Can You Tell Me: What is the Employee and Family Assistance Program?
The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is a benefit offered by both Universities aimed at the well-being of their employees and employees’ family members. AESES members at both Universities have access to EFAP guaranteed by their respective Collective Agreements: Article 27.1 (UW) and Article 32.1 (UM).
At the University of Winnipeg, the program is administered through Manitoba Blue Cross and is available to all employees who are eligible for Blue Cross benefits. The employee’s spouse and dependent children may use the service as well. The program can be accessed by placing a call to the Manitoba Blue Cross Employee & Family Assistance Centre at 204-786-8880 and requires the Blue Cross Client and Certificate Number to verify. More information is available through the U of W HR’s EFAP page.
At the University of Manitoba, the program is offered through Kii by CloudMD and is available to all employees covered by the AESES-UM Collective Agreement as well as their immediate family, including dependent children. Kii can be accessed through an online portal with the organizational access code, available through the UM Sharepoint along with other details about the plan. Registration does not require a work email address; a personal address can be used for the purpose of confidentiality. In addition to counselling, Kii provides a library of health and wellness articles.
The objectives of the EFAPs are employee health and wellness. The free short-term personal counselling offered through the EFAP is not restricted to mental health, however, and can support a variety of other potential areas such as addiction, physical health, financial advice, legal issues, and connecting with child or elder care resources. Employees who have not considered using the program may be surprised by the breadth of assistance and resources it offers.
A central concern when using the EFAPs, due to the sensitive topics they support, is confidentiality. The employer will not be notified that an employee or family member has accessed their EFAP whatsoever. The employer provides the EFAP but does not administer it in any way other than providing access. Members’ inquiries through the program are completely confidential.
The EFAPs are a negotiated benefit in our respective Collective Agreements and provide confidential counselling and resources on a breadth of topics and issues that members may not expect. AESES encourages members to make use of these resources when needed. For any inquiries related to the EFAPs, please reach out to the AESES Business Office at 204-949-5200 or LabourTeam@aeses.ca.
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