Benefits of Employee Assistance Programs

An Employee Assistance Program can give your employees a way to cope with personal issues that can have a negative impact on their job performance, such as work-related stress or problems outside of the workplace. With an EAP, employees have access to licensed, trained counselors.

Confidentiality:

Employees will appreciate the fact that they have a resource to discuss sensitive issues in complete confidence. With an EAP, the employer is not notified when an employee uses the service.

Immediate Assistance:

Employees have access to a Directions EAP crisis counselor 24 hours a day via a Crisis Telephone Line. If they are interested in making an appointment, the employee can typically arrange to see someone within 24 hours in crisis situations, or within a day or two for routine concerns.

Personal Issues:

An EAP most often helps employees deal with issues outside of the workplace that can impact job performance. Many people deal with issues, including substance abuse, depression, marital issues and grief over the loss of a loved one. An EAP provides an outlet to help them resolve these issues, or learn to cope with them so they won’t impact job performance.

Employer Benefits:

Because employees have access to a resource that can assist with decreasing the effects of life’s problems, it can reduce absenteeism, turnover, grievances, terminations, medical disability, etc. Workman’s compensation claims are also reduced. As a result, you’ll have a happier, more productive workplace. You may also be able to minimize the cost of your health insurance, because employees can use the EAP to ward off stress-related illnesses, meaning fewer trips to the doctor.