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Amazon has expanded its mental health benefits provision, offering an enhanced traditional Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for over one million employees.
The e-commerce giant has rolled out a new platform offering staff easier access to high-quality care across the US.
“We want our employees to be able to access the support they need, when they need it,” said Chris Decou, Amazon Global Director of Health Benefits.
Amazon expands mental health care for US workforce
The expansion of Amazon’s EAP impacts the company’s entire full-time, regular US workforce across all 50 states.
Staff now have access to a mental health platform that will connect them to therapy and psychiatric care from a network of more than 26,000 providers, including specialists.
The redesigned EAP will make it “easier for employees to find a high-quality mental health provider without disruption,” Decou explained. It offers users flexible care, with appointments available online or in-person, and on days, nights, or weekends, depending on their individual needs.
Amazon’s full-time workforce can access six therapy sessions at no cost through the program and be connected thereafter to providers covered through the benefit provision, in line with their applicable insurance plan.
A mobile app also offers employees free access to clinically guided AI tools that help them continue self-reflection while waiting for their next session.
Benefits & bonuses churn
The expansion comes amid a period of churn for compensation and benefits packages across major US employers.
Consulting firm Deloitte recently trimmed core benefits in place for staff in its ‘Center’ talent model – primarily those in support roles such as finance, IT support, and admin.
Parental leave was cut from 16 weeks to eight weeks, and a $50,000 adoption and surrogacy reimbursement (covering in-vitro fertilization treatments) was nixed. PTO and pension accruals were also scaled back.
Zoom also recently moved to reduce parental leave, trimming weeks for both birthing and non-birthing parents.
Disney, meanwhile, is reportedly cutting stock-based compensation – an incentive tied to performance – for some of its tech employees, according to a Business Insider report.
Research from insurance specialist Lockton indicates these decisions reflect a shift toward costs becoming the dominant concern for employers.
54% of employers now identify cost reduction as the most important factor shaping benefits decisions, up from 38% in 2025, while attracting and retaining talent has dropped to 19%.
“With projected cost trends, employers face sustained challenges heading into 2027 and beyond, as the imperative to reduce costs is increasingly dominant,” explained Shannon Demaree, Executive Vice President, People Solutions Regional Executive at Lockton.
Experts warn against cost-based cuts
Both Zoom and Deloitte said their benefits were reshaped to better align “with the marketplace,” with the former insisting it remains “committed to employee wellbeing.”
Similarly, Disney’s leadership reportedly conducted a “marketplace analysis” before moving to adjust pay structures, Business Insider reported.
While Amazon’s record on employee welfare is hardly unimpeachable, and the firm is making cuts in other areas, the expansion in mental health care marks an effort to further its workforce benefits provision.
Amazon's Global Director of Health Benefits emphasized that the EAP enhancement is “another way we're continuously improving the benefits and resources we offer to support their wellbeing.”
Experts have warned businesses against scaling back benefits despite tough economic headwinds, suggesting that larger employers risk setting a precedent that others may follow.
Potential challenges highlighted include damaging effects on productivity, morale, and engagement, as well as difficulties attracting and retaining top talent.
Investing in wellbeing & benefits
Other employers, meanwhile, have made notable expansions to their benefits packages.
BNY, for example, recently introduced a homeownership program aimed at helping US-based employees manage affordability pressures and navigate the path to buying a home.
The financial wellbeing initiative means eligible employees earning $100,000 or less annually can access $6,500 in down payment assistance to support a first home purchase, while all US employees can take part in digital learning and live seminars on homeownership.
Google is also enhancing coverage in some areas, including an expansion to the support it offers employees who are navigating perimenopause and menopause. It is in the process of introducing 24/7 virtual support in a program that will cover over 80% of Googlers globally by the end of 2026.
Speaking on an episode of the HR Grapevine Podcast, Alex Maddison, Senior Director of Global Benefits & Mobility at Google, said: “It's absolutely critical for us that we look holistically at how we're supporting our employees. We don't really think about it as a cost per benefit.”
“That's not how we structure our benefits package… we look holistically,” Maddison continued. “What level of support are we offering at the time that people need it most? That's very much how we've approached this program.”
