Trends in Eap Programs Essay Example

to recognize that they could no longer ignore the needs of white-collar workers. Many white-collar workers were war veterans who suffered from post traumatic stress disorders due to the atrocities they witnessed while at war for our country. Many white-collar workers abused alcohol to help cope with the horrors they had witnessed in the past.

Excessive alcohol dependency and the problems associated with it led employers to create the first Employee Assistance Program around 1945. Gradually, in-house alcoholism programs that were previously implemented by employers evolved into Employee Assistance Programs. Early Employee Assistance programs were primarily organized and ran by recovering alcoholics who were actually responsible for training managers and supervisors to spot alcoholics by looking for symptoms such as trembling of the hands, bloodshot eyes, and the smell of alcohol on their breath.

During this time, these types of programs weren’t necessarily known as “Employee Assistance Programs” and only the largest companies, usually those with five thousand or more employees would have been able to offer these types of programs. Employers began to pay closer attention to the gratifying results of these programs; over the next thirty years, alcohol abuse remained the sole focus of EAP’s. However around the 1970’s, employers realized the need to address some of the other reasons or issues keeping their employees away from the workplace and simultaneously preventing them from performing to the best of their abilities.

The drug crisis of the 1960’s and the 1970’s inadvertently brought drug and alcohol abuse programs together to support and counsel “substance” abusers. During this same time period, the demographic landscape of America was changing; the “every day” family structure began to change and more

single-parent households emerged. Because of this “weakening” of the family structure, many employees began to experience more legal and financial personal problems then they had in the past.

The concept of EAP’s began to take shape in the early 1970’s; slowly, the program moved away from focusing specifically on alcohol abuse and grew to include many different forms of counseling for employee problems. By 1974, the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse had adopted the term employee assistance program to describe job performance –based intervention programs (Hartwell 1). In the early 1970’s, the Occupational Programs Office of the Federal Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism began offering federal grants to help stimulate the growth of programs across the United States.

This event helped the concept of EAP’s spread rapidly throughout the States. Currently, there are over ten thousand Employee Assistance Programs in the United States and more abroad. As illustrated below, the dramatic growth of the EAP can also be largely accredited to employers who saw the potential EAP’s represented; not only did EAP’s represent a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining the best talent, they also help to assist with the escalating costs of health care. Consequently, the number of organizations offering assistance programs increased significantly during this period along with the range of services offered.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, alcohol and drug abuse cost the country roughly $145 million annually. Other studies have shown that between 10 and 23 percent of American workers use dangerous drugs on the job. Additionally, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that 11.9 percent of the American work force indulges in

heaving drinking, which is defined as five or more drinks on occasion on five or more days of the past thirty days (Groves 1). In recent years, the “war on drugs” has drawn much attention to substance and alcohol abuse in the workplace.

Because of this reason and other startling statistics also mentioned, many companies have started the practice of issuing involuntary referrals when troubled workers show early indicators of some type of emotional or mental problem; these indicators include: attendance issues, increased absenteeism, and erratic behavior. Whether the visits to EAP’s are voluntary or involuntary, they can save the company money and help to deter future health care costs for both the employer and employee.

According to a study done in conjunction with the federal government and Merrill Lynch & Co., EAP’s average a savings of 3 dollars for every 1 dollar spent on programs (Groves 1). Also, companies could increase their savings by as much as 13 dollars when employees are recommended to an EAP’s by management as a result of poor and erratic job performance. For this reason alone, large companies consider EAP’s to be a sound and reasonable investment. As EAP’s continue to grow, employers are trying to find a balance between rising health care costs and declining productivity. EAP’s have become a part of a growing trend in the past several decades to commercialize the practice of helping businesses increase efficiency (Chickowski 1).

Current statistics reflect employers who focus heavily on the overall cost of EAP’s will more than likely try their best to offer a low-cost EAP that is largely focused on addressing short term issues only; of course, this initiative will

help to keep the overall costs of these type of programs relatively low. On the other hand, employers who are people-oriented have a tendency to look for an EAP program that is more comprehensive in nature; these programs may include legal and financial services, information resources, and child and family solutions.

Although the utilization rate for EAP services is anywhere between 5 and 10 percent, these programs can have a considerable impact on a company’s bottom line. The results are mostly measured by a decline in absenteeism and productivity levels before and after the implementation of the program. Overall, the main goal of an effective Employee Assistance Program is to reduce the impact that social or psychological problems have on employees and thereby reducing the negative financial impact that those same problems could have on the company. Effectiveness of EAP’s – Do They Really Work?

Despite all of the impressive statistics currently available regarding the positive attributes of EAP’s, some experts continue to question whether these programs really produce the results they claim. Experts also believe that many EAP’s are unable to illustrate a realistic appraisal of their value and are unable to demonstrate, in business terms, their economic benefit or the effectiveness of the services they deliver to their employer or host organization (Fitzsimons 1).

This is due in part to many of the reporting tools currently being used by EAP’s which have been described as outdated or obsolete tools and are unable to meet current business and communication demands. On the other hand, many employers do not agree with this assessment of the effectiveness of EAP’s; many employers believe EAP’s help to improve absenteeism rates and

job productivity. Also, employers like that fact that EAP’s make an attempt to encompass an employee’s overall well-being and that EAP’s have a tendency to cover a broad range of issues that traditional benefits do not cover. Regardless of naysayers and their opinions regarding the effectiveness of EAP’s, employers still contend that EAP’s have helped to reduce their costs and are still continuing to do so.

Due to the recent downturn of the U.S. economy, employers have been faced with drastic budget cuts and massive layoffs. Often times, corporate programs are among the first to be reduced in size or totally phased out in some instances. However, with workplace violence on the rise in recent years, employers argue that EAP’s are needed now more than ever. As harsh as it may seem, employers and employees stand a greater chance of being injured or murdered at work. Many workplace homicides or suicides for that matter are the direct result of violent and disgruntled employees.

Workplace violence, whether it involves threats or physical attacks, has become a growing serious crisis for employers. Experts estimate that more than 100,000 incidents of workplace violence occur annually in the United States (Marion 1). Studies also concluded that the average age of violent workplace killers is 36 years of age and firearms are the weapon of choice in these attacks. Consequently, lack of attention or ignoring this pressing issue can mean lost lives, unwanted fear and angst among employees, and wrongful death lawsuits which in most cases can bankrupt companies.

Corporations who choose to eliminate preventative programs, such as EAP’s, may think they are saving money but in most cases they are actually driving

up costs for the company. A study released by the U.S. Department of Justice concluded that more than half a million employees miss 1.8 million days of work annually due to workplace violence. These absences cost companies more than $55 million in lost wages (Marion 1). Unfortunately work place violence is just one of the many realities of this day and age, companies cannot afford to eliminate nor ignore the importance of an effective Employee Assistance Program. After all, human lives may be at stake if tell-tale warning signs are ignored or overlooked.

Importance of Employee Assistance Programs Due to the deterioration of the economy, most Americans are facing extremely stressful times right now. The increased use of EAP’s and its services is an indicator that employees realize the value of their current EAP’s and have turned to these programs for guidance and support during these rough times. Over the last twenty years, the focus of EAP’s has continued to grow as the needs of employees continue to increase or change.

Another area that EAP’s frequently deal with is critical incident intervention which includes helping workers handle deaths, suicides, hostage situation, and natural disasters (Marion 1). Employee Assistance Programs have broadened in scope way beyond their original objective. As personal and professional problems continue to impact job performance of America’s workforce, EAP’s have become a refuge to stressed and frazzled employees. Over the years, EAP’s have evolved and changed but one aspect of the program has remained the same and is considered to be vital to its success; that aspect is confidentiality. Most EAP providers emphasize the confidential nature of services rendered and in most cases will

not divulge names of EAP-assisted individuals to management. Employees who do not want to reveal a stigma might be particularly turned off at the idea of the EAP if they do not trust the confidential maintenance of their information (Reynolds 1).

If the confidentiality clause was broken or not adhered to, employees may become increasingly hesitant or totally unwilling to admit any problems due to fear of demotion and loss of current job status. If an employee is willing to admit to his or her problems and seek help or advice to address personal and professional issues, EAP’s can provide a means by which an employee can successfully address their issues and still remain an active employee with their prospective company.

Additionally, The Americans with Disabilities’ Act of 1990 had a direct effect on the expansion of services provided under the scope of EAP’s. According to the Americans with Disabilities’ Act, individuals with physical or mental im

pairments that limit one or more major life activities, are considered to have a legitimate “disability” and are therefore considered a “protected class” under this legislation. As a result, this ground breaking piece of legislation ruled that employers could no longer discriminate against employees with such employment practices as promotions, discipline, and performance appraisals. If an employer notices drastic changes in work product, excessive sick leave, inconsistent productivity, and missed deadlines with an employee due to personal problems, the individual should be referred to an employee assistance program for assistance.

Normally, an employee should be given a change to address their issues and shouldn’t be immediately terminated without given an opportunity to address their personal issue(s) or “disability”; an employee would have

grounds for a lawsuit under the American with Disabilities Act. More than likely, the lawsuit could be settled in the plaintiff’s favor and the company may be responsible for thousands and sometimes millions of dollars in lost wages, compensatory damages, and emotional distress. Even in some instances, EAP’s can help workers to avoid disciplinary action due to work performance issues that are the direct result of an underlying issue. Overall, the benefits of wellness programs are far reaching; happy, healthy employees are more productive and have an overall better perception of an employer that offers EAP services. Continued Evolution of Employee Assistance Programs

As the range of services offered with EAP’s continue to expand, so too has the role of EAP’s; employers recognize the value of this important resource to their employees. While employee needs continue to change and evolve, employers have been considering new and innovative types of services EAP providers can bring to the table. Nowadays, employers are requesting EAP’s to provide services that fall outside of their regular core functions. The tools mentioned below help employers manage human resource issues more effectively:

• Launching harassment policies
• Carrying out termination reviews
• Performing employee surveys
• Creating hiring practices
• Child Care assistance

Recent national developments--such as provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Act, new interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, recent EEOC rulings, childcare and eldercare concerns, and workplace violence--are forcing employers to take a new look at their human risk management initiatives (Oss 1). An increasing number of Americans are enrolled in some type of employer assisted wellness program. Employee Assistance Programs are predicted to significantly increase in size over the next few years. Because of this,

there has been a renewed interest among employers in wellness programs.

Due to tremendous changes occurring in corporate America, the role and scope of EAP’s must change along with it. In some instances, EAP’s are managed by employee associations; sometimes these professional groups or small businesses join forces to form an association aimed at providing counseling services as needed. In these small intimate groups, employees feel they have more in common with professionals within the group setting. People in similar or alike professions can certainly relate to some of the work-life issues they may be experiencing; also, group settings such as these help to foster a since of camaraderie, which can help aid in the group-setting recovery process. New developments in Employee Assistance Programs

Employee Assistance Programs have evolved from alcoholism abuse programs to specialized behavioral health programs. These specialized behavioral health programs have begun to offer several different types of programs; broad brush programs or single-issue programs. Broad-brush EAPs offer help to employees who are experiencing all sorts of problems. For instance, a broad-bush program may provide crisis-management services for those whose problems can be dealt with over the short term (Marion 1). One attribute of broad-brush programs is its “knack” of uncovering substance abuse issues in its early stages.

Frequently, employees who may be in the early stages of addiction may not mention their growing dependencies; instead, they express concerns about normal everyday dilemmas such as, financial troubles and marital issues. Typically it is only after talking to an understanding listener that the truth of the matter is actually exposed. For example, those marital issues that were mentioned before are actually due to a gambling problem

which is leading to financial woes. One drawback of broad-brush programs is they tend to be more expensive to employers than single-issue programs.

However, when companies start to weigh the cost of the millions of dollars they stand to lose because of absenteeism and lost productivity due to personal problems versus the cost of broad-brush programs; they feel as though in the long run these programs help employers become more efficient by reducing employee absenteeism and rising health care costs. Single-issue programs work very much like they sound; they seek to help employees who are struggling with a specific issue. Their focus and intent is very clear from the beginning and usually these programs are small and very cost effective to employers. These types of programs are very popular amongst small businesses that typically employ 500 hundred employees or less. A drawback to single-issue programs is their inability to provide any real preventative measures. Since these programs are very small and inexpensive in nature, often times, their effectiveness and techniques are often second guessed by employees.

Many times, employees become increasingly reluctant to seek out these types of programs due to negative perceptions about single-issue programs. Regardless of the type of Employee Assistance Program chosen, both forms possess the ability to address specific needs of employees. A broad-brush EAP may provide more in-depth services to employees but, this program may cost companies more in the long run. More than ever, companies are looking to reduce expenses and save money any way possible. Nevertheless, EAP’s that offer more comprehensive services tend to have a better perception amongst employees. These kind of comprehensive programs are utilized more by employees

because of this perception.

On the other hand, single-issue programs are cost effective; however, they are designed to address a specific problem. Because of this, single-issue programs can sometimes be perceived as cheap, ineffective wellness programs at times. This leads to negative overtones amongst employees in regards to the effectiveness of single-issue programs. Unfortunately, employees may become uninterested in addressing serious personal and professional issues. Conclusion

In conclusion, EAP’s have come a long way from alcohol abuse programs to sophisticated wellness programs that have helped corporations worldwide save hundreds of dollars. As the lives of American workers continue shift, change, evolve, and become more complicated, EAP’s are continuing to advance and offer new, innovative programs and services to meet the ever changing needs of employees.