Do EAPs Cover Contractors and Vendors?
Find out if EAPs support contractors and vendors during the skilled worker shortage.
Download our guide to managing your teams mental health
Why is it important that EAP is extended to contractors and vendors?
We are currently facing a shortage of skilled workers across Australia. If your business relies on external contractors or other vendors to ensure that you are able to provide the service you offer then it makes sense to ensure that those workers feel supported and valued to maintain a good working relationship beyond just financial transactions.
The benefits of providing EAP services for external business partners are numerous. To start with some contractors are often not big enough to provide an EAP service to their team themselves and hence wellbeing and mental health support might not be something that they have readily available. It is really hard to show up and be your best self at work if you are under stress. This might be relating to things like:
- Financial stress
- Bullying or relationships at work
- Family issues
- Death or grieving (even if it’s a pet)
- Managing elderly parents
- Kids/ schooling
By ensuring that you support external contractors and other vendors mental health you are making an invaluable investment in their safety that easily outweighs the costs of a few counselling sessions. Investing in the broader wellbeing of your business not only makes sense, but it also makes business sense we unpack this further
Does Foremind offer support for contractors and vendors?
At Foremind we understand that stressors impact people outside of your direct employees such as contractors and vendors having a significant impact on them during work hours. Left unmanaged these stressors could lead to psychological harm in the long-term, as well as a reduction in productivity whilst at work. Not too mentioned that generally these contractors are paid an hourly rate, so doesn’t it make sense to support them to be as productive as possible during that time?
That is why Foremind offers the ability for contractors or vendors to access support through our platform in the event that they need support. This is something that you as an organisation can provide as part of our service offering, but it is not mandatory.
Answers to the frequently asked questions.
Our last EAP was barely touched. Why would this be different?+
Most EAPs go unused because of how they're accessed, not because staff don't need them. Phoning a stranger, explaining yourself, then waiting weeks is enough to stop most people before they start. Foremind removes all three steps: staff see real counsellor profiles, pick someone themselves, and book the same day.
If you already have a provider, the question worth asking is what your current utilisation is. Most traditional EAPs sit in low single digits, which means you're paying for cover your people aren't reaching. If yours is being used, staff can get seen quickly, and it covers your psychosocial obligations, there's no reason to move. If not, it's worth knowing what you're getting for the spend.
Do you offer 24/7 support?+
Yes. A 24/7 after-hours crisis line means staff can reach someone immediately at any hour, including nights and weekends.
Counselling appointments are also available outside standard business hours, so shift-based and on-call teams aren't limited to a nine-to-five window. Those are two different things, and it's worth checking any provider offers both rather than just the crisis line.
Are your EAP counsellors based in Australia?+
Yes. Every practitioner on the platform holds current membership with an Australian professional body and practises under Australian standards, codes of ethics and disciplinary frameworks. There are no offshore call centres.
Practitioners hold membership with the Australian Counselling Association, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, or the Australian Association of Social Workers, along with a current Working with Children or Vulnerable People Check.
How much does an EAP cost?+
Pricing is usually per employee per month, based on total headcount rather than how many people use the service. Costs vary widely depending on whether sessions are bundled in and whether compliance tooling is included.
A more useful comparison is cost per employee who actually uses it. An EAP with 2% utilisation can work out several times more expensive per person helped than one that gets used. Foremind offers pay-as-you-go, inclusive session plans and compliance-inclusive plans, with discounted pricing for not-for-profits and charities.
For full breakdown of our plans, see our EAP pricing page or request a quote for a tailored proposal.
What information does an employer receive about EAP usage?+
Nothing that could identify anyone. All counselling is completely confidential and all reporting is anonymous - you'll never see who booked, when, or what was discussed.
What you do see is the aggregated picture: how many people are using it, what psychosocial risks are prevalent in the business, and which teams are under pressure. Enough to know the investment is working and where to act, never enough to identify a person. Reporting thresholds mean small teams can't be reverse-engineered from the data.
Does having an EAP meet an employer's psychosocial duty of care?+
No. An EAP is a control measure, and a valuable one, but it only addresses harm after it has occurred. It doesn't identify hazards, assess risk, or evidence that controls are working.
Australian WHS law requires you to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risk, control it so far as is reasonably practicable, and review whether those controls are working — with documented evidence at each step. Offering counselling on its own leaves three of those four steps undocumented.
Foremind covers both in one platform. See how the compliance side works in our product tour.