💬 Why Are Companies Still Bothering with EAPs?

Bradford Scores are climbing. Absences are rising. And yet most employees don’t even use their EAP.

So, what exactly are we still paying for?

🚨 The Absence Crisis No One Is Solving

UK businesses lost over 17 million working days last year to stress, anxiety, and depression. Short-term sick days are piling up - and employers are feeling the pressure in productivity, performance, and morale.

The Bradford Score, a tool widely used by over 60% of private sector employers, measures the disruption caused by frequent short absences. It penalises sporadic one-day sickies far more than longer, less frequent leaves, making it a key early-warning signal for workforce instability.

And the latest numbers? They're heading in the wrong direction.

• Among Gen Z workers, it’s 185 – well past the “red flag” threshold.

• Absence events logged by Bradford-based systems have risen by 700,000 since pre-pandemic levels.

⚠️ The EAP Illusion

And yet... the default employer response is still: "Call the EAP."

There’s just one problem: nobody does.

According to the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA), only 2–5% of employees use their EAP in any given year. What is even more concerning is that there is no robust resaerc or evidence showing EAPs reduce frequent absences or improve Bradford Scores.

In short EAPs are reactive, not preventative.

🩺 Why Medstars Works Where EAPs Don’t

First and foremost we are founded and operated by doctors (not insurers) with one goal: to deliver meaningful, human-led healthcare your team will actually use.

Our services are designed specifically to prevent the very patterns the Bradford Score flags:

✅ 1. Same-Day GP Access

We offer UK-based, 20-minute GP consultations, 6 days a week. No call centres, no delays, no “try again in two weeks.”

→ Prevents small issues from escalating into repeated absences.

✅ 2. Specialist Concierge Support

Employees stuck in insurance loops? Our concierge team connects them to real consultants from perimenopause to dermatology.

→ Ends frustrating dead-ends that lead to absence build-up.

✅ 3. Mental Health on Demand

Our AI wellbeing therapist ‘Aria’ offers 24/7, CBT-backed support to help catch burnout early.

→ Supports resilience, reduces emotional fatigue, boosts retention.

✅ 4. Support for HR - Powered by Doctors, Not Documents

Unlike most EAPs, Medstars doesn’t leave HR leaders guessing. Our doctors are available to advise your team directly—on individual cases (within privacy bounds), absence trends, or how to handle sensitive health-related conversations. We also provide ongoing training, data insights, and clinical guidance to help HR teams feel confident, not cornered, when tackling wellbeing challenges.

→ You’re not just buying a service, you’re gaining a medical ally for your people function.

📈 Stop Paying for a Benefit No One Uses

You Wouldn’t Tolerate 2–5% Engagement Anywhere Else. So Why Your EAP?

If you're serious about reducing short-term absences, cutting through presenteeism, and improving employee experience, you can’t afford to keep investing in a tool your people don’t trust.

And from just £6/month per employee, it's a low-cost, high-impact solution to a very real business problem.

Want to see how Medstars could improve your Bradford Score?

📅 Book a 15-minute walkthroughOr email us at hello@medstars.co.uk to get started.