How much does an Employee Assistance Programme cost

An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is an employee benefit programme designed to support organisations and their workforces. The real question for organisational leaders is – how much does an EAP cost? And how do I determine if it’s the right value for money?

Studies have found that EAPs are the most effective approach to support individuals in overcoming the challenges of their work and home lives. With mental health and wellbeing solutions, your organisation can tackle the effects of poor mental health and mitigate costly absences – especially in the case of small businesses who cannot sustain this cost compared to large corporations.

This article will look at what an EAP is, what it provides, how poor mental health is costing organisations, EAP pricing in further detail and how to make an informed decision on choosing the most cost-effective EAP.

What is an EAP?

An EAP provides workforces with confidential EAP counselling support to help deal with problems that might affect their workplace performance, health or wellbeing. Some EAP providers offer additional services on top of this such as Occupational Health Assessments, Virtual GP access, HR support lines and much more.

The price of poor health to an organisation

While it might be difficult to calculate the exact cost of employee absences caused by ill-health, whether it be mental or physical, getting an accurate estimate will involve considering both the direct and indirect costs together.

The direct and indirect charges to an organisation as a result of employee absences include:

• National insurance and pension contributions

• Sick pay

• The indirect include the cost of replacing the absent employee if they resign

• Time spent by other employees to arrange and supervise cover

• Conducting return-to-work interviews

• Time spent attending capability meetings

• Training costs for onboarding new staff

• Lost productivity

• Poor quality output from existing individuals due to low morale

With all of the above in mind, research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) discovered the average number of sick days taken by UK employees has risen. Recent data from late 2025 recorded 9.4 days per year, equivalent to nearly two working weeks. This has been shown to be up significantly from pre-pandemic levels (around 5.8 days). ONS also found this was driven by stress, mental health issues, and long-term conditions.

The numbers

The Government's "Keep Britain Working" technical note from November 2025 provides a specific breakdown of the roughly £85 billion direct and indirect cost to employers:

• Lost Output: £47 billion due to employees being unable to work

• Presenteeism: £21 billion in lost productivity when employees attend work while unwell

• Direct Sick Pay: £10 billion in Statutory and Occupational Sick Pay

• Secondary Costs: £7 billion for conflict resolution, recruitment, and litigation

Considering the figures above, it’s no wonder organisations and employers are now taking steps to address the causes of these absences, and is the main reason why you need and EAP solution for your business or organisation.

EAP pricing - how much does an EAP service cost?

The cost of an EAP depends on a variety of factors including:

• What services your organisation needs

• The type of programme

• Which pricing tier you select

• The number of individuals in your organisation

• The industry you’re in

There are several different approaches to EAP pricing. While some providers charge ‘per use’, or ‘per call’, other providers charge on a ‘per employee’ basis.

• Per use: The ‘per use’ service offers services like telephone support and online resources for a fixed monthly fee and then apply additional charges for other services such as face-to-face counselling as and when they’re used.

• Per call: The ‘per call’ option offers their EAP service at a fixed cost and then charge employers a flat rate for every call their employee makes to the EAP.

• Per employee: The most popular however are providers that charge EAP cost per employee in the UK. This option allows you to source an EAP at a fixed price per employee based on the expected use of the service. By knowing the exact employee assistance programme cost, you’re able to carry out better financial planning.

The average cost of an EAP

EAP pricing models differ per provider. Therefore, it is not possible to generalise an EAP cost to expect.

However, based on our own EAP pricing calculator, you can expect the average cost of an EAP with HA | Wisdom Wellbeing:

When comparing the EAP pricing per employee to the costs of absences and lost productivity, it’s no surprise that the price of the employee assistance programme is considered cost-effective.

Why should I invest in an EAP if usage is so low?

Organisations should invest in an EAP primarily due to:

• Strong ROI rates (around £10.85 per £1 spent)

• Significant savings from reduced absenteeism and presenteeism

• Fulfilling duty of care as part of employment law

• It provides an accessible avenue of support when you’re too busy to aid an individual

Duty of care is a significant point to mention. While an EAP is not a legal requirement, organisation owners and leaders have a legal duty of care to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of their people.

This includes managing risks related to workplace stress. Providing an EAP is a cost-effective way to demonstrate this commitment and mitigate potential risks of employment tribunals relating to mental health discrimination.

How EAPs reduce overall costs to an organisation

Besides mitigating the costs associated with absences, an EAP can also help reduce costs associated with:

Private medical insurance

Private medical insurance is a common employee perk, but with each claim comes a cost to the organisation. With PMI rates increasing, having an EAP can help mitigate the number of claims made, especially if the EAP offers both mental and physical wellbeing solutions.

Talent retention

With access to support, individuals may be more likely to stay with an organisation that provides the support they need to thrive in and out of work. This reduces staff replacement, hiring and training costs.

Enhanced productivity and engagement

When everything feels a bit much, an EAP can provide mental health support to help the individual deal with feelings of stress, anxiety, depression and other concerns.

An improved working environment

When your people are happy, so are your customers. People put their best foot forward when they feel supported, which in turn means you get the best work out of them.

Increase EAP usage with a robust and complete health solution

HA | Wisdom Wellbeing is the UK’s and Ireland’s leading and largest EAP provider. With years of experience, multiple awards and being the only nationally accredited provider by the BACP and NCPS, over 12.5 million lives and 88,000+ organisations trust us.

If you’re looking for a holistic approach to wellbeing at work, Wisdom Super Care is our most enhanced and complete EAP solution.

Not only does it cover counselling and in-the-moment support by qualified counsellors, but it also covers physical health too. Wisdom Super Care provides you and your people with:

24/7, 365-day access to qualified counsellors.**

Get in-the-moment support at any time of day

Virtual GP (powered by Livi).

On-demand GP consultations, helping employees get fast medical support

Dedicated menopause support line.

Specialist guidance on menopause-related concerns, supporting a key area of employee wellbeing

Structured counselling.

Up to 12 sessions of counselling per issue per year

Work Health Assessments for 25% of your workforce.

Enhanced early identification and intervention for health risks

4 Personal Coaching Sessions.

Professional coaching covering resilience, leadership, wellbeing, and performance

2 MHFAider® Training Places Per Year.

Develop trained mental health champions within your organisation

Occupational Health Assessment.

Upon request, occupational health assessments can ensure the needs of your people are accommodated for