providing an Employee Assistance Program. According to research from the Center for Prevention and Health Services, workplace costs of mental illness and substance abuse disorders range from $79 to $105 billion each year. An Employee Assistance Program can help these employees combat absenteeism, lack of engagement, workplace distress, and personal strife.

An EAP is a proven, cost-effective solution to many of the problems employers face today, and translates into very tangible ROI. According to the Department of Labor, employers save an average of $5 to $16 for every dollar invested in an effective Employee Assistance Program. In a recent WOS annual report, companies saw an average of 10.92 hours of work missed over a 30-day period due to mental health-related issues before implementing an EAP system. After program implementation, this number was nearly cut in half to 5.64 hours — an improvement of 48%.

While EAPs keep identities confidential, in most cases, you will receive a usage report from your provider that shows how many employees are taking advantage of your program and how they are using it. These reports can tell you if you’re getting your money’s worth by offering an employee wellness program.

The cost of an EAP varies widely depending on the type of program desired, the size of the organization, the industry, and the quality of service offering. In addition to these variables, the approach to pricing can vary across providers. Providers charge on a “per use,” “per call,” or “per employee” basis.

• “Per use” pricing models offer services like telephone support and online resources for a fixed monthly fee, applying additional charges for other services such as face-to-face counselling.
• “Per call” pricing on the other hand offers their EAP service cost at a fixed cost, minus a flat rate for every call their employee makes to the EAP.‍
• “Per employee” pricing is by far the most popular option amongst EAP providers, charging a fixed price per employee based on the expected use of the service.This fee usually ranges between $10-$50 per employee each month, but can be higher depending on the number of services provided and the size of the organization. Smaller organizations tend to have a higher per-employee price, and can have a more difficult time finding an affordable EAP as many providers have an employee enrollment minimum.

According to recent studies, an estimated one in four adults in the United States have a diagnosable mental disorder, one in five adults have an alcohol use problem, and one in eight adults have a drug or other kind of addiction. Untreated mental health disorders and addictions can damage your employees in many ways, increasing their risk of illness, personal problems, incidents at work or school and even a family breakdown. However, more than half of employees don’t tell their employer about such problems for fear of losing their job.

Due to both their flexibility and confidentiality, EAPs allow your staff to get the help they need, when they need it. From emergency response to onsite traumatic incidents to custom content like videos and podcasts, EAPs can cover a broad spectrum of features that enhance well-being in a confidential manner and prevent absenteeism or sick leave.

Common features of top EAPs include:

• Crisis Management and Incident Support: Accidents happen and crises can arise, from employee deaths to organizational violence. When these incidents occur, every second counts. Ensure that your employees are supported 24/7 with an EAP that provides immediate expert workplace crisis management and incident support, from on-site debriefings and in-person counseling services to rapid response from a specialized crisis management team.
• Substance abuse: According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the majority of adults with substance use problems are employed, and an estimated 29% of full-time workers engage in binge drinking, 8% engage in heavy drinking, and 8% have used illicit drugs in the past month. Due to the recent pandemic, these numbers are expected to rise. EAPs can help sufferers of substance abuse by offering preventive services and screening, early identification, short-term counseling, and referral to specialty treatment.
• Mental Health Services: As of 2017, 1 in 5 U.S. citizens has reported a mental illness, and U.S. Employers spend about $31 billion a year in lost productivity due to depression alone. By providing access to free therapy for behavioral and mental health conditions, and encouraging employees to take advantage of these surfaces, employers can alleviate suffering, help offset costs and contribute to a culture of prevention.
• Holistic Wellness Content: One of the more advanced features available in some EAPs, online portals or apps can provide custom wellness content for employees, from meditation training to establishing work-life balance. In addition, these portals and apps can keep track of any program progress, important contact info, and more.
• Workplace Concern Hotline: While this may not fall under the umbrella of every EAP provider, the most holistic providers will often offer a toll-free, confidential number to report workplace concerns that can affect your employee’s emotional and physical well-being. Harassment and discrimination, workplace violence or threats, on-site substance abuse, fraud, and other issues can be caught early when employees feel they have a safe place to turn.

When it comes time to choose a provider, one of the first steps is to attend a demo. This is one of the best opportunities your organization has to get your concerns addressed, and ultimately ensure that you’re choosing the right provider. We recommend coming up with a list of questions about the use cases most relevant to your business to have in hand during every demo you attend.

Here are a few topics to brainstorm your own questions:

• What qualifications do the staff possess? All staff members employed by the EAP provider to interact with your employees should be licensed, EAP-trained counselors with a master’s degree from an accredited university. As these professionals will often be providing services to employees when they’re in a time of crisis, it’s critical that they possess the necessary training and experience to manage all manner of life issues.
• How are employees referred to affiliates? When your employees are facing a crisis or dealing with mental health issues, it can be an impossible burden to call various affiliates and determine both availability and appropriateness or their particular case. The best EAPs will assign your employees to a compatible counselor and verify their availability directly, instead of simply providing referral services.
• Do they offer continuity in care? Counselor-client relationships can be tricky and tiring to establish, as sometimes it takes several counseling sessions for an employee to feel comfortable. For continuity and comfort, employees should be able to speak with the same counselor they’ve worked with in the past. Any EAP staff fielding calls should be able to determine which counselor the client has seen in the past and help schedule a repeat session if so desired.
• How are cases monitored? Cases shouldn’t be closed until the EAP counselor confirms that the employee is satisfied with the referral(s) received and has resolved their issues.
• How adaptable is the EAP? An effective EAP team is agile, and collaborative, drawing upon all of its available professional resources to help your organization in whatever way is necessary. Whether the crisis is immediate or ongoing, the EAP should be equipped to handle it.
• What management resources are available? An employee in trouble can be a difficult issue to face for any manager. Supervisors often struggle with how to handle the situation or dread taking necessary corrective action. Many EAP vendors have trained interventionalists or organizational mediators on staff who can deliver services onsite.
• Does the EAP offer online or In-person training? Whether the EAP offers in-person or on-line training options could make a big impact on the program’s ROI. In-person training tends to be more engaging, but online offers instant accessibility and can be more easily prolonged for employee development. 
• Is there an assigned account manager? Many EAPs have a designated account manager who oversees all aspects of implementation, and acts as a single point of contact for any problems or concerns.
• Does the EAP offer promotional materials/activities? As we’ve covered previously, EAPs offer little value if employees aren’t aware of it’s assistance or don’t understand how to use it. Several EAPs will offer a variety of promotional/informational materials, such as printed and digital flyers, orientation sessions, and manager training.
  

Once an EAP provider has been chosen, there are several steps an organization should take to get their program up and running. First, an organization should draft an internal EAP policy that explains the following:

• What the business hopes to accomplish by offering an EAP
• A step-by-step procedure for employees to follow in order to access available services
• How the business intends to maintain confidentiality and employee privacy.

After the EAP policy is completed, both the launch of its program and its policy should be publicized within the organization, via internal newsletters, websites, and social networks. These communications should list any and all services available through the program, and stress that confidentiality is assured. In addition, human resources departments should set aside office hours for employees to come in and speak with the HR team about any questions they might have.

Remember that without engagement, your EAP will fail in its mission. Communication is key: speak directly to your employees about the benefits, and make sure they understand what it can do for them. Pamphlets summarizing the benefits and business cards are handy here — leave them in shared spaces, at the front desk, or anywhere else they can be easily picked up by interested employees.

What Is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP), as defined by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, is a voluntary workplace program that provides free, confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-ups for employees facing personal or work-related issues.

EAPs tackle a wide range of mental and emotional well-being issues, including substance abuse, stress, grief, family issues, and psychological disorders. They also offer consultative support to managers and supervisors for employee and organizational challenges and are instrumental in preventing and managing workplace violence, trauma, and emergencies.

How much does an EAP cost?

Pricing of an employee assistance program varies by provider. However, you should be prepared to pay per user, per call, or per employee.

Is EAP free to employees?

Yes, EAP is employer-sponsored, so it’s free to employees, their dependents, or household members.

What are some examples of EAP?

Examples of employee assistance program services include:

• Counseling Services: Support for mental health, family, marital issues, addiction, and grief.
• Work-Life Balance Resources: Assistance with childcare, eldercare, financial wellness planning, and legal consultations.
• Crisis Support: 24/7 helplines and onsite response for critical incidents.
• Health and Wellness Programs: Fitness resources, stress management, and chronic condition coaching.
• Career Support: Career coaching, skill-building, and workplace conflict resolution.
• Substance Abuse Help: Rehab referrals, training for substance abuse awareness, and recovery support.
• Financial and Legal Assistance: Debt management, tax planning, and legal advice.
• Workshops and Training: Sessions on stress management, communication, and mental health awareness.
• Digital Tools: Online counseling, mental health apps, and educational resources.

Who is the largest EAP provider?

Some of the largest EAP providers include: 

• ComPsych Corporation: Serves 33,000 organizations and 89 million individuals in over 140 countries.
• Magellan Health Services: Covers 14.2 million U.S. employees.
• OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions: Supports 14.1 million individuals in the U.S.
• TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks): A leading Canadian provider serving over 37 million individuals globally.‍
• Workplace Options: The largest independent global provider, serving 65 million employees in 200 countries.
  

An intelligently structured, comprehensive, and well-implemented EAP can have a huge positive impact on your organization’s morale, productivity, and bottom line. But before we leave you to your decision-making process, we offer a word of caution: what you pay for is what you get. Many EAPs have been advertised with a cost as low as $1 per employee, but don’t count on these providers to give the necessary support your employees are looking for. Instead, please take a look at our vetted list of providers above, and ask for a demo with the 2-3 best bets for your particular case.