The proactive EAP criteria
Nine jobs your support should do, and how to tell whether it does. Version 1.0, October 2026.
Each criterion is a job your organisation already owns. The proof test is what separates doing the job from claiming to. Use it to assess your current EAP, or any provider on your shortlist, including us. The right-hand column describes what a reactive EAP typically offers; individual providers vary.
Level 1: Organisation systems. Does support reach every person, and do you know what's working?
| # | The job | Proof test | Typical reactive EAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Make sure every person knows how to get support | Can you show, person by person, that everyone knows, and how often that's refreshed? | Posters, launch emails, intranet pages. No way to show who saw them. |
| 2 | Make the right support easy to reach at the right time | Is there a clear pathway with a warm handover, not just a number to call? | A phone number |
| 3 | Know what's actually happening across the workforce | Does the insight cover everyone, not just those who called? Is it de-identified and checked before it's reported? | A call rate, if reported at all |
| 4 | Know which supports are used and working, and improve them | Can you see the use of every channel and resource, and act on what you see? | Rarely reported |
Level 2: Leaders. Can the people others turn to respond well?
| # | The job | Proof test | Typical reactive EAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Have enough people trained to respond well, at every level | What share of your people are trained to respond? Benchmark: at least 1 in 10, so that familiarity and trust can be built between trained people and those around them. | Optional add-on training |
| 6 | Be confident they actually can | Have they been assessed on demonstrated skill in a realistic situation, not just attendance? | Attendance-based, where training exists |
Level 3: Individuals. Can people look after themselves and each other?
| # | The job | Proof test | Typical reactive EAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Help every person recognise how they're doing | Is there a regular practice that builds self-awareness, and can people see it improving? | Occasional resources or webinars |
| 8 | Make sure every person has someone they trust to turn to | Does each person have at least one trusted person, who knows where to go next? | A stranger on a phone line |
| 9 | Give people the skills to support each other, and to ask for support | Do people know how to start the conversation, both ways? | Generally not addressed |
Scoring your support
Score each job as reactive (not done), developing (done for some people, or without proof) or proactive (done for everyone, with proof). A proactive EAP does all nine. The pattern across the three levels shows where to start.