EAP services are offered at no cost to the employees - it is the employer who pays for the service.
Under most EAP packages to employers, the employer pays an annual subscription fee and sometimes additional charges depending on the service being accessed by the staff, such as the counselling service (which can be face-to-face or a telehealth service).
Generally the EAP subscription fee to the employer can range from $2,000 - $5,000 annually, with an additional average cost of approximately $90 a year per employee. The total cost to the business will vary depending on the number of staff employed. As an example, for a business that has 30 staff, the annual cost for an EAP would work out to approximately $5,000 to $8,000 a year.
In the context of the challenging times for the early learning sector as well as for the entire Australian community over the last few years, the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) is committed to addressing the mental health needs of our sector. We know that larger service providers are in a stronger position to be able to afford an EAP service, whereas smaller service providers are less likely to have the financial capacity to take one on.