Making the Most of Your EAP (and Other Mental Health Supports)

October 10 is World Mental Health Day: a timely reminder that workplace wellbeing should always be a genuine business priority. Over the past few years, stress, burnout and uncertainty have taken a real toll on New Zealand workplaces.

Many employers know mental health matters, but when it comes to practical action, they’re unsure where to start or worry about what they can realistically afford to do.

The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your business or have a huge wellbeing budget to make a meaningful difference. Whether your workplace already offers an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) or not, there are simple, effective ways to support your team’s mental health (and your own!) and drive meaningful and sustainable change.

What an EAP Actually Does

At its core, an EAP is a confidential counselling and support service offered to employees to help them navigate personal or work-related challenges. It’s designed to provide short-term, solution-focused support on everything from stress and burnout to family, financial, or relationship issues.

For many small businesses, EAPs can seem like a “big company” perk, but they’re becoming increasingly accessible and affordable for SMEs. And the benefits reach far beyond crisis response! They can help prevent issues from escalating in the first place.

The business case is strong:

• Early intervention reduces absenteeism and turnover.

• Employees return to work sooner and perform better after accessing support.

• Managers gain confidence knowing they have somewhere to refer struggling team members.

As one of our HR consultants put it in a previous blog, “I’ve never had an employee come back from EAP and say it was a bad idea.” The key challenge isn’t whether EAPs work, but whether employees feel comfortable using them.

If You Already Have an EAP: Make Sure It’s Visible and Valued

Many businesses tick the EAP box but leave it buried in a policy or at the bottom of an onboarding email. The result? Hardly anyone remembers it’s there. If you’ve invested in an EAP, make sure your team knows it exists, understands what it offers, and feels safe accessing it.

Here are some practical ways to get the most from your programme:

1. Normalise the conversation.
   Talk about EAP in team meetings and one-on-ones. Share examples (without breaching confidentiality) of when it’s been useful. The more leaders and managers speak openly about mental health, the less stigma there is.

2. Include it in everyday communication.
   Mention EAP in newsletters, display posters in shared spaces, and keep information easy to find on your intranet or HR portal. Visibility matters: if people can’t see it, they won’t use it.

3. Equip your managers.
   Train people leaders to have supportive conversations and recognise early warning signs of stress. Managers don’t need to be counsellors, but they do need to know how to listen, ask open questions, and refer employees to the right place for help.

4. Gather feedback.
   Check whether staff are aware of the service and whether they find it helpful. This doesn’t mean asking who’s used it (anonymity is crucial) but rather seeking feedback on awareness, ease of access, and perceived value.

5. Lead by example.
   When leaders role-model vulnerability by acknowledging that everyone struggles sometimes, it creates a culture where asking for help feels safe. That single shift can transform how your people engage with wellbeing support.

If You Don’t Have an EAP: You Still Have Options

While EAPs are valuable, they’re not the only way to promote mental wellbeing at work. Many small businesses simply aren’t ready for that investment, and that’s okay! There are still plenty of effective ways to build a supportive environment.

Here are a few alternatives to consider:

1. Invest in mental health training for managers.
   Consider short workshops on recognising signs of distress, having supportive conversations, or managing workload stress. Many NZ providers offer one-day “mental health first aid” style courses designed for SMEs.

2. Review your health and safety framework.
   Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, employers are legally responsible for managing risks to both physical and mental health. Ensuring your policies explicitly reference psychological wellbeing is a simple step toward compliance and sends a clear signal that mental health is taken seriously.

3. Make flexibility meaningful.
   Flexible working doesn’t just mean working from home. It can include staggered hours, adjusted workloads, or wellbeing leave days. These small adjustments (when possible) help staff balance personal demands with professional ones, preventing burnout before it sets in.

4. Create a culture of connection.
   Encourage peer check-ins, regular catch-ups, and team debriefs. Even 10 minutes of genuine conversation can make someone feel supported and seen.

5. Know when to call in help.
   If an employee’s mental health issues are affecting their work or safety, it’s okay to seek external advice. HR professionals, workplace mediators, or wellbeing specialists can guide next steps while keeping the process fair and confidential.

Why Supporting Mental Health Is a Compliance Issue Too

Mental wellbeing isn’t just about being a “good employer”. It’s part of your legal duty of care. As mentioned, the Health and Safety at Work Act requires businesses to protect workers from risks to both physical and psychological health. That includes managing stress, workload, bullying, and fatigue.

For SMEs, this can sound daunting, but remember: the law doesn’t expect perfection. It expects reasonable steps. Reviewing your policies, making wellbeing part of performance conversations, and encouraging open dialogue are all reasonable and meaningful actions.

Beyond compliance, there’s also a clear business case. Burnout and stress are among the top drivers of absenteeism and turnover. They affect productivity, morale, and customer/stakeholder experience. On the flip side, workplaces that take wellbeing seriously see higher engagement, lower risk, and stronger retention. It’s one of the best “returns on investment” you can make.

Small Steps, Big Impact

When it comes to mental health at work, small, consistent actions often matter more than grand gestures. Check in early, ask open questions, and keep workloads realistic. Easier said than done, we know, but even small steps here can make a big difference.

Creating a workplace where people feel supported doesn’t mean you need a full wellbeing programme. It starts with human conversations, fair processes, and a culture that treats mental health with the same care as physical safety.

This World Mental Health Day, take a moment to ask yourself:

• Do our people know where to go if they need help?

• Do our managers feel confident having these conversations?

• Are we creating an environment where it’s okay not to be okay?

If not, we can help! We partner with businesses of all sizes to build practical, people-focused HR systems that support wellbeing, compliance, and culture in equal measure.

Let’s make mental health at work part of everyday practice, not just a once-a-year conversation.