Helpdesk for Humans

What do you think is the top issue that employee assistance programs (EAPs) help people with year after year? Not surprisingly, it’s relationships. Marriage, divorce, hookups and breakups, raising kids, and dealing with aging parents—these are just a few of the concerns employees struggle with every day. And like it or not, they bring those problems to work. That’s why, since the 1970s, companies have increasingly made EAPs available to employees.

Designed to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism by helping employees resolve problems before they affect their work, EAPs are estimated to offer a return on investment of between $2 and $8 for every $1 spent. Starting out as a way to help employees with alcohol abuse problems, EAPs have evolved to address a range of personal and workplace issues, including drug and gambling addictions, mental health problems, adoption, stress, grief, interoffice conflicts, child care, bankruptcy, and other legal and financial worries.

What’s covered by an EAP and how help is offered varies. We talked with several local providers and found that EAPs are far from the one-size-fits-all program employers and employees often believe them to be.

EAP 101

With the struggling economy and bankruptcies and foreclosures on the rise, EAP providers are seeing increased usage in the last couple of years. Typical annual utilization rates run between 3 percent and 6 percent of those enrolled in the EAP, not counting Web-based services. Women use EAPs more often than men, and health care workers are more likely users than those in other industries. The reason, some surveys suggest, is that women are more comfortable talking about their problems than men, and health care workers understand and utilize the services available to them better than others do.

Accessing EAP services starts with a phone call to the provider, which is often the firm that handles a company’s health benefits. Some providers include EAP services in health benefit packages, and others treat them as an add-on service. EAP providers always offer some mechanism for making employees aware of the services, such as mailings and workshops. Many providers also offer customizable services that include additional types of care or more frequent access.