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Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

By / April 11, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Emergency One  manages EAP programSince the 1970’s, EAPs have grown in number and are rapidly becoming commonplace in the business environment. Employee Assistance Programs are designed to help reduce the number of workplace problems by providing access to screening, assessments and interventions for employees.

Unfortunately, many times personal problems are unavoidable when your employee shows up for work. Employees spend most of their waking hours at work and often an employer can play a key role in preventing a crisis by providing resources to seek help in areas of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, family problems or financial issues.

Ultimately, as related to your business, the goal of an EAP is to help reduce employee absenteeism, increase productivity and keep you employee in good mental health. The big question is, “How do we know if it works?”

The basic benchmarks for a successful EAP are related to job performance. Tardiness, Absence rates, Productivity and relationships with coworkers are key indicators of both the need and the success of EAPs.

When choosing an EAP, you should look for the following:

  • The ability to talk to a real person about their needs
  • An EAP vendor that can handle all situations and tailor it to your company
  • An EAP vendor that provides training to the managers on how to access services
  • Refer employees for both work-related and personal reasons
  • Provide training on how to deal with issues of substance abuse
  • Provide screening services to identify problems before they transpire

Not only does the EAP benefit the employee, a U.S. Dept. of Labor study showed that employers generally save from $5 t o$15 for every dollar invested.

At Emergency One, we understand that frequently managers and HR professionals are put in awkward situations where employees might confide in them. Our EAP program consists of counselors whose skills are matched to the employee’s needs. Don’t wait until a situation negatively impacts job performance, call us at 845.338.5600 for a confidential appointment.