Employee Assistance Programs

Helping Employees Reach Their Full Potential
by Laurie Wright

We all face challenges that can affect our performance at work. Sometimes our personal lives get in the way of our professional responsibilities from the death of a parent, to the end of a relationship, to the illness of a close friend or family member. For employers, the aggregation of these events across a workforce can have a damaging effect on productivity.

Consider employees who are caring for an aging parent while struggling to coordinate health services. An employee who has to spend time negotiating with healthcare providers during the workday loses valuable hours. Also, the stress of these interactions can cloud the employee’s thinking for the rest of the day. An employee who faces these kinds of challenges can be detached from their work and unable to complete their tasks. They may miss work to respond to health emergencies or even be forced to leave their job to become a full time caregiver. If left unaddressed, stressful situations like these can escalate into other problems, such as depression or substance abuse, both of which might further affect work performance and even job safety.

We all need help balancing life and work at times. It is in an employer’s best interest to foster such a balance. An employee assistance program (EAP) can help mediate these issues. An EAP is designed to help identify and resolve personal concerns that can affect an employee’s performance or conduct at work. Such programs can deliver an array of services to help employees and their families cope with life’s challenges.

According to the Dept. of Labor, every dollar an employer invests in an EAP results in a return of $5 to $16. Abbott Laboratories has reported a two to one return-on-investment due to lowered healthcare costs for employers that use an EAP. So employers who purchase EAP services are offering a cost effective benefit to their workforce.

The core services of an EAP combine to create a unique approach to addressing productivity issues and personal concerns that affect job performance. EAP core services include the following:

• Consultation for employees and managers.
• Training to help resolve behavioral or job performance problems.
• Confidential and timely problem assessment services.
• Referrals for diagnosis, treatment, and other assistance.
• Follow-up services and consultation about environmental changes in the workplace.
• Risk management, policy consultation, program promotion, and education.

Depression, stress, and substance abuse can all affect job performance and increase absenteeism, tardiness, and on-the-job accidents. A survey by the Disability Management Employer Coalition revealed that Employers that utilized an EAP found as much as a 73% improvement in productivity among employees with mental or physical problems. The study also found that absenteeism and tardiness were reduced by an average of 1.5 days.

An EAP may also lower employer expenses by helping reduce medical claims for mental health concerns. A 25-year review by Kaiser Permanente revealed that medical utilization decreased 60% after one mental health visit and assessment. An EAP may help reduce medical costs and missed workdays by getting employees the help they need through initial screening and assistance for serious mental health concerns.

Basic and enhanced EAP packages can be readily customized. Basic services typically allow for 24-hour, toll-free consultation and referral for employees; free face-to-face counseling with a conveniently located licensed provider; and extensive communications materials (both print and interactive) inform workers about the availably of an EAP. Enhanced programs may also provide workplace trauma response, employee wellness workshops, substance abuse consultations, and on-site critical incident stress debriefing services.

An EAP also offers management consultation, crisis response, and a variety of employer-focused training and support programs to help management respond to workplace situations. An EAP may be purchased independently from medical and other specialty insurance products.

In today’s uncertain times, workers increasingly confront personal challenges that cannot be easily resolved without a strong, professional, and personal support system. An EAP can help employees and their families resolve these issues before they become unmanageable, resulting in a healthy, happy and productive future.
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Laurie Wright is staff vice president EAP, Anthem Blue Cross, Behavioral Health. Blue Cross is the trade name of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association.