An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential, short-term counseling service for employees with personal difficulties that may affect their work performance. It is an employee benefit program offered by a company to help employees resolve problems that could interfere with their work and personal lives. The idea is to address personal issues before they become a hindrance to productivity. The EAP is one of the main benefits offered by employers in North America for good reason.
It can be a cost-effective way to add value to the employee experience, resulting in increased productivity and a decrease in presenteeism and absenteeism. The Kemper Group was the first to introduce an EAP in 1962, initially focusing on alcoholic rehabilitation and later expanding the program to include family support services. An EAP treats workers as individuals and supports them and their families through difficult times. There are several programs available for families with double military personnel, as their numbers have grown significantly.
The right EAP can be a cost-effective way to add value and improve employee retention. What began as alcohol consumption assistance programs has grown to help people with financial, physical and family health problems, and since 2000, mental health programs have expanded rapidly due to increased awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). By helping employees address their issues and concerns, you can increase retention by earning the trust and loyalty of your employees. All EAPs offer a predetermined number of counseling sessions, usually one to three, at no cost to the employee to fully evaluate the problem before recommending a resource, therapist, or service to the employee.
In some cases, employees have access to the service but the organization only pays for the number of sessions booked by employees. Generally, an organization offers EAPs at little or no cost. There are a variety of assistance programs for employees in the military, ranging from financial assistance programs, family counseling, depression and transitional assistance programs. For example, if an employee signs a consent form, the counselor could talk to you after treating the employee to provide limited feedback about their fitness for work.
