What is an International EAP (Employee Assistance Programme)?

 

An International EAP (or Global EAP) is a benefit that includes different services like free mental health support to staff. It is designed to help employee’s mental health with work-related and non-related issues in different locations around the world.

A Global EAP is of interest to companies with employees working from different countries. Depending on the provider a Global EAP, will offer an international approach to their usual EAP services.

 

International EAP Providers

 

The following list mentions the most popular providers as well as other lesser known  international EAP services.

 

Health Assured

Health Assured is an independent EAP Provider in the UK and Ireland. Their network of counsellors provides support to 15 million staff in 50,000 companies.

In their EAP you can find services like their 24-hour helpline, telephone and face-to-face counselling at a convenient location. Their services are available internationally, even though they don’t specify the different approach their EAP might have if it’s with global outreach.

 

PROS

• Affordable prices

CONS

• Support unavailable in other languages (just English)
• No online counselling support

 

Bupa Employee Assistance

Bupa is an international health insurance and a healthcare provider legally registered in the UK. They offer health benefits not just to employees, but also to the general public.

Their employee assistance programme as well as their other services can be reached internationally. Their EAP gives access to staff to self-help resources, a helpline, and a mental health assessment. Following the assessment, the user can be referred to a GP, Bupa Health Insurance, Clinical Psychological or to face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy.

 

PROS

• Wide reach for corporates

CONS

• Support unavailable in other languages (just English)
• No plan of counselling sessions available from the beginning

 

Pro-Counselling (Pro-EAP) & Pros-Consulte

Based in the UK, it’s part of the Pros-Consulte Group (France) a leading European EAP Provider. Their mental health support services for employees are available in more than 20 countries, offering counselling in more than 28 languages.

Their global employee benefits support over 3.5 million employees in more than 350 companies. They are characterized by the flexibility of their plans. Some of the services included in their International EAP are, 24/7 Counselling, Online Counselling, Family Counselling, Wellbeing Self-help tools etc. Apart from an EAP other services like Staff Counselling (Pay-as-you-go), Wellbeing Workshops and Critical Incident Response, might be available internationally.

 

PROS

• Support available in 28 languages

CONS

• 24/7 Counselling just available in English

 

LifeWorks

LifeWorks is an employee wellness provider who offers wellbeing solutions in more than 160 countries around the world.

Their EFAP (Employee & Family Assistance Program) gives universal access to counselling (online, chat, group, telephone, or face to face).

LifeWorks services are mostly offered in English. Their service called LifeWorks Language Assistance (LLA). Where they offer a different approach to users who need language assistance.

Some of their counsellors are bilingual in languages like French and Spanish. They might be able to connect employees to a bilingual counsellor in the preferred language or offer spoken interpretation in most languages to users who contact them by phone.

 

PROS

• Universal access to counselling support

CONS

• The support available in different languages isn’t guaranteed

 

Spectrum

Spectrum is an employer health and wellness provider based in Ireland. With over 500,000 users they support employee wellbeing combining different services like Employee Assistance Programme, Health Screening, Onsite Wellness… They count with a team of multi-lingual counsellors who cover support services in 26 different languages, in over 20 countries.

In their International EAP includes 24/7 support through chat, telephone or email, online counselling, mental health content and workshops.

 

PROS

• Health services
• 26 different languages available

CONS

• No legal or financial information

 

Empathia

Is an American company who has delivered EAP and crisis management services for 40 years. Their service includes an International EAP. Some of the features that are offered as part of their Global EAP are 24/7 local language call centres, legal and financial resources, clinical care etc.

Separate to the International EAP, they offer a Global Crisis Response Network covering six different continents.

 

PROS

• Global Crisis Response cover 6 continents

CONS

• No face-to-face or online counselling support mentioned

 

CiC

CiC is a UK based EAP provider, who has provided wellbeing support to organisations for 30 years.

On their International EAP, they offer the following services internationally; face to face support, advice line, and online resources.

 

PROS

• Universal access to counselling support

CONS

• Support available in different languages not mentioned (just English)

 

AXA

AXA is a French insurance company, who offers an EAP, financial advice, and investment management services.

Their Employee Assistance Programme is available in the UK and internationally. AXA Global EAP includes the following services in multiple languages; 24/7 helpline, face-to-face & online counselling, guidance on life management and support for managers.

 

PROS

• Support in different languages is available

CONS

• No digital mental health content or further self-help tools.

 

ICAS

ICAS International is a leading global provider of employee assistance programmes, health, and other wellbeing services. They support more than 1500 companies in 155 countries.

Counselling services 24/7, telephone support, online services, consultancy for managers, information, and support in legal, financial, parenting and bereavement.

 

PROS

• EAP includes a lot of different benefits

CONS

• Support unavailable in different languages (just English)