Unknown User3
To what extent is the company required to provide guidance on and manage records of EAP counseling applications and usage?
2026.08.14 09:23
EAP · Psychological Counseling
To what extent is the company required to provide guidance on and manage records of EAP counseling applications and usage?
Management of EAP counseling application and usage records is Guiding employees to easily use counseling and protecting personal counseling information from being unnecessarily shared This is a task that requires considering these factors together. HR personnel must separate and organize criteria regarding where to post the EAP application link, how long to retain counseling and interview records, and the extent to which personal information is shared.
In particular, while EAP is a system designed to support employees' psychological burdens such as job stress, burnout, relationship conflicts, and anxiety, trust in the system may be diminished if it is operated in a way that shares counseling content or individual usage records with the company or managers.
This post compiles and organizes questions actually received on the inquiry board regarding the announcement of EAP application links, the retention of counseling and interview records, and the scope of personal information sharing.
situation
When operating an EAP, HR managers often struggle between the requirement to make it easy for employees to request counseling and the standard that the fact of counseling use should not be unnecessarily revealed.
For example, keeping the EAP application link pinned on the internal bulletin board or benefits page improves employee accessibility. However, employees may worry, "Will the company find out if I apply through this link?" or "Will my team leader be able to check if I have requested counseling?"
There is also concern regarding how much of the counseling or interview records should be retained. It is often unclear whether records related to counseling conducted during employment—such as EAP counseling, HR interviews, grievance counseling, and return-to-work interviews—as well as those remaining in the former employee account, should all be stored under the same standards, and how they should be organized after leaving the company.
Materials containing employees' personal information, such as emergency contact lists or internal documents, can also raise similar concerns. This is because even if the information is necessary for business operations, expanding the scope of sharing can lead to unnecessary exposure of personal information.
At this time, the main points the person in charge needs to check are as follows.
What is important in EAP operations is not to make one-sided assumptions, such as “the company does not verify anything” or “the company manages all usage records.” Distinguishing between information that must be provided to employees, information that the company can verify for operational purposes, and information that must not be verified. This is the key.
conclusion
EAP counseling application and usage records are The direction is to increase application accessibility while protecting individual usage history and consultation details. It is recommended to manage it as such.
The EAP application link can be pinned to internal benefits pages, HR announcements, onboarding materials, internal bulletin boards, or QR codes so that employees can easily find it. However, it is recommended to include a confidentiality notice near the link stating that "consultation content and individual usage status will not be shared with the company or managers."
The information available to the company must focus on anonymized and aggregated data for the operation of the system. For example, the total number of uses, monthly usage trends, major categories of consultation topics, average satisfaction levels, and opinions on system improvement may be verified.
Conversely, in principle, it is safer for the company or administrator not to check the information below on an individual basis.
The general internal operation flow can be summarized as follows.
In other words, the most stable approach in practice is to widely provide EAP application links while strictly managing counseling content and individual usage history.
reason
Since EAP is a system designed to reduce the psychological burden on employees, utilization rates may decrease if employees feel that the company will find out if they receive counseling. Therefore, it is just as important to explain how usage history and counseling content are protected as it is to prominently display the application link.
The Personal Information Protection Act establishes standards requiring that personal information be collected and used within the scope of its intended purpose, and that only the minimum amount of personal information necessary for that purpose be collected. Furthermore, information regarding health and similar matters may be classified as sensitive information, requiring particular caution in its processing.
EAP counseling may involve sensitive topics such as job stress, depression, anxiety, family issues, experiences of workplace bullying, and health-related difficulties. Therefore, even when HR checks the status of EAP operations, it is advisable to verify them based on non-identification and aggregation rather than by identifying specific individuals.
The WHO proposes organizational intervention, manager training, worker support, and return-to-work support together in workplace mental health support. This demonstrates that EAP is not a system that ends with individual counseling alone, but must be operated in conjunction with an organizational support framework.
To summarize, the scope that the company can verify can be classified as follows.
Practical Checkpoints
1. Place the EAP application link in an “easy-to-find location” and attach a confidentiality notice.
The EAP application link must be immediately accessible the moment an employee feels stressed. If it is hidden deep within the company bulletin board or requires contacting HR every time to access, actual usage rates may be low.
In practice, you can place links at the following locations.
However, it is recommended to provide the following information along with the link, rather than just posting the link.
- Counseling recipients
- How to apply
- Available hours
- Consultation method
- Information that the company can verify
- Information not verified by the company
- Crisis Situation Exception Criteria
- Contact
The example phrase is as follows.
EAP counseling is a support system available to employees who require counseling due to work stress, burnout, relationship difficulties, personal concerns, etc. Individual usage status and counseling content are not shared with the company or managers; the company monitors operational status through aggregated data that does not identify individuals, such as total usage counts and major topic categories.
2. First, check the scope of reports the company receives.
The first thing to check in EAP operations is what kind of reports the vendor provides to the company. Even if the program guidelines state "confidentiality," if the actual reports are too detailed, individuals may be identified.
Reports are not "better the more detailed." The appropriate level is one that allows HR to utilize it for system improvement while ensuring that individuals are not identified.
3. Separate counseling/interview records from EAP usage records.
In practice, EAP counseling, HR interviews, grievance counseling, health manager consultations, and manager interviews are sometimes managed together. However, since their respective purposes and record-keeping entities differ, it is advisable to manage them separately.
You should not treat all records the same simply because they are labeled as "counseling." In particular, it is recommended to manage EAP counseling content separately from internal HR interview records.
4. Verify the purpose of record preservation when cleaning up the accounts of departing employees.
When an employee leaves, records such as emails, collaboration tools, internal systems, EAP accounts, and HR interview logs may remain. In such cases, rather than keeping all records as they are, you must determine the purpose for which they are needed.
For records of departing employees, it is safer to organize the necessity of preservation and access permissions rather than keeping everything "just in case."
5. We share guidance standards with administrators, not whether they use EAP.
Managers may introduce EAP when a team member appears to be struggling. However, managers must not check who used EAP or request the results of the counseling.
It is recommended to provide the following information to the administrator.
The manager's role is not to verify the consultation content, but to reduce the workload and guide to necessary support channels.
6. Separate the sharing of personal information, such as emergency contact lists, from EAP information.
Information such as emergency contacts, personal mobile phone numbers, and guardian contact details may be necessary for business purposes. However, managing this information in conjunction with EAP or counseling usage data can increase personal information risks.
Emergency contact lists are resources for emergency response, while EAP counseling information is for psychological support. It is recommended to separate the purposes and access permissions for these two types of materials.
7. Crisis situation exception criteria are provided to employees in advance.
Even if EAP confidentiality is important, safety measures may be exceptionally required in cases involving risks of suicide, self-harm, or harm to others, or immediate safety risks.
However, if this exception is announced in a way that implies "everything will be disclosed to the company in crisis situations," employees may avoid consultation. Therefore, the purpose and scope must be explained together.
The example phrase is as follows.
In principle, EAP counseling content is not shared with the company. However, in cases involving immediate safety risks such as suicide, self-harm, or harm to others, consultation may be conducted with a specialized agency or a designated company representative to the minimum extent necessary to protect life and safety.
Even in crisis situations, it is important to handle only the information necessary to ensure safety in a limited manner, rather than widely sharing the entire content of the consultation.
Final Checklist for Person in Charge
The checklist below is for internal inspection purposes to ensure that EAP counseling application and usage records are managed without omission.
especially Application link accessibility, confidentiality notice, non-sharing of individual usage history, de-identified reports, record access rights These are basic verification items. If even one of these items is not sorted out, it is recommended to address it first rather than considering the EAP operational standards complete.
Among all items If 3 or more are insufficient It is recommended that you review the application channel design, personal information processing standards, vendor reporting standards, administrator guidance standards, and standards for organizing records of departing employees, rather than simply re-announcing the EAP application link.
FAQ
Q1. Is it okay to keep the EAP application link pinned on the company bulletin board?
Pinning the EAP application link in a place easily accessible to employees can help improve accessibility. However, rather than posting only the link, it is recommended to provide information on who is eligible for counseling, how to use the service, confidentiality standards, and what information the company verifies and does not verify.
Q2. If I apply for EAP counseling, will HR or the team leader find out?
In principle, it is advisable to operate in a way that individual EAP counseling requests and counseling details are not shared with HR or team leaders. It is appropriate for the company to monitor operational status based on aggregated data that does not identify individuals, such as total usage volume, major categories of counseling topics, and satisfaction levels.
Q3. Is it permissible for the company to check the EAP utilization rate?
Total usage volume, monthly usage trends, usage ratios by consultation method, and major categories of consultation topics may be checked for the operation of the system. However, it is recommended to restrict the sharing of individual user lists or detailed usage status of small departments due to the risk of personal identification.
Q4. What should I do with the consultation and interview records remaining in a former employee's account?
For records of departing employees, you must first verify the purpose of preservation, the retention period, and access rights. Rather than continuing to retain personal information or consultation/interview records once their purpose has been served, it is advisable to review deletion, destruction, or access restriction in accordance with company standards.
Q5. Can HR interview records and EAP counseling records be managed using the same standards?
It is advisable to manage them separately. EAP counseling records are the domain of the counseling service provider or EAP vendor, while it is appropriate for the company to review them primarily based on non-identifiable aggregated data. HR interview records should be kept to the minimum necessary extent, such as for job adjustments or guidance on policies.
Q6. If an employee says on their own that they received counseling, is it okay to share this with the team leader?
Even if an employee has spoken directly, you should be cautious about sharing this information widely. If sharing with the team leader is necessary, it is advisable to first confirm the scope of the information with the employee and focus on conveying the necessary work adjustments rather than the details of the consultation.
Q7. Is adding a personal mobile phone number to the emergency contact list the same issue as managing EAP usage information?
While both relate to the scope of personal information sharing, they differ in purpose. Emergency contact information is for emergency communication, whereas EAP usage information is related to psychological counseling. It is recommended to manage their respective purposes, access rights, and retention periods separately.
Q8. Can EAP counseling content be shared with the company in a crisis situation?
In cases involving immediate safety risks, such as suicide, self-harm, or harm to others, exceptional responses may be necessary to the minimum extent required to protect life and safety. Even in such instances, it is advisable to handle only the information necessary to ensure safety in a limited manner, rather than widely sharing the entire content of the counseling.
Related Posts
A Comprehensive Guide to EAP Implementation Procedures and Vendor Selection Criteria → How is confidentiality ensured in EAP counseling? → EAP Checklist for HR Managers to Check for Introducing Employee Psychological Counseling Program → Operational methods to increase EAP counseling utilization rates → Operation Checklist to Increase Utilization of Worker Support Programs → Comprehensive Guide to Personal Information Protection Training & Retirement Pension Training Targets & Materials →Next step
Managing EAP counseling request and usage records does not end with the task of deciding where to place the link. To ensure employees can use counseling with peace of mind Application Channels, Confidentiality Notice, Company-Verifiable Information, Administrator Sharing Criteria, Criteria for Organizing Records of Former Employees We must prepare it together.
First, it is recommended to check the following three things.
If you would like to streamline EAP application channels, confidentiality guidelines, counseling and interview record management standards, and administrator FAQs at the organizational level, please use the Nudge EAP implementation consultation.
Source and Information
- Korea Labor Welfare Network, Introduction to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- WHO, Guidelines on mental health at work
- WHO, Mental health at work
- HSE, Stress and mental health at work
- HSE, What are the Management Standards?
- National Law Information Center, Article 15 of the Personal Information Protection Act: Collection and Use of Personal Information
- National Law Information Center, Article 16 of the Personal Information Protection Act: Restrictions on the Collection of Personal Information
- National Law Information Center, Article 23 of the Personal Information Protection Act: Restrictions on the Processing of Sensitive Information
- National Law Information Center, Article 21 of the Personal Information Protection Act, Destruction of Personal Information
- Health and Welfare Counseling Center, Suicide Prevention Hotline 109
This content is intended for general informational purposes. Specific matters regarding EAP operation, counseling application channels, personal information protection, retention of counseling and interview records, management of records for departing employees, HR and labor relations, mental health, and psychological counseling may vary depending on the workplace situation, the latest laws, contract terms, and official guidelines; therefore, review by relevant experts or agencies may be required. In cases involving suggestions of suicide or self-harm, risks of violence, or immediate safety dangers, do not respond solely based on general EAP guidance; instead, prioritize checking emergency channels such as 119, 112, or the Suicide Prevention Hotline 109.
Comments5
- Unknown User2
넛지EAP(관리자) - vexa4821
- Unknown User1