TL;DR: Many employers already pay for EAPs, teletherapy, and Counseling support, yet benefit utilization stays low. The main problem usually isn’t the benefit itself. It’s poor awareness, weak trust, unclear privacy, and limited manager readiness. Better communication, stigma reduction, and simple access points can lift use and create measurable outcomes for both employees and the business.
Key Takeaways
- Traditional EAP use often stays in the 3% to 10% range, which means many employees never reach the support already available to them.
- Stronger stigma-reduction efforts matter. In 2025 employer reporting, about 40% said these efforts increased mental health benefit uptake.
- No-cost first sessions or similar low-friction access can improve use. Market context in 2025 tied that approach to roughly a 20% lift in utilization.
- Teletherapy keeps growing because it removes travel, time, and privacy barriers.
- Managers need training, but they don’t need to become counselors. They need clear words, clear limits, and a clear referral process.
Most employers don’t have a Plan Design problem. They have a communication and trust problem.
Employees often don’t know what is covered, what is private, or how to start. Meanwhile, leaders look at low use and assume the benefit has little value. That reading misses the human side and the data side at the same time.
Start by finding out why employees are not using the support you already offer #
Low benefit utilization rarely tells the whole story. An EAP hidden in a benefits PDF might as well be locked behind a door with no sign.
JA’s approach starts with listening, then assessing, then acting on clear data. That matters here because underuse can come from several different causes. Some employees don’t know the benefit exists. Others assume Counseling will cost too much. Some worry their manager will find out. Others think getting an appointment will take weeks.
Look for the real barriers, not just the low numbers #
Traditional EAPs still post low annual use in many employer groups. Recent market reporting puts many programs in the 3% to 6% range, while some surveys place them closer to 5% to 10%. Either way, a large share of employees never touch the support.
Privacy fears are a major reason. Employees often don’t understand what stays confidential and what, if anything, gets reported back to the employer. In many workplaces, people still fear being judged as less reliable or less promotable.
Access is another barrier. If the intake process feels clunky, people drop off. If the first available Counseling visit is far away, the need passes or the employee gives up.
Culture also matters. If leaders only mention mental health after a crisis, employees hear the message loud and clear. Support feels risky, rare, or meant for someone else.
Measure benefit utilization in ways leaders can act on #
Many employers still make decisions with limited visibility. They may get a year-end vendor summary, but that won’t tell them where trust broke down or which message moved people to act.
This is the kind of scorecard leaders can use.
| Metric | What it shows |
|---|---|
| EAP registrations | Whether awareness is improving |
| First Counseling session starts | Whether people move past interest into care |
| Teletherapy visits | Whether easy access is driving action |
| Campaign click-through rates | Which messages earn attention |
| Manager training completion | Whether frontline support is in place |
| Repeat use | Whether the experience feels useful enough to return |
| Employee awareness survey results | Whether people know what exists and how to use it |
Segment data where it makes sense, by location, age band, job type, shift, or manager group. Protect privacy at every step. The goal is not surveillance. The goal is actionable knowledge that improves benefit utilization and trust.
Make mental health benefits easier to see, easier to trust, and easier to use #
A single email in May won’t move the needle. Employees need clear messages at the moment they can use them.
That means short, plain language repeated over time. It also means changing the message based on role and life stage. A parent with school-age kids has different stress points than a new manager, a field employee, or a caregiver helping an aging parent.
Run targeted campaigns that answer the questions employees actually have #
The best campaigns start with the questions employees already ask:
- Is this covered?
- Is it private?
- Is there a cost?
- How fast can I get help?
- Where do I start?
Those questions should shape every message. Use onboarding, Open Enrollment, pulse campaigns during busy seasons, intranet posts, payroll stuffers, and short email series. Keep each message focused on one need.
Open Enrollment is still one of the best times to revisit awareness. That’s why employers should keep spotlighting the value of mental health benefits during enrollment instead of assuming employees already understand them.
Specific life moments also help. Messages tied to burnout, caregiving, parenting stress, grief, money pressure, or sleep trouble feel more human than generic wellness copy.
Lead with privacy, no-cost access, and simple next steps #
Employees act faster when the message removes friction. “Private support.” “Free first sessions if included.” “Book from home.” “Appointments available by video.” Those phrases work because they answer the hidden objections.
Teletherapy is especially important now. It has grown fast in recent years because it fits real life. People can book care without commuting, missing half a workday, or sitting in a waiting room near home. In some recent EAP reporting, video Counseling made up the largest share of Counseling use.
Cost matters too. In 2025 employer market data, no-cost sessions were tied to about a 20% increase in use. That doesn’t mean every plan will get the same lift. It does mean employers should not bury free access in fine print.
Clear promotion also improves trust. Employers that want stronger engagement can learn from JA’s earlier guidance on telehealth for employee behavioral health and keep the message simple enough to act on in under a minute.
Reduce stigma so employees feel safe using mental health support #
Awareness helps, but culture decides whether people feel safe enough to respond.
An employee might know the EAP exists and still avoid it. If they believe asking for help will hurt their reputation, benefit utilization will stay low no matter how strong the brochure looks.
Normalize support through leadership messages and everyday language #
Leadership tone matters because employees watch what gets said, when it gets said, and who says it.
Mental health should be discussed as part of overall health. It should not only surface after a tragedy, a leave event, or a crisis headline. Simple language works best. Say that support is available for stress, anxiety, family strain, burnout, sleep trouble, and other common issues. Say it often.
In 2025 employer reporting, about 40% of employers said uptake improved after stigma-reduction work. That finding fits what many HR teams already see. When leaders reduce fear, people use the support.
For ideas on building a mentally healthy workplace culture, consistent leadership messaging matters as much as the benefit menu itself.
Share practical examples instead of broad wellness slogans #
Specific examples beat broad slogans every time.
Remind employees before busy seasons that short-Term Counseling can help with overload. During Open Enrollment, explain how many EAP sessions are free and how privacy works. During manager meetings, share examples of when teletherapy may fit better than in-person care.
Use plain scenarios. A struggling single parent may need evening video visits. A caregiver may need brief Counseling and referral support. A new supervisor may need help managing stress before it affects performance.
Employers also need to address burnout honestly. Workplace strain is often part of the story, which is why articles on workplace stress leading to mental health issues keep staying relevant.
Train managers to guide employees without turning them into counselors #
Managers are often the first people to notice a change. They see missed deadlines, lower focus, conflict, withdrawal, or attendance shifts.
Yet many managers still feel unprepared. They worry about saying the wrong thing, crossing a line, or opening a conversation they can’t manage.
Teach managers how to spot signs and point people to help #
Good manager training is practical. It should cover common signs, how to start a respectful check-in, what to avoid, and where to refer the employee.
Focus on work-based observations. A manager can say, “I’ve noticed you’ve seemed overwhelmed lately and missed a few deadlines. How can I support you?” That works better than trying to diagnose stress, depression, or substance use.
Training should also clarify limits. Managers should not ask for medical details. They should not promise secrecy if there is a safety concern. They should know when to refer someone to HR, leave support, the EAP, or teletherapy options.
This is a growing part of employer strategy because culture lives in daily interactions, not policy binders.
Give managers tools they can use in real conversations #
Managers need short, usable guidance. A one-page reference often works better than a long slide deck.
A simple checklist can help:
- Notice changes in attendance, focus, mood, or work quality.
- Ask about support needs in a private setting.
- Keep the discussion tied to work and available benefits.
- Remind the employee that support options are confidential when applicable.
- Escalate urgent safety concerns through the right channel.
That structure protects both the employee and the manager. It also improves benefit utilization because the handoff becomes easier.
JA has also shared useful perspective on manager guidance for struggling performers, including the value of referring employees to professional support without labels or guesswork.
Managers should be connectors. Clinicians should handle care.
Turn mental health promotion into a long-Term strategy, not a one-time campaign #
Leaders often want a quick bump in use. What they need is a repeatable system.
Strong mental health promotion combines communication, access, training, and measurement. That is where measurable outcomes show up. It also creates stronger ROR because employees see that support is real, visible, and easy to reach.
Review results, adjust the message, and keep improving access #
Review the data each quarter. Look at campaign clicks, EAP starts, teletherapy use, employee survey feedback, vendor reporting, and manager input. Then adjust the message.
If awareness is low, simplify the copy. If click rates are high but session starts are weak, the intake process may be the problem. If one plant, office, or manager group lags behind, aim education there.
Higher use is not always a warning sign. Sometimes it means employees finally trust the support and know how to reach it.
That is the long view JA brings to benefit strategy. Clear communication, steady follow-through, and regular review create meaningful impact for the workforce and better cost discipline for the business.
Underused mental health benefits rarely need more noise. They need more clarity.
When employers improve awareness, reduce stigma, remove friction, and train managers well, benefit utilization rises for the right reasons. Employees get help sooner, leaders gain better insight, and the organization gets stronger with a plan it can measure over time.
