The Evolution of Employee Assistance Programmes

by Spectrum Wellness

An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a programme designed to identify and assist employees in resolving personal problems that may be negatively affecting their performance in the workplace.

Originating in the 1970’s, EAP’s have evolved significantly since then. Employers have come to realise that EAP’s can be an option for handling employee issues that they themselves may not be able to deal with. This may not only improve productivity but also portray the organisation as a caring one.

Originally introduced as programmes to address alcohol and drug problems in the workplace, now they have gradually expanded to address a variety of other work-life issues.

A Holistic Approach
EAP’s have evolved to become a multifaceted employee support programme. Contemporary EAP’s expand beyond the basic level, offering a wide range of creative perks and innovative services to support employees and family members in all aspects of life such as (1):

• Mental health & substance abuse counselling
• Child-care resources
• Elder care assistance
• Financial counselling

This programme could also include support for foreign employees who are still trying to integrate and get comfortable with the new environment they are in, both professionally and socially.
The support the programme offers could be an assessment of the employee’s circumstances, short-term counselling and then if necessary, referral to external resources.

Another interesting and helpful aspect of the evolution of the EAP is that family members can access the service too. This development only makes sense as one of the top issues handled by EAP programmes today are relationships. (2) Spectrum EAP offers unlimited access for your employees’ spouse or partner and any dependants over the age of 16 still living at home to a telephone helpline which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Knowing that their family members can also reach out to somebody when in need may prove to be valuable to your employees.

EAP Innovated
Along with the increasing variety of services EAP’s have provided over the years, the methods in which these services are implemented have also improved and increased. Technology has provided different platforms on which EAP professionals can communicate with clients. Websites, live chats and even video counselling enabling the programme to respond to employees’ needs at anytime, anywhere. This convenience that has arisen out of the evolution of technology and effectively EAPs, have made it more popular and less of a daunting task for employees.

In the past, employees have been hesitant towards the use of EAP’s due to lack of confidentiality. When employers could get personal information from these EAP’s, this jeopardized the security of the employee’s job. However, as time has passed and mental health has received serious consideration from society, EAP’s have also adopted a stricter approach. While EAP’s may provide aggregate information to employers so that they may have a general idea of the situation, employers are strictly denied access to personal employee information.

This approach taken up by EAP’s has also increased the popularity of the service among employees that need it.

At the end of the day, as an employer you can evaluate how subscribing to the services of an EAP might help your organisation. Your employees will see the value you place in them and through the help of the programme, they might be able improve their work-life balance.

References:

(1) http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-healthcare-watch-20140615-story.html

(2) https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/use-your-employee-assistance-program