Employee Assistance Programs
Posted by Valley Insurance Associates, Inc. on Wed, Jan 11, 2012 @ 11:30 AM
During the course of our interaction with clients and prospective clients we often are asked to review and evaluate the quality and breadth of the companies’ employee benefit offering menu.
One of the overlooked and perhaps undervalued pieces of the successful employee benefit plan is the structured Employee Assistance Program, or EAP.
If we take it as a given that the economic welfare of the employer is hugely dependent upon the health and well-being of its employee population, then the need to help manage those issues that may impact health and well-being becomes self-apparent.
The latest statistics tell us that stress cost American employers about $200 billion annually. These costs are generated through medical claims, sick leave, industrial accidents, presenteeism, absenteeism and countless other “isms” that prevent an employee from focusing on or adequately carrying out the day-to-day functions of his or her job.
Employees and their job performance may be negatively impacted by family or personal health problems, death of a loved one, divorce, personal or family drug/alcohol abuse. They may be impacted by the inability to interact successfully with co-workers and/or supervisors. There may be instances of traumatic incidents in or affecting the workplace along with other issues that may be more difficult to pigeonhole.
The successful EAP plan will be designed to identify the employees’ primary and secondary issues/problems and then determine the most effective and appropriate treatment protocol.
That assessment and treatment many times can be determined and carried out within the confines of the EAP or, in the case of severe or more difficult issues, an outside referral may be in order.
When evaluating an EAP administrator, the qualifications and credentials of the staff and affiliated providers should be of the highest concern. Certainly these professionals are the lifeline of the EAP and their experience and expertise are the harbingers of the long-term success or failure of the plan.
The number of covered counseling sessions per issue per year also can be a differentiator (3 to 6 sessions per issue per year is typical).
Most, if not all, EAP providers offer 24-hour telephonic access to crisis prevention, as well as provider and counselor appointments.
Assuming then that the intrinsic value of the EAP is apparent, how can an employer help to ensure that the program is a success?
The key is education and promotion!
Education may take the form of orientation meetings, ongoing seminars and events such as wellness and health fairs. Promotion can be accomplished with payroll stuffers, newsletters, posters and table tents in employee common areas and other more or less subliminal methods.
If you or your employer has an interest in initiating an EAP or having your current Benefit offering menu evaluated, please contact a Valley Insurance Associates Benefit Specialist for details.
David Brand writes bi-weekly in his Benefits Blogged column. He can be contacted via email at dbrand@viainsurance.com.