Victor Bierman - Can An Employee Assistance Program Help?

Can An Employee Assistance Program Help?

Businesses today typically serve a larger role in the lives of their employees, and progressive organizations want to have a positive impact on people and families within the communities they serve. But as the headlines confirm, these can also be challenging times, and employees may face personal issues or crises that range from ordinary stress to such things as trauma or addiction.

Fortunately, there are initiatives such as Employee Assistance Programs to help – and these can actually deliver multifaceted benefits to both businesses and their employees. An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary program that a company offers as part of a comprehensive employee benefits program. While the definition and scope of an EAP can be broad and diverse, most programs offer support with issues such as chronic stress, substance abuse, mental health problems, domestic violence, and unresolved grief.

How an EAP Works

Many EAP’s provide this kind of help via free and confidential evaluations, access to counseling programs, referrals to appropriate agencies or providers, or through proactive, preventative educational initiatives. There are also EAP efforts that can help businesses where employees are dealing with the aftermath of a crisis such as a natural disaster or an incident of workplace violence.

Not only does an EAP provide a resource for employees who are facing difficulties in life, but it can also be a valuable tool for managers. When they want to help employees resolve issues that may not comfortably or ethically fit into the role of a manager, they or the HR department can refer the employee to the confidential EAP. Another uniquely useful attribute of an EAP is that it may go beyond direct assistance of an employee and extend helpful services to the employee’s family members. In that way an effective EAP can be an asset to the organization, its workforce, and the community at large.

Beneficial Outcomes and EAP Return on Investment ("ROI")

Research from the Department of Labor found that for every dollar invested by a business in an EAP, the savings generated was worth as much as $16. That’s thanks to significant and oftentimes dramatic reductions in absenteeism, work-related accidents, worker compensation claims, and use of sickness benefits.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management cites benefits including increased engagement and productivity; reduction of workplace stress and violence; and increased ability to effectively respond to disruptive incidents at work or in the community.

An EAP can help reduce health care costs, while also increasing employee retention and boosting workforce morale. Ultimately, an EAP can also create goodwill in the community and strengthen relationships with customers, too.

Education is a Key to Success

Although these programs have been in existence since the 1970s, many employees don’t always utilize or understand them. Education is extremely important in solving that challenge, so that employees realize that the EAP is a totally confidential resource to help them improve their work/life balance and quality of life. HR departments can take an active role in helping to de-stigmatize outdated or inaccurate perceptions regarding EAP’s, in order to encourage employees to take advantage of them in order to seek the healthy support they need, want, and deserve.

Originally published by Victor J. Bierman III here.