Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have a long history of success in helping employers and employees tackle complicated and difficult problems. EAPs can trace their beginnings back to 1917, and have been a part of many company benefit programs since the 1960s and 1970s.
And yet, EAPs remain an underused resource for many employees. Employers have to be frustrated when something that could help all employees is not put to best use.
“The reasons for the under use of EAPs are many,” says James Kinville, senior director of LifeSolutions, an EAP that is part of the UPMC Insurance Services Division. “What’s most important is overcoming those reasons and getting the word out to employees that EAPs are a valuable resource that they have available to them.”
Smart Business spoke with Kinville about ways employers can make employees more aware of EAPs and take advantage of their services.
Why do employees resist using an EAP?
Oddly, one of the biggest reasons is that many employees do not believe that EAPs are truly confidential. This comes from a lack of understanding of how EAPs operate. It is imperative that an employer continually educates employees about how an EAP works.
And, of course, the biggest thing is that an EAP is absolutely confidential. EAPs do not report back to the employer after meeting with an employee. Time spent with an EAP is not part of an employee’s work record.
Without that kind of understanding, it is difficult for an employee to look to an EAP as a trusted resource.
What are some other reasons for not using an EAP?
Another misconception still prevalent in the workplace is the stigma attached to reaching out for help in this manner. Men, especially, can struggle with this. What needs to be explained is that everyone at some time or other has had on- and off-the-job problems of a similar nature. Getting help to deal with these kinds of issues is a smart thing to do.
Consider what EAPs handle: financial problems, marital and family issues, cancer, stress-related illnesses, caregiving for parents, substance abuse, workplace conflicts, depression and more. It makes sense to turn to a professional for help with these subjects and it makes sense to realize that some of these problems are bigger than anyone can handle alone. It’s not a stigma to go for help, but rather a wise choice.
Do employees need to go through HR or get permission from their boss to use an EAP’s services?
There is no need for an employee to tell anyone — boss, HR official or work colleague — if he or she wants to partake of EAP services. Companies provide an EAP phone number and an employee can call confidentially and make an appointment.
Because EAPs operate independently of an employer, they are often flexible about when and where they can hold sessions. It could be over the phone, at a therapist’s office or even at the worksite.
What else do employers need to know about EAPs?
Sometimes, employers can be guilty of not fully realizing how EAPs can enhance an organization’s performance, its culture and its business success. EAPs provide value in three ways — by leveraging the value of an organization’s workforce, by addressing the cost of doing business and by helping an organization mitigate its business risks.
It is a key component of an employer strategy to increase employee engagement and improve productivity, morale and workplace harmony.
How does an employer choose an EAP?
Employers need to choose an EAP that can optimize its value to a company’s culture and workforce to ensure the achievement of business objectives.
Employers should weigh an EAP’s experience and expertise in the field, the credentials of the EAP’s staff, the EAP’s level of responsiveness and accessibility, its ability to integrate with other key benefit providers and whether it can tailor a plan design to fit a company’s specific needs.
Insights Health Care is brought to you by UPMC Health Plan
