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Commitment Issues: How EAPs Can Benefit Employees’ New Year’s Resolutions

Lose weight, quit smoking, eat healthier, save money: Any of those ring a bell? According to Statista, over 30% of Americans had one or more of these aspirations on their New Year’s resolution list.

Unfortunately, even the most well-thought-out New Year’s resolutions usually don’t come to fruition. In fact, almost half are broken by the middle of January.

With 2019 fast approaching, employers can help their employees keep their New Year’s resolutions through an employee assistance program (EAP). As a piece of a comprehensive benefits package within an organization, EAPs lend support with a wide range of personal and workplace concerns. Often underutilized, they provide employees with many resources to continue and complete their resolution journey.

Financial wellness

The holiday season is not just busy, but expensive. And your employees most likely feel the pinch. Financial wellness is crucial for employee’s safety, security and productivity at work.

EAPs offer over-the-phone or online advice for such issues, including how to better handle money over the next year. Tip sheets and budget templates may also be available for an employee to use. But most of all, EAPs offer your workers peace of mind through better financial health.

Lifestyle changes

Losing weight and eating healthier are the most common resolutions for people in the U.S. Yet 80% of those who lose weight gain it back, sometimes within a year. Plus, temptations at work and at home can increase the difficulty of achieving any resolution. EAPs can provide your employees with healthy-eating pamphlets, motivation and other techniques to push them toward their goal.

Though the smoking rate has decreased in the U.S., around 37.8 million people still smoke cigarettes. Chances are, you have a few employees adding this resolution to their list. EAPs assist these workers through encouragement and can direct them to tobacco cessation toolkits or programs.

What’s in it for you?

Many employers can mistake personal problems for what they are, personal. But personal issues can follow employees to work, affecting their productivity and engagement. Gallup estimates over $153 billion each year is lost to absenteeism based on chronic health problems, including obesity and mental health. When your workforce’s personal goals go unaddressed, it can cost your company big.

It’s time to create a culture that fosters improvement and encourages workers to focus on their personal development. A healthy workforce is the foundation to success. And EAPs offer a confidential and continuous source of engagement and motivation to help them be their best.