Talked for Work vs TELUS Health

Employee needs and safety risks can vary widely between industries and workplaces. This is why a one-size-fits-all approach to employee wellbeing rarely brings satisfactory results.

Organisations that genuinely care for their people go beyond ticking the box on safety or compliance, and this is where modern wellbeing providers like Talked for Work and TELUS Health come into play.

Whether you're rethinking your current EAP approach or exploring new providers, this comparison guide can help.

Key features at a glance

About Talked for Work

Talked for Work is designed for modern teams. It delivers wellbeing services the way employees actually want them: holistic, human-centred, on-demand, flexible, reliable.

Founded by Australians and for Australians, Talked is known for its locally relevant services compliant with national standards. Although Talked is primarily a therapy platform, we have evolved into something more holistic, covering everything from preventative and early intervention to crisis response, medical advice, and recovery support.

Our team of clinicians consists of carefully vetted AHPRA-registered clinical and general psychologists, PACFA-registered counsellors, psychotherapists, and mental health nurses, with partnerships with GPs, emergency responders, and other health and safety practitioners.

As such, you can rest assured that Talked’s services are backed by strong competencies and expertise.

Talked for Work has three customisable plans you can choose from: Essential Care, Enhanced Care, and Complete Care.

About TELUS Health

The TELUS wellbeing platform was launched in Australia in 2024, although the TELUS ecosystem of services has been around for much longer and primarily in Canada.

Today, TELUS Health offers a range of wellbeing services, including short-term counselling, physical health screening services, psychological first aid after critical incidents, and manager support and training. They do not offer packages or plans; clients are free to pick what services they’d like to include in their agreement. Many services can also be accessed individually as standalone options.

TELUS Health in Australia also incorporates the features and services of the Aussie EAP provider Benestar through a series of acquisitions. Benestar was acquired by LifeWorks in mid-2022. In the same year, TELUS acquired LifeWorks — bringing Benestar under the TELUS umbrella. In December 2025, TELUS announced the official rebranding of Benestar as TELUS Health.

Human-led clinical triage

Talked for Work

Talked offers clinical triage at the point of entry, so employees are supported from the start by a qualified health practitioner. This also ensures they’re matched to the right type of care, whether it’s counselling, coaching, psychology, medical support, or something else.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health uses a traditional EAP intake model, where employees typically fill out a form before being assigned a health practitioner. While this process offers some guidance, it does not involve a human-led triage, which can limit personalisation early on.

Therapist choice

Talked for Work

Talked gives employees the freedom to choose their own therapist, allowing them to browse profiles and select someone who aligns with their preferences, needs, or background. Employees also have the option to use Talked’s AI-powered matching tool.

This level of choice helps build trust and comfort from the start, which can lead to better engagement and more effective outcomes.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health follows a more centralised matching process, where employees are assigned a practitioner based on availability and clinical fit. While this can be efficient, it doesn't offer the same level of personal choice, which may impact how connected or comfortable employees feel during sessions.

Free therapist consultations

Talked for Work

Talked understands that finding the right client-therapist fit doesn’t always come easy. To help employees, Talked offers free and unlimited 15-minute consultations where a user can meet different therapists until they find someone they’d want to have full sessions with. 

These consultations are available without needing a GP referral and can be booked directly through the platform.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health does not offer free consultations.

Psychology & counselling sessions

Talked for Work

Depending on your mental health concern, Talked for Work can connect you with a psychologist, counsellor, or a psychotherapist. Different practitioners have different competencies and specialisations, and it’s completely up to you who you want to book.

Talked also offers flexible booking times, including evenings and weekends. Sessions are also available via video, phone, chat, and in-person.

TELUS Health

Although the TELUS Health platform includes psychologists and counsellors, their mental health services are limited to short-term counselling and psychological first aid. TELUS Health might not be ideal for employees needing longer-term support or those who have serious mental health concerns or diagnoses.

Continuity of care

Talked for Work

Talked recognises that short-term counselling isn’t always enough, even for employees who feel generally well but who prefer working with a therapist for ongoing guidance or self-growth.

With Talked, it’s easier to continue therapy beyond employer-funded support. Once an employee has used up their credits from their employer, they’re free to seamlessly transition to using Medicare or their private health insurance with psychology extras cover to book more sessions with the same or a different therapist.

TELUS Health

Ongoing care beyond employer-funded sessions may require external referrals. Or, employees can wait until their counselling credits reset to continue sessions with TELUS Health.

Preventative and early intervention resources

Talked for Work

Through the Talked for Work app, users can access a library of wellbeing resources focused on proactive wellness, self-help, and health concerns like stress, anxiety, relationships, physical exercises, and more. These resources also come in different formats, such as articles, videos, and audio guides.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health offers some articles and tools, but these are often more static and may lack the personalised or interactive elements that support deeper engagement.

Psychosocial risk assessment & management

Talked for Work

Talked supports organisations in identifying and managing psychosocial risks, which are strict requirements under the Work Health and Safety guidelines. Talked can also assist with ongoing monitoring and compliance.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health provides risk management support by assigning a clinician to your workplace, who can offer support to your staff, conduct regular check-ins, provide safety advice, and deliver regular reports. However, it isn’t clear how TELUS Health ensures compliance with local and national Australian standards on psychosocial safety.

Welfare checks

Talked for Work

Talked provides both clinician-initiated and manager-led welfare checks to employees who might be unsafe, while ensuring that the checks are timely, respectful, and aligned with best practices.

TELUS Health

Welfare checks aren’t currently included in their services.

Medical advice & GP consultation

Talked for Work

Talked integrates access to GPs, allowing employees to discuss medication-related concerns, referrals, and any issues linked to their wellbeing.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health does not currently include direct GP access, and medical support typically requires external coordination. However, they do offer some physical health services that users can book via their app, including skin checks, ergonomic assessments, and flu vaccination.

Critical incident support

Talked for Work

Talked provides critical incident support through both remote and on-site response, ensuring teams receive timely care when it matters most. Services include immediate crisis support via phone or chat, deployment of on-site responders if necessary, structured follow-up support, and post-incident reporting and training to help workplaces navigate recovery.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health also provides critical incident support through the rapid delivery of psychosocial first aid, same-day counselling, and ongoing care for employees exposed to a traumatic event.

Real-time safety services

Talked for Work

Talked offers a range of personal safety features to help protect employees in real time. These include a 24/7 immediate assistance hotline, a “Check on me” safety timer, and an automated alert system that notifies Talked’s Care Team if an employee doesn’t respond to their timer — indicating they may be at risk. Together, these tools provide an extra layer of protection for both employees and the organisation.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health does have a 24/7 phone support, which allows employees to reach out for any concerns. However, this line isn't intended for crisis or safety issues. Real-time safety tools are also limited.

Manager support

Talked for Work

Talked offers resources and training for managers to support wellbeing conversations, resolve issues before they escalate, and empower managers to lead with empathy. Managers may also request leadership coaching sessions focused on people management challenges and any other leadership skills.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health can also organise leadership training both for managers and team members. During difficult times, such as redundancies, TELUS Health can enter the picture to reduce the pressure on managers to guide employees during the change.

Real-time dashboard and insights

Talked for Work

Talked provides a live dashboard with real-time, de-identified insights on engagement, usage trends, and wellbeing risks. This helps organisations adapt support strategies in an informed way. Additionally, Talked also conducts a quarterly business review where Talked deep dives into your organisation’s health, case types, emerging issues, and other wellbeing trends within your teams.

TELUS Health

TELUS Health offers standard reporting, typically delivered quarterly or depending on an organisation’s agreement with them.

Final thoughts

Investing in employee-centred wellbeing initiatives can bring significant returns, especially in terms of employee satisfaction, reduced presenteeism and absenteeism rates, and stronger team dynamics.

Talked for Work is a strong option for teams of any size, especially with its range of services and customisable plans. For more information, feel free to request a demo or reach out to us anytime via team@talked.com.au.