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02.11.2026 Ifenna Ekezie 800

International EAP for Businesses

Political crises and personal hardships do not stop at national borders. In its World Mental Health Report 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than one billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition. Among the contributing factors it cites are economic crises, disease outbreaks, humanitarian emergencies, displacement, and climate change. At the same time, the WHO emphasizes that mental health is also shaped by working conditions and the availability of support.  

For companies operating internationally, this raises a specific question: How can employees receive support quickly—regardless of language barriers or cultural differences?  

International EAP for Businesses

An international Employee Assistance Program (EAP) supports employees dealing with work-related and personal stress—even if they work outside of Germany. To this end, pme International connects a central point of contact and standardized contractual and reporting structures with local EAP partners. Depending on the country and their needs, employees receive multilingual, solution-oriented counseling and immediate psychological assistance around the clock. 

Read this post to find out

What is an international employee assistance program? 

An Employee Assistance Program, or EAP for short, is a support service for employees. It helps them address professional and personal challenges before stress becomes chronic or escalates into a crisis. An international EAP extends this service to employees in multiple countries. 

It is not enough to simply make a hotline based in Germany available worldwide. Counseling channels, language, local conditions, and appropriate points of contact vary. A viable international EAP therefore requires both reliable central coordination and on-the-ground expertise. 

"Companies with an international presence also bear international responsibility for the well-being of their employees. That is why an EAP must not stop at the national border." – Janina Krüger, International Key Account Management at pme 

What kinds of issues can an international EAP help with? 

The counseling services offered by pme International address both work-related and personal stressors, such as: 

  • Mental Stress and Acute Crises 
  • Conflicts in the workplace, such as bullying or role conflicts 
  • Relationship and Family Problems 
  • Traumatic Experiences and Psychosocial Emergencies 
  • Addiction and Dependence
  • Questions about parenting and child development 
  • Legal Issues Addressed with the Assistance of Experts and Attorneys 

A family should be understood as a system; therefore, family members are often allowed to use a global EAP as well. The counseling takes a solution-focused approach: Together, participants identify obstacles, develop next steps, and explore appropriate options in their respective countries. 


 

How does pme International work? 

pme International relies on a network model: Experienced EAP providers in various countries collaborate within a shared service ecosystem. Instead of a one-size-fits-all solution from a single global provider, pme combines local expertise with centralized management for the company. This allows services and consulting focus areas to be tailored to regional conditions.  

For HR, this means: a service agreement, reporting, and a single point of contact for multiple countries. Local implementation is coordinated directly with the relevant partner teams.  

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HR-Info-Webinar: Wie funktioniert ein internationales EAP?

Learn how an international EAP can support employees across national borders and how pme International operates.

🗓️ December 2, 2026 | 9:30–10:00 a.m.

Register for the webinar for free:How Does an International EAP Work?

Why Choose pme International for an International EAP? 

Benefits for HR and Companies

  • Centralized coordination across multiple countries: A service agreement and a reporting framework establish a common framework for the participating countries. 
  • A dedicated point of contact: A key account manager handles contractual and financial matters; on-site implementation can be coordinated directly with the respective partner teams. 
  • Local expertise instead of a one-size-fits-all solution: The partners contribute resources and knowledge of their respective regions. Common quality standards are combined with services tailored to regional needs. 

Benefits for Employees 

  • Quick help when you need it: The anonymous psychological hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Employees receive confidential counseling from qualified professionals. 
  • Counseling in a familiar language: Through the network, support can generally be provided in the individual’s native language. 
  • Support tailored to your needs and circumstances: Local counseling services complement the hotline. This solution-oriented service addresses both work-related and personal stressors—from workplace conflicts to family crises. 

This means that support is not limited to the workforce at the German headquarters. It can also include employees at international locations—tailored to the specific locations and countries where the company operates.  

Request a quote from pme International 

Who are pme's international partners? 

pme International collaborates with EAP and employee wellbeing providers who bring regional expertise and local consulting resources to the table. The ecosystem includes European and global partners. 

The focus is on combining local expertise with a shared commitment to quality. When selecting partners, pme Familienservice looks for comparable qualifications and consulting processes. At the same time, services and areas of focus are adapted to the respective regional context and may therefore differ from pme standards. 

What should HR look for in an international EAP? 

An EAP covering multiple countries must not only be sound from a technical standpoint; it must also be feasible from an organizational perspective. Before making a selection, it is worth clarifying specific questions for each country.  

These questions make it easier to compare offerings and show whether a global EAP meets the needs of both local employees and HR management requirements:

  • Coverage: Which countries, locations, and employee groups are actually included? 
  • Access: How can employees access support—via a hotline, online counseling, or in-person consultations? What are the availability hours for each service? 
  • Language and Context: In which languages are counseling services provided, and what local factors influence the counseling process? 
  • Quality: What qualifications do the professionals have? How are common quality standards integrated with services tailored to regional needs? 
  • Confidentiality and Reporting: What information does HR receive in the reports, and how are confidentiality and data protection ensured during the consulting process? 
  • Responsibilities: Who is the primary point of contact for HR, and with whom will the rollout and local implementation be coordinated? 

What makes a good EAP provider?


 

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About pme International 

Is pme International available worldwide? 

Thanks to its ecosystem approach, pme International offers nearly global coverage. Please contact us with any inquiries regarding desired geographic coverage and EAP services. 

Is the counseling service available 24/7? 

The psychological crisis hotline is anonymous and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Local counseling services vary by country and are organized through local partners.  

In which languages can employees receive counseling? 

Through our partner network, we can provide counseling in virtually any language. We will work with you directly to determine which languages and counseling formats are available in your country.  

What topics does the EAP cover? 

The services offered include, among other things, mental health issues, acute crises, workplace conflicts, relationship and family issues, traumatic experiences, addiction, parenting concerns, and legal matters.  

How is quality ensured across countries? 

pme selects partners based on comparable requirements regarding qualifications and consulting processes, as well as ISO certifications. At the same time, services and areas of focus may vary depending on the regional context. 

zero Addiction to the cell phone

24.08.2020
Isabel Hempel
3651

Making fewer phone calls, chatting or using social media less, consuming less digital media - these are all good ways to reduce the excess of stimuli. The digital detox is about creating a space for a conscious examination of digital consumption. If you want to make a change now, we have two detox stations for you.

"Digital detox" means taking a self-imposed break from digital media and screen use, especially smartphones, computers and television. A detox experiment can be an interesting experience and provide new insights.

Some people realize how much the digital device already seems to have grown on them and gain a new sensitivity for dealing with it. "Digital detox" is suitable, for example, as a "weekend digital diet", comparable to fasting for a few days. However, if you want to learn a good digital balance in the long term, digital detox will only be a small building block.

 

Digital detox to raise awareness

Screen-free time is a good start to a learning process that can lead to a new quality of life. When you start digital fasting, you may initially experience surprising emotions, such as boredom or the fear of missing out on something. However, you may also feel a new sense of freedom, experience real relaxation or find the increased personal interaction with others very satisfying. The fact is that those who purge digitally gain a lot of time for sensual experiences and meaningful activities.

 

How digital detox works

Making fewer phone calls, chatting or using social media less, consuming less digital media - these are all good ways to reduce the excess of stimuli. The digital detox is about creating a space for a conscious examination of digital consumption. If you want to make a change now, we have two detox stations for you.

Choose for yourself which media detox is more suited to your personal habits. Although the detox tasks sound simple, some people find them much harder to stick to than new dietary rules, for example. This is because we often scrutinize our media consumption less critically than our eating habits. It's about getting a feel for what giving up media feels like and how it affects you. If you can't keep it up, just see it as an experiment. Maybe just try it again the following week?

Here you will find suggestions on how you can digitally declutter and become more aware of your media consumption again. Start with a short self-reflection.



Brief self-reflection

On the trail of my digital consumption


Take 15 minutes and read through the following four questions one after the other. Try to remember different situations, e.g. during a project shortly before the deadline, during a conceptual phase, during a break, at home, on vacation.

1. how do I react if I can't find my smartphone or my computer doesn't have enough battery power?
2. when do I check my emails or smartphone particularly often in the hope of finding something interesting?
3 . what feelings do I not want to experience in these situations, what feelings do I want to feel instead?
4. in which situations do I find it easy to manage without digital devices?

You may find that you use digital media and devices more often than you think to block out unpleasant emotions. By temporarily giving up TV, series or smartphones, you give yourself peace and time to find other ways to switch off.

 

  Detox station 1

Less smartphone use

Try fasting from smartphone consumption for a week.
Proceed in a similar way to "real" intermittent fasting. Think in advance about which hours of the day your smartphone should be off and you should not be reachable: Is it more from the morning until early midday? Or after work? Or do you want to switch off your smartphone for the whole weekend?
Choose a suitable variant. Start with a weekend day or try to stick to it for three to four days.



  Detox station 2

Watch less TV or series

Adults in Germany easily watch three or four hours of television a day. During the detox week, leave the TV, Netflix or YouTube off for at least two days. Try out what it's like to sit on the sofa and do nothing. Let yourself be surprised by the ideas you come up with when you're not looking at a screen. Some people who go on a media fast start tinkering, working or tidying up on the very first evening. If you notice that you have this creative energy, try going without your usual media evenings for a day or two longer.

 

You may also be interested in these articles:

Tips for couch potatoes: "Small adjustments are the secret"

Big air in the office: how to resolve conflicts in the team

3 simple and effective yoga exercises for your back

 

 

Janina Krüger

Business customer support

Contact:

janina.krueger@familienservice.de