How Creative EAP Partnerships Boost Employee Well-Being

November 27, 2017      |      Posted on Posted in Benefit Trends
How Creative EAP Partnerships Boost Employee Well-Being

By Gilbert Manzano, SVP of Client Partnerships

As more and more companies are investing in robust benefits packages and popular perks for the new workforce, it’s important for benefits providers to work together to deliver a simplified and engaging experience for all employees.

While employers want to get the best return on investment for benefits, they are often dealing with a wide variety of siloed benefit providers offering disconnected support services. Additionally, 54 percent of employees claim they need more help understanding how their benefits work, according to MetLife’s U.S. Employee Benefits Trends Study. It is clearly time for benefits providers to step up benefits communication strategies and provide a clearer, more intuitive user experience to improve employee well-being and deliver strong results.

At a recent wellness summit for a major nationwide client, ACI participated in a strategy session to partner with the wellness provider in boosting employee well-being and cross-promoting the full spectrum of emotional, mental and physical wellness benefits available to employees. Using the wellness provider’s online platform, ACI shared customized content during Mental Health Awareness Month to remind employees of EAP benefits available. An incentive of twenty wellness points was awarded to anyone who watched a fun two-minute EAP orientation video. Within 42 minutes of the communication going out, over 100 employees had watched the EAP video and began learning more about mental health benefits available. Following this successful engagement campaign, ACI continues to provide monthly platform messaging to increase EAP awareness and simplify access.

As an EAP vendor, or any benefits vendor for that matter, in a competitive world, it’s more important than ever to be able to show value and deliver meaningful outcomes. Long gone are the days of waiting to attend annual open enrollment meetings or pushing paper at health fairs to communicate benefits. Today’s benefit providers have to become strategic partners, and work together to provide creative solutions to improve employee engagement, cultivate workforce well-being, and ultimately drive business performance.

Gilbert Manzano, SHRM-SCP, is the Senior Vice President of Client Partnerships at ACI Specialty Benefits. Manzano manages consultation services for ACI’s client portfolio on a range of HR issues including training and crisis management to positively impact productivity, retention and business performance. Manzano is adept at driving strategies in the areas of employee engagement, organizational change, benefit plan design, talent acquisition, health and wellness, IT process improvement, and social media marketing.