Employee assistance programs (EAP) help employees with personal and/or work-related problems that may impact their work, health, mental and/or emotionally well-being. While EAPs are mainly aimed at work-related problems t hey also assist employees with problems outside of the workplace.
Employers offering EAPs may result in various benefits, including reduced turnover and absenteeism and higher employee productivity. Employees who have access to an EAP Hotline, meaning there is no need to wait to seek assistance, usually fare much better. EAP’s services are free to the employee and often also to their household members having been paid by the employer.
An EAP is a voluntary, confidential program that helps employees address various life challenges that may adversely affect job performance, health, as well as personal well-being to optimize an organization’s success. Benefits include the improvement of productivity & employee engagement, improving employees’ and dependents’ abilities to successfully respond to challenges, developing employee & manager competencies in managing workplace stress, reducing workplace absenteeism & unplanned absences, supporting employees and managers during workforce restructuring, reducing workplace accidents, reducing the likelihood of workplace violence or other safety risks, supporting disaster and emergency preparedness, managing the effect of disruptive incidents, such as workplace, injury, or other crises, facilitating safe, timely, and effective return-to-work for employees short-term and extended absences, reducing healthcare costs associated with stress, depression, and other mental health issues, reducing employee turnover and related replacement costs.