Definition of an EAP
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an employer-sponsored, multi-faceted benefit, designed to help employees and their family members cope with personal problems which may adversely impact work performance, health and well-being of the employee. These issues include, but are not limited to: legal, financial, marital, health, stress, parenting, aging parent concerns, alcohol abuse and drug abuse.
Consultation with the EAP is voluntary and confidential. EAP’s usually offer a range of services such as: assisting with policy development, individual and organizational assessment, employee education, counseling and referrals to treatment.
Benefits of EAP's:
- EAP’s save employers money. One out of every ten employees suffers from a personal problem which affects job performance, thus resulting in lost productivity.
- EAP’s are extremely affordable. The average cost for EAP services ranges between $15.00 to $28.00 per employee, per year
- EAP’s offer an alternative to firing, therefore saving the costs of recruiting, rehiring, and retraining employees.
- EAP’s assist with policy development, employee education and supervisor training.
- EAP’s can relieve pressure from supervisors/managers, who feel responsible when employees’ personal problems affect job performance.
- EAP’s result in improving morale in the workplace.
- EAP’s offer access to treatment for employees with problems that affect their job performance.
- EAP’s have been linked to decreases in accidents, Workers’ Compensation claims, absenteeism, health benefit utilization, and turnover rates.
- EAP’s assist employers in complying with drug-free workplace laws.
- EAP’s also train your management teams in early identification of problems, with the goal being an intervention, before problems affect job performance.