Employee Assistance Programs, 2

by Bill Grieb

Employees are valuable resources. They are also human beings, which means they have problems that may affect their performance on the job. The problems can come from many sources: substance abuse, family difficulties, financial troubles, emotional upsets, and so forth. To help employees deal with their problems, many companies set up an employee assistance program (EAP).

At any given time, three or four of every 20 employees may be dealing with personal problems that can affect work performance. Performance declines of 10% to 20% are common. Tardiness, absence, and 'sickness' are three times normal. Employees with personal problems have four times more accidents and are five times more likely to file Workers Compensation claims.

Employee assistance programs offer a variety of resources to help employees deal with problems that affect their productivity and usefulness. EAPs can maintain materials, provide referrals, and educate employees and supervisors. They can provide programs on stress management, communication, coping, and balancing work and home. They may also facilitate support groups, workshops, etc.

There are about 1,000 EAPs in the United States. Effective programs emphasize access and confidentiality. They maintain employee awareness of the program with articles in company newsletters, posters, and other approaches.

Why set up an EAP? Consider the following:

• Employees are a vital part of your business.
• It is better to offer assistance to employees with personal problems than to discipline or fire them.
• Recovering employees become productive and effective members of your workforce.

Indeed, many companies have found EAPs to be cost-effective because they reduce accidents, reduce absenteeism, and raise productivity.

How EAPs can help employees by identifying problems and assist in resolving those problems by offering confidential, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services. EAPs might also offer programs in supervisory training, education and prevention programs, and health-promotion activities.

The first step is to determine the kind of program you need. You might want to talk with companies in your region or industry that already have an EAP. Remember that it takes time to set up an EAP and more time still for it to become effective. An EAP does not offer a quick-fix solution. But companies that have spent the time and effort feel the results are worth it.

Almost any employer-large or small-can offer EAP services. There are many ways to set up an EAP:

• Your company or union may establish a program at or near the worksite.
• You may buy EAP services from an outside EAP provider.
• You may join together in a consortium to offer EAP services.
• You may work with a trade or local business association to start an EAP.

The first step in developing an Employee Assistance Program is to identify problem areas and specific employee needs. The program should help supervisors and managers use the system in a cost-effective manner.

After the needs and problems have been identified, the next step is to locate counseling, treatment, and other available resources.

With needs determined and resources located, the program must develop mechanisms to provide specific help such as substance abuse recovery programs.

Finally, effective EAPs continuously work to evaluate and improve themselves.