GreenShield Health breaks down everything you need to know about the current trends in the EAP market and what the future holds for wellness programs and employee benefits.
As the modern workplace evolves, it’s no surprise that today’s workforce expects their organizations to prioritize their health and well-being. This demand has only increased in recent years, leading employers to invest in employee assistance programs (EAPs) to ensure job satisfaction and continue to attract and retain top talent. However, the variation between EAP programs and rapid changes in the industry can be challenging for business owners and HR leaders to navigate. Whether you want to understand current trends in the EAP market or wondering what the future holds for wellness programs, we break down everything you need to know in this article.
The state of workplace health in Canada
While overall health has improved since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, research shows that the sick are getting sicker. For instance, Benefits Canada’s 2025 Healthcare Survey found that four in 10 or 39 per cent of plan members said they experience high to extreme levels of daily stress over the last three months. Additionally, for many employees, workplace stress has transitioned from a response to a crisis to a more sustained level of burnout post-pandemic. This has led to trends such as quiet quitting, rage applying, low motivation and increasing disability costs for companies across industries.
When it comes to expectations for employee benefits, many workers are looking for services that address their whole health, including prioritizing physical activity, weight reduction, healthy eating, sleep, stress management and mental health, according to Benefits Canada’s Healthcare Survey. This makes a broad spectrum EAP that offers a wide range of programs and services beyond counselling an essential consideration for HR professionals looking to see high engagement rates.
Additional reading: How much are workplace benefits worth?
The holistic approach to mental health and other EAP trends
More than ever, investing in an EAP has become a clear choice to reduce the risk of rising healthcare costs and absenteeism. As the workplace landscape continues to evolve with hybrid and remote work options, it's important that you select an EAP that can adapt to the new stressors employees are facing. Current trends in the EAP market indicate that providers are taking a more holistic approach to mental health by rapidly expanding their wellness programs and employee benefits. By providing various services, EAP providers can better address the unique needs of a diverse workforce as organizations become more inclusive.
Additionally, EAP providers understand technology's role in delivering better health outcomes. Leaders in human resources can expect to see a rise in EAP services with increased technological innovation to make programs more flexible, comprehensive, and personalized. There is also likely a greater emphasis on preventative mental health care, with programs focused on helping employees manage stress and build resilience daily.
GreenShield Health's technology-driven EAP was designed with the modern workplace in mind. Our user-friendly platform provides employees with personalized, comprehensive, and accessible well-being services whenever they need support.
GreenShield Health EAP offers the following benefits:
- Faster access to care: Our digital-first approach ensures employees can get the support they need within 24-72 hours while offering in-person options.
- Personalized therapist matching: Employees can find their best therapeutic match based on clinical expertise, cultural fit, language, availability and more by completing a quick online questionnaire.
- In-depth reporting: HR leaders have access to key metrics to help them continue to build their mental health strategy according to emerging workplace well-being trends.
- Secure online appointments: Our intuitive platform ensures complete confidentiality, privacy, and security while placing care at the employee's fingertips.
- Supplementary and specialized services: Mental health is never one-size-fits-all. We offer various supplementary services to allow leaders to scale their EAP up or down as needed.
- Digital cognitive behavior therapy (CBT): is an interactive digital program that can be added to your EAP to help employees experiencing mild-to-moderate anxiety and/or depression achieve their wellness goals.
- Webinars and training: Access specialized online training and webinars that provide learning on various topics to meet your organization's specific needs.
- Diverse network of practitioners: Support from a variety of health professionals, including registered nurses, dieticians, coaches and trained experts. We optimize your team's total well-being by giving employees the tools to navigate all aspects of life.
What is the future of EAPs?
In the past, many employee assistance programs took a band-aid approach to health and prioritized short-term crisis intervention rather than addressing the long-term impacts of declining well-being. As we look to the future, there’s an opportunity to reinvent the healthcare and benefits experience with the help of our future solution, GreenShield Health.
From filling prescriptions, booking therapy appointments, filing benefits claims and more, GreenShield Health will provide access to better wellness solutions by offering an all-in-one platform that streamlines connected care and reimbursement for workforces of all sizes. By seamlessly integrating the experience across mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine, health services, and benefits plans, GreenShield Health simplifies the health journey and helps individuals address their “whole health” anytime, anywhere.
Better health for all starts with providing more accessible solutions, including:
Better Access
Connect easily with thousands of health professionals without long wait times.
Better Convenience
Leverage services anytime, anywhere with effortless digital capabilities and seamless reimbursement of your benefits claims.
Better Integration
Stop repeating your story. Get personalized care and easier navigation with services that increasingly talk to each other and your benefits plan.
Better Health Outcomes
Leverage data-driven insights to take charge of your health and improve your quality of life.
GreenShield Health EAP is committed to delivering better health outcomes
Employers can expect many positive changes in the EAP world, allowing for improved utilization rates, more accessible access to the right care, and better health outcomes. The pandemic and the need for rapid technological integration within the health industry have expedited these changes. EAPs of the future will look to expand to include more holistic health services, such as telemedicine, expanded digital wellness programs and more. Also, EAPs will provide employees with increased flexibility and choice in accessing support, allowing for a more personalized wellness experience.
GreenShield Health's digital-first EAP is committed to continuous improvement. By working with employers and keeping up with trends in the EAP market, our outcome-based program has achieved higher engagement rates than traditional EAPs.
Book a demo today to learn how GreenShield Health's employee assistance program can transform your team's total well-being.
