Low EAP Utilisation in Malaysia: Tongle Founder Lit Neo on Why Employee Assistance Programmes Go Unused
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – September 24, 2026 – Low EAP utilisation in Malaysia is a problem most HR teams recognise but few measure, according to Lit Neo, founder of Tongle, a certified social enterprise and corporate wellness company. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) have been a staple of benefits packages for decades, yet usage often stays in the single digits, even at companies paying for full coverage. Tongle’s answer is to rethink how mental health support is delivered, not whether it is offered.
Lit Neo facilitating a session with corporate participants.
Three Gaps That Keep Employees Away
Across the industry, the same issues come up again and again: employees don’t know the EAP exists, aren’t convinced it’s confidential, and have no idea what happens after the first call. Many only remember it once a crisis has already passed. It is the same gap Tongle sees across corporate wellness programmes that look good on paper. A benefit that relies on someone seeking it out at their lowest point is set up to be underused.
From Helpline to Continuous Loop
Tongle’s Human-First Intelligence Platform swaps the waiting-for-a-call model for an active cycle of assessment, recommendation, reminders, booking, delivery and measurement. Ongoing wellbeing check-ins and engagement signals mean support can be suggested and scheduled proactively, with mental health workshops often serving as the first touchpoint that makes counselling feel approachable.
Lit Neo speaking at an investment forum.
Counselling Stays at the Centre
Confidential one-on-one sessions with licensed psychologists and counsellors remain core to Tongle’s platform, alongside peer support from Tongle’s trained Listener Community. What changes is everything around them: how employees find out, how quickly they can book, and whether the organisation can see, in aggregate, that people are actually getting help.
Lit Neo speaking at the 3rd Malaysia Investment & Financing Seminar, 2024.
The Question HR Should Be Asking
The revealing question isn’t “do we offer an EAP?” but “can we tell if it’s working?” Session counts alone can’t answer that. Tongle gives HR visibility into participation trends, anonymised wellbeing indicators and utilisation, the same kind of evidence HR already expects from every other part of the employee experience. For companies reviewing their provider, Tongle has set out four key steps to take before investing in an EAP, and HR leaders describe the difference in their own Tongle reviews.
“Mental health shouldn’t be a checkbox. Too many EAPs exist so a company can say it offered something, not because anyone expected employees to use it. We set out to build the opposite.” – Lit Neo, Founder, Tongle
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is EAP utilisation low in Malaysia?
According to Tongle founder Lit Neo, low EAP utilisation usually comes from three gaps: employees don’t know the Employee Assistance Programme exists, aren’t convinced it is confidential, and don’t know what happens after the first call. Many only remember the EAP after a crisis has passed.
How can companies increase EAP utilisation?
Tongle replaces the wait-for-a-call EAP model with an active cycle of wellbeing check-ins, recommendations, reminders, easy booking and measurement. Mental health workshops often act as the first touchpoint that makes counselling feel approachable.
How can HR tell whether an EAP is working?
Session counts alone cannot show whether an EAP is working. Tongle gives HR visibility into participation trends, anonymised wellbeing indicators and utilisation, the same kind of evidence HR expects from other parts of the employee experience.
Does Tongle still provide counselling?
Yes. Confidential one-on-one counselling with licensed psychologists and counsellors is core to Tongle’s platform, alongside peer support from Tongle’s trained Listener Community.
About the Founder
Lit Neo is the founder of Tongle and one of the region’s most recognised voices on workplace mental health. Her honours include the 2023 Shanghai Honourable Women Entrepreneur Business Award, a 2024 Cotton On Foundation Award, where Tongle was the sole recipient in Malaysia, a 2024 iTEC Global Entrepreneurship Competition win in Beijing for Tongle’s 24/7 Listener App, and a Winner Prize at the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneur Summit. Under her leadership, Tongle has grown to reach more than 250,000 users across five markets.
About Tongle
Tongle is a holistic workplace wellbeing company that helps organisations reach peak performance by putting people first. It turns wellbeing into gamified team experiences, such as the Tongle Amazing Race, and its Human-First Intelligence Platform shows HR the real-time health of every team, recommends the next action and measures whether it worked, so people and the business perform at their best. A certified social enterprise, Tongle serves more than 250,000 users across Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Australia and is trusted by companies such as BMW, Watsons, Tesla and Nestlé Malaysia. Its corporate programmes are HRD Corp claimable.
Find out more about Tongle’s workplace mental health programmes, EAP support and workshops at www.tongle.space.
Media Contact
Company Name: Tongle Group Holding Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
Contact Person: Kenneth Tan
Email: Send Email
Phone: +60 14-621 2686
City: Kuala Lumpur
Country: Malaysia
Website: www.tongle.space
