A recent article in the Harvard Business Review by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy cites loneliness at work as a growing health epidemic. Loneliness can translate to a reduced lifespan equivalent to smoking more than a half pack of cigarettes a day, making it an even greater threat than obesity. Yet unlike smoking cessation and weight loss programs, far less attention is paid to improving social connections in the workplace. Furthermore, loneliness has a significant effect on work output, limiting performance and creativity, and impairing reasoning and decision making.

 

Even with open offices and technological advances, employees now can feel more isolated and alone than ever in the workplace.

 

This lack of connection can become a significant work performance risk, not to mention raising the possibility of expensive employee turnover and lack of productivity.

 

What Employers Can Do

Pay attention to onboarding new employees. While filling out W-4s and signing up for a benefits program are a necessary component of any new hire process, onboarding involves much more than filling out paperwork. Employee onboarding introduces new hires to the values, cultural aspects and people of the company.

 

Show appreciation. Showing team members that they are valued doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, but praise and thank yous can have an enormously positive impact on your employees’ engagement.

 

Put remote workers front and center from time to time. Withdrawal is a common sign of a problem. If you’re hearing less and less from employees, even if they’re meeting deadlines, they may be unhappy. Contact them regularly to see what’s on their minds and always make sure to involve them in meetings and special events.

 

Get outside the office, encourage connection and engagement. Team outings such as attending sporting events, or going to amusement parks, bowling or laser tag are always a fun time. Even something as simple as a monthly team lunch or potluck goes a long way in helping to quell the loneliness employees sometimes feel.

 

EANNC is your partner to provide counseling, resources and training for your managers and employees to productively work through these issues before they become detrimental to workplace performance.

The rapid pace of technological change – both what is available and how it is being used in the workplace – is a challenge and opportunity for HR, managers and EAP partners.

 

New behavioral health apps, chat bot apps and assessments, video conferencing and online training tools are being introduced to the marketplace on a regular basis.

 

Younger workers are very comfortable with, and often highly reliant on, technology. These workers are used to getting what they are looking for quickly and easily from their phones, tablets or computers. An effective EAP should support this mindset and your organization by making it very easy to connect to the EAP and its resources. Many EAPs offer multiple, easy ways to access services via an app, live online chat, or video calling. This enables anyone to get the assistance they want, when they want it.

 

Other efforts for making the EAP more engaging can include online screening and assessments of mental health, stress levels, or lifestyle or online eLearning, webinars and podcasts on a variety of subjects.

 

Apps & Chat Bots – Challenge and Opportunity

The majority of EAP professionals have positive feelings about the potential of apps to help employees and to expand the level of service that EAPs can provide. However, there is also concern about exaggerated claims being made as to the level of service an app can deliver.

 

Making sure that your EAP properly vets any apps that address the issues that appeal to your client companies and their employees is wise and helps ensure effectiveness for overall employee well-being.

 

On-Demand Support

The need for quick and accessible support is a critical element of a successful EAP, and something we wholly embrace at EANNC. We support today’s “always-on” workforce by providing convenient, 24/7 program access.

 

Because we offer comprehensive work-life and well-being resources, we consistently see increased usage of our services, which means more employees are engaging program services and getting the help they need.

 

An employee assistance program can be an enormous asset to your company, improving employee engagement and retention, and ultimately, benefitting your company’s bottom line.

 

If you’re interested in partnering with an EAP for your employees, contact us today. We’d be delighted to discuss how EANNC can serve your company’s needs.