WHY
DOES YOUR COMPANY NEED AN EMPLOYEE
ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM?
Alcoholism, drug abuse, stress, divorce, mental illness,
bankruptcy, grief, suicide...these are familiar terms, but somehow, meaningless
unless it happens to us or someone close to us.
And yet, the chances that any individual can navigate life from birth to
death without facing serious personal problems are virtually zeroed.
If it were possible to ensure that individual productivity was unaffected
by personal situations, there would be no need for employee assistance programs.
However, the simple fact is that problems affect people, and people
affect productivity. As an example, this translates into: *70% of those who
reported using drugs are employed.
10 million employed people are current users of
illicit drugs.
Despite ambiguity on what constitutes cost
effectiveness, it is clear from various company results that employee assistance
programs more than pay for themselves. Subjectively,
there is no way to place a monetary value on a job saved, a family put back
together, the gratitude of the employee helped, or avoiding the loss of a life.
These are not part of any annual report, but they are a very real and satisfying
return from loss to an organization. Managed
properly, employee assistance or services will prove to be a positive influence
on labor-management relationships, employee turnover, productivity and the sense
of identity between employee and employer.
The employee assistance program is offered as a
service for the employee and his or her family and implemented properly will
offer the employee opportunity to address and or resolve the situation prior to
this becoming your business problem! However
should the problem continue (or was not addressed) and performance issues
surface on the job, a knowledgeable supervisor will see the employee assistance
program as a management
tool, thereby referring the employee for assistance while holding them
accountable for attendance and performance issues.
How Is EAP Implemented?