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- Globally, there are over 839 external EAP service providers offering mental health services to employees through their company.
- In the UK around 24.45 million employees are covered by an EAP, which accounts for around 75% of the workforce.
- According to Trustpilot review scores from employees who've used each service, Spill is the UK's top rated EAP provider.
The market for employee health and wellbeing services is full of options: around the world, there are over 839 EAP providers. If you’re thinking about changing your Employee Assistance Programme or introducing one into your company, it’s important to consider what the ‘best EAP provider’ really means for your team.
Our guide to the best Employee Assistance Programmes in the UK starts with a (long) list of EAP providers, which you can sort and filter as needed. We then dive in to the top 5 UK EAPs by employee rating, before exploring the different reasons you may be shopping for an EAP and some important features to prioritise when buying in each circumstance.
What makes the best UK EAP provider?
There are multiple interpretations for what ‘best EAP provider’ means. There is no ‘perfect’ EAP company that will suit every team: it all depends on your business, your budget, and the emotional needs of your employees.
However, we can all agree that whether or not employees like it (and use it) is one of the most important factors. That’s why we've used employee ratings to put together a list of the top 5 EAP providers in the UK.
To get accurate data, we used publicly available review pages from Trustpilot and Google to get employee ratings. We then looked at information provided by each EAP provider on their own website regarding the services they offer and any exclusions to understand the pros and cons of each. Let's dive in.
A (long) list of the UK’s best EAPs
We've spent a long time researching, so that you can now use easily compare options from our (long) list of the best EAP providers in the UK:
Filter and sort
Trustpilot rating
Self Space
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
AXA Health EAP
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Sonder
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Vitality EAP
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Bupa EAP
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Perkbox
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Spill
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Optima Health
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
MCL Medics
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EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Optum Health
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Mind Matters (Workday)
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Virgin Pulse
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Plumm
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Health Hero
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
ComPsych
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Spectrum.Life
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Education Support
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
PAM Wellbeing
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Unmind EAP
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Vita Health Group
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
Care First
EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
TELUS (LifeWorks)
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EAP type:
Services:
On-demand counselling
Self-help resources
Mental health training
Telephone helpline
No results with these filters
The top EAP providers in the UK
These are the 5 best EAPs in the UK according to reviews from employees who've used the service:
For each EAP provider, we've put together an overview of the services and plans provided and pulled out some useful user reviews below.
1. Spill
The best EAP for high-quality, accessible therapy.
Spill is the UK's highest rated EAP service according to Trustpilot, with nearly 100 5-star reviews and not a single negative piece of feedback from users. Spill work with over 600 companies of all shapes and sizes and deliver over 25,000 therapy sessions a year to employees.
Spill's main points of differentiation include their flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, extremely high standards around counsellor hiring and training, and tailored therapy packages for support with bereavement, parenthood or neurodiversity.
Overview
Spill is a modern EAP providing the tools you need to help your team through any challenge, personal or professional. Next day therapy, manager training, and neurodiversity support all in one platform.
This isn’t rigged, we genuinely don’t have a single negative Trustpilot review out of all the users who’ve shared their experience of using Spill.
Services:
On-demand counselling
Next day sessions
Neurodivergence support
Integrations
Confidentiality prioritised
Plan options:
Trial available
Flexible pricing options
No exit fees
Reviews
Life changing experience
“I love Spill and couldn't be more thankful. My therapist has helped me so much in such a short amount of time. I'll continue to work with the tools that you've given me and adopt this everyday.”
Link to reviewThe best employee benefit I’ve ever received
“The platform is really easy to use and you can easily change between therapists if you don’t click. I found a really amazing counsellor and I’ve had a couple of courses of therapy. It’s been such a safe space, I’ve found it really helpful and reassuring. A great service, definitely recommended.”
Link to reviewProduct screenshots
2. Perkbox
The best EAP for employee discounts and rewards.
Perkbox is an all-in-one employee perks, benefits and rewards platform with a 4.4 star rating on Trustpilot. Perkbox work with over 3,500 businesses and delivered over £4,171,846 in savings to employees last year.
Perkbox's main points of differentiation include their huge range of discounts and rewards for employees (from food and drink to cinema tickets) and an extensive library of self-help wellbeing resources including workouts, guided meditations and soothing sleep stories.
Overview
In terms of mental health support, Perkbox is known for its huge bank of resources rather than on-demand counselling services. This means it provides content for every situation that employees can browse, including resources written for neurodivergent staff.
However, based on Trustpilot, the main thing driving Perkbox’s popularity and 4.5/5 rating is not the mental health support but vouchers and discounts. This is still a compelling employee offering but provides a different service to a traditional EAP.
Services:
On-demand counselling
Next day sessions
Neurodivergence support
Integrations
Confidentiality prioritised
Plan options:
Trial available
Flexible pricing
No exit fees
Review highlights
Incredible set of discounts
“Incredible set of discounts on offer with incredible user friendliness. The ease of purchasing vouchers allows for great discounts. I would say access to this employee scheme is the single highlight of working for my company. Could be improved on the refund front though.”
Link to reviewExcellent rewards program
“Excellent rewards program. I particularly enjoyed the Cinema vouchers I got through Flexi points. For any questions I had, Sofie was a great help. She went beyond and above to ensure my experience was a positive one.”
Link to review3. Bupa UK EAP
The best EAP for global health care.
The Bupa EAP is an optional add-on to their health insurance plans with a 4.4 star rating on Trustpilot. Bupa work with over 39,000 businesses, and their business health insurance now covers more mental health conditions than any other leading UK insurer.
Bupa's main points of differentiation include global wellbeing support (with resources available in 49 different languages), access for dependents and partners living at the same home address, and obviously the remit to extend coverage to physical heath risks.
Overview
Bupa offers an EAP as an optional add on to their corporate health insurance plans. This includes a 24/7 helpline with access to clinically-led support both for physical and mental health, online self-help resources, and a triage system which can help employees access counselling sessions.
Trustpilot reviews are generally positive although employees must be triaged first by Bupa and then a medical professional before accessing counselling which can delay care. Pre-existing conditions are also not supported on all plans.
Services:
On-demand counselling
Next day sessions
Neurodivergence support
Integrations
Confidentiality prioritised
Plan options:
Trial available
Flexible pricing options
No exit fees
Review highlights
Good and fast experience
“I got a referral from the GP and within a day of receiving it I had been sent over local specialists in my area and managed to get an appointment within a week of receiving my referral. Really great and fast process.”
Link to reviewVery helpful and understanding staff
“Very helpful and understanding staff. Look after mental wellbeing as well as physical. Got appointment with online GP easily and referrals were quickly done.”
Link to review4. Vitality EAP
The best EAP for proactive wellbeing support.
The Vitality EAP is an optional add-on to their health insurance plans with a 4.4 star rating on Trustpilot. Vitality work with over 1.9 million businesses and operate in 41 markets, protecting over 42 million lives worldwide.
Vitality's main points of differentiation include their rewards system to incentivise a proactive approach to employee wellbeing with perks (such as a free coffee), and a free 12-month subscription to the Headspace app included with every plan.
Overview
The Vitality EAP can be added onto an overall insurance package for employees. On-demand counselling can be included as part of this package but employees must be triaged by a Vitality employee before booking and the majority of negative reviews are from employees who were denied care after being triaged by Vitality.
Employees must also submit claims after being treated which draws out the treatment process and can be an admin burden.
Services:
On-demand counselling
Next day sessions
Neurodivergence support
Integrations
Confidentiality prioritised
Plan options:
Trial available
Flexible pricing options
No exit fees
Review highlights
Good and fast experience
“Really helpful on the phone, was simple to get approval for my treatment”
Link to reviewVery helpful and understanding staff
“The customer service team explains how the claims work much better than any information on the app. Thanks”
Link to review5. Sonder EAP
The best EAP for employees in a crisis.
The Sonder EAP provides 24/7 personal safety, medical and mental health support with a 4.1 star rating on Google. Sonder work with around 200 companies and provide wellbeing support to over 1 million members.
Sonder's main points of differentiation include personal safety tools such as local incident alerts and journey tracking for employees on the move, and immediate support via a 24/7 helpline for employees in a crisis.
Overview
Sonder primarily operates a 24/7 helpline and online wellbeing portal containing breathing exercises, recipes, workouts and activity trackers.
Google reviews are generally positive but there are employee complaints around confidentiality on the platform. This may be an isolated incident but is worth asking about if you are considering this service.
Services:
On-demand counselling
Next day sessions
Neurodivergence support
Integrations
Confidentiality prioritised
Plan options:
Trial available
Flexible pricing options
No exit fees
Review highlights
Review
“Extremely dodgy, masquerades as a confidential service to help employees, all information swiftly given to your employer to use against you. Will also offer advice like it's best to resign if you have mental health issues.”
Link to reviewHow to find the best EAP for your team
While employee rating is important, the reason you are looking an EAP will also depend on your team’s situation, and the features and services you prioritise in each case will be different.
We've spoken to hundreds of people looking to buy an EAP over the years at Spill and they always fit into one of two categories:
Companies that already have support in place
- We have an EAP but nobody is using it
- We have an EAP but people are being denied support
- We have an EAP but we're just browsing options
Companies with no support in place
- We don't have an EAP and someone needs help right now
- We don't have an EAP and want to build out our employee benefits
- We don't have an EAP in place and we need to fulfil a duty of care
Whichever group you belong to, we have watch outs and tips for buying an EAP below to make sure you find the best fit for your team.
We have an EAP but nobody is using it
If you are disappointed by usage on your EAP then you are not alone. A 2024 survey of UK business owners found that EAP usage was as low as just 3-5% of their employee base each year. Over a quarter of employees surveyed were unaware that their EAP even existed. This can be galling – especially when some EAP contracts lock you in for up to five years.
However, it's important to acknowledge that the model for traditional EAPs is built for low usage by design. If you're paying around £10 per employee per year, it's impossible for the EAP to provide even 25% of the team with access to therapy. Let’s look at the maths:
We know from a 2007 NHS study that 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem of some kind each year, and most EAPs promise at least 8 counselling sessions for any employee that needs it. If we assume 25% of our 40-person company want to speak to a counsellor that’s 10 employees:
Even the best EAP couldn’t make this maths work, and still make a profit. Through a combination of low employee engagement and directing employees who contact them away from counselling (more on this below), EAPs can promise plenty of support while providing very little.
Here are some features to prioritise during the buying process to make sure you get the best EAP for your team and avoid paying for a service that goes unused:
We have an EAP but people are being denied support
For an EAP to be effective, your team must be able to book counselling sessions quickly. Surprisingly this is an issue with some EAP providers who claim to offer counselling. A study by Unmind estimated that 42% of employees who phoned their EAP were rejected for therapy due to limited sessions and low-quality therapy services.
If you are reading this section, it is likely that you have had this experience already with your EAP and are looking for a better alternative. Perhaps a team member that you signposted towards your EAP has been rejected for support and is now worse off than before.
Here are some features to prioritise during the buying process to make sure you get the best EAP for your team and avoid this happening a second time:
We have an EAP but we're just browsing options
With 78% of UK businesses offering their staff an EAP it's likely that you already have an EAP in place. It may also be providing the support that your team needs. However as lots of EAPs come with a 5-year contract, you might have last looked at what’s on the market around 5 years ago and a lot has changed since then.
Here are some new trends around employee mental health to be aware of:
Demand for counselling has never been higher
According to a report by the BACP, nearly a third of UK adults sought help from a counsellor or psychotherapist between 2023 and 2024. That’s a huge proportion of the working population, and the main reason behind wait times of up to 153 days to speak to a counsellor in some parts of the country. With this void in support, employers are increasingly providing access to counselling for their employees.
Significant increase in ADHD and autism diagnoses
In the past 4 years, there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of people being diagnosed with ADHD and autism. A recent study by UKIM put the increase in diagnoses at 600% in just 2.5 years. Often neurodivergent employees are among the most productive members of the team which has led many employers to prioritise EAP services that offer specialised support for these conditions.
Confidentiality is crucial to employees
Confidentiality of mental health services has always been a requirement, both ethically and legally. However, in 2024 this jumped up the priority list for employees as one EAP provider was accused of allowing strangers to eavesdrop on employee therapy sessions, as reported by the BBC. The best EAP providers should prioritise confidentiality, this is crucial if you want your team to use it.
Getting good value has become non-negotiable
In November 2024, the government announced that businesses would have to increase their National Insurance contributions from April 2025. This is the latest in several developments that have made it harder for businesses in the UK to keep any budget aside for supporting their staff. As a result, making every pound count has become essential. Spending money on a service that isn’t providing value is no longer an option.
Here are some features to prioritise during the buying process to make sure you get the best EAP for your team:
We don't have an EAP and someone needs help right now
Sometimes you will have a team member who unexpectedly needs mental health support. Perhaps they have experienced a bereavement or have started having panic attacks in the office. In these cases, you need a high quality service in place as soon as possible.
When looking for support, prioritise EAP providers that can guarantee your team member will speak to an excellent counsellor. There are plenty of horror stories on Trustpilot of employees being connected to someone who was unable to help them or even made matters worse. You want to have full trust in the EAP service you are connecting a vulnerable team member to so prioritise checking this during the buying process.
If you are comparing providers because a member of the team needs support right now, here are some features to prioritise when looking for the best EAP service for your team:
We don't have an EAP and want to build out our employee benefits
You may be looking to get something in place because the business has matured to a certain level or it’s in a good financial position. If you are not under time pressure, this is a great chance to get familiar with the different EAP options.
At one end of the scale, basic EAP providers offer a 24/7 telephone helpline for employees to speak with an advisor who will assess their level of ‘need’ and refer them on for further support if required. More sophisticated services also provide self-help content and training workshops. And modern EAP alternatives (like Spill) do away with the helpline altogether and allow employees to book counselling sessions on-demand using an online booking system.
If you are not sure which EAP services you should prioritise, start by surveying your employees to focus spend on services they perceive as valuable. Some modern EAP services (like Spill) also offer the chance to trial their platform including some therapy sessions to give to the team. This will help give you confidence that the service you are providing to your team is the right one.
If you are comparing providers to build out your employee benefits, here are some features to prioritise when looking for the best EAP service for your team:
We don't have an EAP and we need to fulfil a duty of care
In 2002, Lady Justice Hale judged that ‘an employer who offers a confidential advice service, with referral to appropriate counselling or treatment services, is unlikely to be found in breach of duty.’ This judgement did not make it a legal necessity to provide employees with mental health support, but it did mean that doing so gave additional legal protection.
If you are looking to fulfil a duty of care, it is a good idea to get an EAP service in place. Just make sure that it is confidential. The 2024 BBC investigation into EAP providers did highlight that at least one service was not as confidential as they advertised. So far, the fallout has been with the EAP which had its accreditation suspended in 2024 by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
However if employers are found to have been negligent in the procurement of their chosen EAP service, this could change. The employer also could no longer be protected by the ruling referenced above because the EAP service they provided was not confidential.
If you are comparing providers because you want to fulfil your duty of care, here are some features to prioritise when looking for the best EAP service for your team:
