Your EAP Is a Waste of Money
Employee Assistance Programs have a 2-10% utilization rate. Not because employees don't need help, but because EAPs were designed for a version of stigma that no longer explains the problem.
The average Employee Assistance Program has a utilization rate between 2% and 10%. Organizations spend billions on a benefit that 90 to 98% of employees never touch.
The standard explanation is stigma: people don't want to be seen seeking help. And that was true in the 1980s when EAPs launched. But Attridge's meta-analysis of EAP research suggests the real barriers have shifted. Employees report not knowing EAPs exist, not trusting confidentiality, not believing a generic 1-800 number will understand their specific situation, and not wanting to use a benefit that feels clinical when their problem feels situational.
The design itself signals "something is wrong with you." You call a number. You explain your problem to a stranger. You get referred to another stranger. For a generation raised on personalized everything, this feels like calling tech support for a life crisis.
The reframe: Instead of asking "how do we increase EAP utilization," ask "what would we build if the EAP didn't exist?" The answer probably looks less like a crisis hotline and more like daily, embedded support that doesn't require someone to self-identify as struggling.
