Expanding EAPs for smaller companies could save UK plc thousands of millions – RSPH

According to an analysis, employee assistance programs (EAPs), if offered by small and medium businesses (SMEs), could boost the economy’s productivity by 65 million hours per year.

According to the Royal Society for Public Health, there are 12 million workers who do not have access to EAPs. The majority of these people work for SMEs.

It has been highlighted that a staggering 2.8 million people in the UK are out of work due to long-term illness, and 185 million days of working time are lost each year. This costs the UK economy PS25bn per year.

The RSPH believes that businesses can save up to 20 hours per month of lost productivity if EAPs are used.

It was concluded that EAPs could increase productivity and economic development by reducing sickness leave and improving employee well-being.

The RSPH also called on the government to review Keep Britain Working in order to ensure that employees receive an appropriate level health support, regardless of the size of their business.

, the review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield of John Lewis Partnership, published its report on the ‘discovery stage’ earlier this week.

The RSPH said that to achieve this level of support, employers, especially SMEs, should be encouraged to invest in workplace healthcare, including EAPs.

William Roberts, chief executive of RSPH, said: “We spend a greater proportion of our lives working than anywhere else.” It shouldn’t make us sick. Employee assistance programmes play a vital role in helping employers to ensure the health of their employees.

Without proper workplace health supports, we can’t expect employees to work at full productivity. We will continue to lose people to long-term illness that could have been prevented.

Everyone will benefit from investments in workplace health. We can unlock the productivity crisis by transforming our workplaces to be drivers of health. This will improve health outcomes, reduce NHS waiting lists and grow our economy.

We cannot allow people to suffer from worse health outcomes due to where they work. Williams continued, “We are encouraging the government to include these employees in their review of the role employers play in creating healthy workplaces.”