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Free DOCX Download of EAP Counseling Confidentiality Notice (For HR Managers)
2026.08.06 09:56
Even when EAP counseling is introduced, the first concern employees have is, "Will the company find out if I receive counseling?" If confidentiality standards are not clearly communicated, the actual utilization rate may be low even if a counseling system exists.
The HR representative is not using a notice to verify or evaluate the consultation content, but, A notice explaining the scope of confidentiality and the limitations of information the company can verify, so that employees can use the consultation with peace of mind. You must prepare.
So that it can be used for employee announcements, onboarding materials, internal bulletin boards, and EAP guide pages EAP Counseling Confidentiality Notice DOCX I have prepared.
Free Download of EAP Counseling Confidentiality Notice
In the attached file "EAP Consultation Confidentiality Notice (For HR Personnel)" Download the file and modify your company's EAP operating standards, counseling application methods, and responsible department information to use it.
▶ [Download EAP Consultation Confidentiality Notice DOCX]
Contents included in this material
| Data organization | Content to check and modify |
|---|---|
| Notice Title | Company Name, EAP Counseling Guide Title |
| Confidentiality Principle | Basic notice that counseling content is not shared on an individual basis |
| Information that the company does not verify | Consultation details, diagnosis, personal concerns, consultation records, etc. |
| Information that the company can verify | Anonymous and aggregated data such as usage rates, satisfaction, and trends in counseling topics |
| Exception Information | Cases requiring immediate safety measures, such as risks to life or body |
| Privacy Policy | The necessity of protecting counseling usage information and health-related information |
| How to apply for consultation | Application link, app, phone, QR, consultation hours |
| Target users | Whether employees and their families are included, and whether contract or dispatched workers are included |
| Consultation method | Company operating methods such as face-to-face, phone, video, and chat |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions and Answers from Employees |
| HR Information Message | Examples of internal announcements, onboarding, and reminder messages |
| Checkbox | Department in charge, Contact information, Last modified date |
This notice does not serve as a substitute for an EAP counseling contract or a privacy policy. It is a practical DOCX document designed to easily inform employees after verifying the company's actual EAP operational scope, as well as the counseling agency's confidentiality and personal information processing standards.
Why Confidentiality Notices Are Necessary for EAP Counseling
EAP counseling is effective only when employees are able to request help on their own initiative. However, if employees feel that “the company can view the counseling details,” “requesting counseling will be reported to the HR team,” or “usage records could negatively impact their performance evaluations,” they may avoid using the system.
Therefore, after implementing EAP, you should repeatedly provide the following information rather than just sharing the counseling request link.
| Employee's concerns | What HR needs to guide |
|---|---|
| Whether the consultation details are conveyed to the company | In principle, the contents of individual consultations are not shared with the company. |
| Is it possible to know who received counseling? | Operated in a structure where the company does not verify individual usage. |
| Whether it affects performance evaluations | Use of counseling is not used as a basis for evaluation, disciplinary action, or placement. |
| What goes into the report | Use only anonymous and aggregated data where individuals are not identified. |
| Are all dangerous situations secrets too? | In emergency situations, such as risks to life or body, safety measures may take precedence. |
| How personal information is managed | Collect and manage within the minimum necessary scope and restrict access rights. |
The Nudge EAP community also advises that EAP counseling should generally be conducted in a way that it is not shared with the company on an individual basis, and that it is appropriate to limit the information the company can verify to anonymous and aggregated data.
Key phrases that must be included in the notice
It is recommended to include the following wording in the EAP counseling confidentiality notice.
1. Consultation details are not shared with the company on an individual basis.
This is the part employees are most curious about. Write it clearly at the beginning of the notice as follows.
In principle, the content of individual counseling, specific concerns, counseling records, and the counselor's opinions discussed during EAP counseling are not shared with the company on an individual basis.
However, the wording must be adjusted in accordance with the actual operational contract between the company and the counseling agency, as well as personal information processing standards and crisis response standards.
2. The company only checks anonymous and aggregated reports.
The information verified by the company for the operation of the EAP must be for understanding the status of the system's operation, not for identifying individuals.
| division | example |
|---|---|
| Information that the company can verify | Overall usage rate, counseling satisfaction, proportion of major counseling topics, monthly usage trends |
| Information that the company does not verify | Who provided counseling, what was discussed, diagnosis, counselor's personal evaluation |
| Information requiring caution | Data that allows for the estimation of individuals when the number of personnel is small, such as statistics by department or job group |
In cases where the number of personnel in a department or specific job group is small, it is advisable to establish a minimum aggregation standard so that individuals are not overestimated even when statistics are provided.
3. Using the counseling service does not constitute grounds for personnel disadvantages.
Employees may worry that using counseling will affect their evaluation, promotion, placement, or disciplinary action.
The notice includes the following purpose.
Whether or not EAP counseling is used is not used as grounds for personnel disadvantages such as performance evaluations, promotions, placements, or disciplinary actions.
HR and managers must not attempt to verify whether counseling has been used or require employees to submit counseling details.
4. In emergency dangerous situations, ensuring safety may take priority.
Confidentiality is very important, but it is not appropriate to promise absolute secrecy unconditionally in all situations.
It is recommended to provide guidance as follows.
However, if there is a concern regarding immediate danger to your own life or physical safety or the safety of others, you may be connected to a relevant person in charge or a specialized agency to the minimum extent necessary to ensure safety.
If an employee expresses a risk of self-harm or suicide, or if their current safety cannot be confirmed, connecting to emergency response systems such as 109, 112, or 119 may be prioritized over scheduling an EAP counseling appointment. The Suicide Prevention Hotline 109 operates as a counseling service for suicide crises.
Examples of expressions when writing notices
Staff Notice
The company operates EAP counseling to support the mental health of its employees.
In principle, the content of individual counseling sessions during EAP counseling is not shared with the company, and the company only reviews anonymous and aggregated data for the operation of the system.
Whether or not counseling is used is not used as grounds for personnel disadvantages such as performance evaluations, promotions, placements, or disciplinary actions.
If you need consultation, please feel free to use the application method below.
Phrase for onboarding materials
You can use EAP counseling if you need counseling after joining the company due to work adaptation, relationships, stress, personal difficulties, etc.
The company does not verify the content of consultations, and the operation is conducted in a way that the fact of consultation usage is not shared on an individual basis.
However, in cases where there is a concern for immediate danger to life or physical safety, minimum measures to ensure safety may take precedence.
Administrator's Guide
Managers may guide employees to EAP counseling, but must not check whether they use the counseling or the content of the counseling.
We do not penalize employees for not using the counseling service, nor do we require them to report the details of the counseling.
In cases where an emergency risk such as self-harm or suicide is suspected, safety verification and internal crisis response procedures are prioritized over counseling appointments.
How to use the EAP Confidentiality Notice
1. First, check the company's actual EAP operating standards.
Check the following items before distributing the notice.
- Counseling providers
- How to apply for consultation
- Consultation hours
- Support for in-person, phone, video, and chat
- Availability for Employee Families
- Number of consultations per person
- Scope of operational reports received by the company
- Emergency Response Procedures
- Personal Information Processing and Storage Standards
- HR Representative and Contact
Since EAP operating methods may vary from company to company, do not distribute the general guidelines as is; instead, modify them to align with the actual contract details and operating standards.
2. Separate information to be shown to employees from information for internal HR use.
It is best to include only the key points that employees need to understand in employee guides.
| division | Staff Notice | HR Internal Operational Documents |
|---|---|---|
| purpose | Guide to use counseling with peace of mind | Operational Standards and Exception Management |
| expression | Simple sentences, short FAQ | Report standards, contract details, and procedures for the person in charge. |
| Included information | Confidentiality Policy, Application Method, Contact Information | Personal information processing, reporting standards, crisis response |
| Information to exclude | Internal approval procedures, contract details | Not applicable |
Employees may not read notices if they are too long or focused on legal language. It is recommended to structure employee notices to be read on a single page and to manage detailed operational standards separately as internal HR documents.
3. This will be repeatedly announced in internal notices and during onboarding.
EAP confidentiality is not sufficiently conveyed with a single announcement. It is recommended to place it repeatedly in the following locations.
- New Hire Onboarding Materials
- Company Bulletin Board Notice
- Welfare System Guide Page
- EAP Counseling Request Page
- Administrator Training Materials
- Job Stress and Burnout Prevention Education
- Crisis Response Manual
- Quarterly reminder messages
To increase EAP utilization rates, you should inform users that “consultation content is not shared with the company,” rather than simply explaining how to request counseling. The Nudge EAP operational checklist also treats confidentiality and the scope of operational reports as key items to be verified before implementation.
4. We will jointly establish the standards for operation reports.
EAP operational reports are necessary for system improvement, but standards must be established to prevent the possibility of individual identification.
| Report Items | Operating standards |
|---|---|
| Usage rate | Compilation based on the total or sufficient number of people |
| Counseling topics | Display in broad categories so that individual cases are not revealed |
| Statistics by Department | Departments with a small number of personnel may have provision restrictions or integration |
| satisfaction | Anonymized to prevent the estimation of individual responses |
| Case Summary | Exclusion of expressions that could identify a specific employee |
| Number of crisis response cases | Managed within the necessary scope without personal identification |
If usage data is too finely segmented by department or job function, individuals can be identified. It is advisable to include a principle in the guidelines stating that "the company only verifies anonymous and aggregated operational status," and to establish separate aggregation criteria within HR.
Precautions for Managing Personal Information and Consultation Information
Sensitive information, such as health, psychological state, family relationships, and workplace conflicts, may be handled during the EAP counseling process. Companies must design their operational structures to ensure that they do not directly collect or store counseling content.
In particular, mental health status, symptoms, and whether diagnoses and counseling have been used may constitute sensitive health information. The Personal Information Protection Act defines health-related information as sensitive information and establishes separate standards for restricting its processing.
The HR representative must verify the following.
- Whether the consultation content is stored in the company's internal system
- Whether the list of counseling users is provided to HR on an individual basis
- Whether operation reports are provided based on anonymity and aggregation standards
- Whether there is no possibility of individual estimation in a small-person organization
- Whether the scope of information shared in a crisis situation is minimized
- Is the purpose of personal information processing and the retention period clear?
- Whether you checked the personal information processing standards of the external counseling agency
Checklist Before Distributing Notices
| Confirmation items | Inspection details |
|---|---|
| Confidentiality Principle | Did you inform them that consultation details are not shared with the company on an individual basis? |
| Anonymous/Compiled Report | Did the company distinguish between information it can verify and information it cannot? |
| exceptional situations | Did you explain cases involving immediate safety risks? |
| How to apply for consultation | Are the actual usage methods, such as links, apps, phones, and QR codes, up to date? |
| Target users | Did you check whether employees' families, contract workers, and dispatched workers were included? |
| Consultation method | Did you accurately specify the method of provision, such as in-person, phone, video, or chat? |
| HR Contact | Are the responsible department, email, and contact information up to date? |
| Privacy Policy | Have you checked the sensitive information and access permission standards? |
| Manager Training | Did you instruct administrators not to request verification of consultation details? |
| Crisis Response | Are 109, 112, and 119 connected to internal crisis response procedures? |
Precautions when using the guide
- We do not assert that “counseling content is never shared under any circumstances.”
- We do not require employees to report the fact of using counseling or the content of the counseling.
- The use of counseling is not linked to performance evaluations, promotions, placements, or disciplinary actions.
- The scope of reports that the company can verify is clearly defined in advance.
- Statistics on counseling topics in small-person departments examine individual estimation possibilities.
- In crisis situations, we prioritize ensuring safety and emergency response over confidentiality guidelines.
- We educate administrators on EAP counseling guidance methods and prohibited expressions.
- Verify that the content of the notice is consistent with the actual EAP contract.
- Check personal information processing standards, retention period, and access rights.
- Specific legal and personal information protection judgments may require expert review.
Download EAP Counseling Confidentiality Notice again
able to guide employees on EAP counseling confidentiality principles, information verifiable by the company, exceptions, and how to apply for counseling Editable DOCX Form for HR Managers no see.
▶ [Download EAP Consultation Confidentiality Notice DOCX]
Related Posts
- Are EAP counseling details shared with the company?
- EAP Checklist for HR Managers to Check
- Verification criteria before implementing non-face-to-face psychological counseling in companies
In the related article, you can check the confidentiality standards for EAP counseling, the operational checklist for HR to review, and precautions for introducing remote counseling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can the company find out if I receive EAP counseling?
In principle, EAP counseling content must be managed in a manner where it is not shared with the company on an individual basis. For the operation of the system, it is appropriate for the company to review only anonymous and aggregated data that cannot identify individuals, such as overall usage rates, satisfaction levels, and trends in counseling topics.
Q2. Can HR request the consultation details?
HR must not request employees' counseling details, diagnoses, personal concerns, or counselors' opinions. Even when necessary, it is advisable to limit the information the company can access to anonymous or aggregated data required for operational purposes.
Q3. Can the use of counseling be reflected in the performance evaluation?
Whether or not an employee utilizes EAP counseling must not be used as grounds for personnel disadvantages, such as in performance reviews, promotions, placements, or disciplinary actions. This point must be clearly stated in the notice so that employees can use the counseling with peace of mind.
Q4. Is confidentiality guaranteed even in crisis situations?
While confidentiality is important, if there is suspicion of an immediate danger to the life or physical safety of oneself or others, information may be referred to relevant personnel or specialized agencies to the minimum extent necessary to ensure safety. Even in such cases, the scope of sharing must be limited to the level required for safety measures.
Q5. What information is included in the EAP operations report received by the company?
Generally, anonymous and aggregated data that cannot identify individuals, such as overall usage rates, counseling satisfaction, trends in major counseling topics, and monthly usage trends, are utilized. Since individual figures may be inferred when statistics by department or job group are small, the criteria for providing such data must be determined carefully.
Inquiry regarding the introduction of EAP counseling
If you are operating an EAP counseling program but your staff are concerned about confidentiality standards or are unsure about the scope of counseling content and operational reports, you must first establish operational standards during the system implementation phase.
Nudge EAP supports an EAP operational system tailored to your company's specific situation, ranging from employee counseling, manager support, and remote counseling to crisis intervention and organizational reporting. If you would like to design confidentiality guidelines, counseling application workflows, and criteria for anonymous and aggregated reports, please contact us on the page below.
👉 Go to Nudge EAP Implementation Consultation →
Source and Information
- National Law Information Center, Article 23 of the Personal Information Protection Act
- Health and Welfare Counseling Center, Suicide Prevention Hotline 109
- Are Nudge EAP and EAP counseling details shared with the company?
- Nudge EAP, EAP Checklist for HR Managers
- Nudge EAP, Verification Criteria Before Corporate Implementation of Remote Psychological Counseling
This content and the attached notice are intended to provide general information and guidance on the use of the EAP for employees. The actual scope of confidentiality, crisis response, personal information processing, and standards for providing operational reports may vary depending on the company's EAP agreement, personal information processing standards, and relevant laws. Specific legal and personal information protection judgments may require expert review.
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