Is 24/7 counselling included?

It is not confirmed here. Operating hours, crisis coverage and response times must be explicitly agreed with the provider.

Complete guide · Mental Health & EAP

Employee Assistance Programs in India: EAP Buyer’s Guide

8 min read · By the Employee Engagement India wellness team

Quick answer

An Employee Assistance Program offers an agreed pathway to confidential support, often including counselling. Compare practitioner qualifications, access methods, session limits, confidentiality exceptions and referral arrangements. Availability, response times and crisis coverage must be confirmed in the provider's contract.

Employee Assistance Programs in India: EAP Buyer’s Guide

Key takeaways

Distinguish workshops from private counselling
Confirm limits and access in writing
Keep counselling information out of HR performance records
Do not assume an EAP is an emergency service

Define the support employees can access

Ask whether the proposal includes counselling, general wellbeing advice, manager guidance or referral only. Specify languages, booking channels, operating hours, location coverage and the number of sessions included. Do not infer 24-hour coverage from the word EAP.

Check practitioner and clinical governance details

Request relevant practitioner qualifications, supervision arrangements, consent procedures and referral pathways. Ask what happens when an employee's needs are outside the service scope and how urgent situations are handled.

Explain confidentiality before launch

Employees need clear information about who sees booking details and clinical records, any lawful safety-related exceptions, retention and complaints. Managers should not request session notes or use counselling participation in appraisals.

Aggregate utilisation reports can help review access, but small groups may identify individuals. Agree minimum reporting groups and suppress sensitive breakdowns when necessary.

EAP supplier comparison checklist

Qualified practitioners and service scope
Appointment process, hours and languages
Session limits, exclusions and additional charges
Consent, confidentiality and data handling
Referral and urgent-risk protocol
Aggregate reporting and contract renewal terms

Launch with a private employee pathway

Share the agreed access channel and service limits directly with employees. Train managers to signpost support without diagnosing staff. If someone is in immediate danger, use local emergency services; an unconfirmed EAP channel should not be presented as crisis care.

Request a planning proposal

Share your office city, participant count, preferred dates, available space and budget brief. Employee Engagement India can discuss relevant engagement and wellness options for Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Panvel. Confirm availability, facilitator details, inclusions and commercial terms before booking.

Frequently asked questions

No. A workshop provides group education. An EAP is an agreed private support pathway with its own practitioners, access rules and confidentiality terms.

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About Employee Engagement India

Employee Engagement India (employeeengagementindia.com) is a corporate wellness and employee engagement company serving Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Panvel since 2015. We offer 91 services across 9 categories, including corporate yoga, fitness, mental health workshops, EAP counselling, health check-up camps, nutrition, workshops and team building, delivered by 250+ certified experts to 500+ companies.