August 30, 2007
Employee Assistance Plans
Introduction
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s) have grown in popularity during the last two decades. EAP’s provide a myriad of services that allow employees to seek assistance for various personal needs. Employers either purchase the EAP service on stand-alone basis or package the EAP with their medical coverage. The premise of an EAP is to allow assistance for employees for their stress-related issues of both work and family. The use of an EAP provides resources for the employer to offer to employees so that the balance of work and family life is more harmonious.
EAP Services
Legal Services/Financial Services
An EAP offering generally allows employees to seek legal advice from the EAP legal staff. There are limitations set but basic legal expertise may help an individual meet their legal advice needs. For example, an individual may be going through the early stages of divorce. The EAP will enable the individual to learn some basic concepts about what legal representation may be needed.
Many EAP’s offer financial counseling that helps employees deal with personal financial issues. For example, an individual who has significant credit card debt may work with a financial counselor who will help with reducing the debt.
Personal Health Information
Many EAP’s offer the member the ability to obtain personal health information that allows the individual to help themselves with medical data. For example, an asthmatic could seek out general information about the signs and symptoms of asthmatic attacks. Many of the EAP vendors also offer a telephonic nurse component that allows consumers to call about urgent medical concerns or general medical questions. These EAP services are staffed with clinically trained nurses who have resources available to help the individual and their specific need.
Dependent Care Services
These services include Eldercare and Childcare consultation that provides information about local vendors who provide either type of dependent care service. As our population ages, employees today are faced with caring for their children and more frequently their parents. EAP vendors work with community resources to help their EAP members obtain information on how to cope with these varying needs.
Education Training
Managers face day to day requirements of working with their employees and customers. Education and training programs allow personal development of managers and those employees interacting with customers. For example, a program that I have personally taken is called “Dealing with Difficult People.” This program teaches basic skills of interacting with difficult personality styles. If someone is very aggressive, there are appropriate ways of defusing some of the aggression to provide amiable results.
Managed Behavioral Care
There are many private health care needs that may need mental health or chemical dependency counseling. EAP’s provide the entry into this treatment. If an individual’s needs require immediate attention for mental health or chemical dependency, the EAP will interact with the employee’s health insurance plan or local medical professionals who are suitably trained to handle these needs.
Statistics
EAP Digest offers many compelling statistics that reflect the growing trend of EAP offerings. For example, 60% of caregivers experience an eldercare crisis that causes them to miss an average of 3 workdays per year. 65% of all employees will experience workplace problems severe enough to prevent them from coping with daily activities.
Confidentiality
Personal health information is protected so that the employee’s personal or family health history is not shared with the employer. This information is confidential and the employee has assurances that no personal information is conveyed to their employer. Program referral procedures guarantee no one is aware of the problems accept the employee and the resource working with the employee.
Conclusion
EAP services provide employers and their employees resources that allow for a better balance between work and family needs. EAP services both are available for the personal needs of an organization’s employees but also the development of the employees work needs and the company’s management development. Your current health insurer may offer EAP services or a contract may be developed between your organization and a local or national EAP vendor. The value of EAP services most often is greater than the cost for the EAP contract.
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