Employee Assistance Program

Employee Assistance Program is an employee benefit given by employer to employees accompanied by health insurance plan.

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This program can be used by employee and family members in managing their issues affecting their work and personal lives. It is not only benefits employees and their family but also the organization since it improves employees’ work performance thus high productivity. It is made to improve psychological health of employees helping organization staff in developing coping skills and accepting greater degree of personal responsibility.

Psychological health, productivity, healthy human resources

This program was mainly introduced for psychological health care for employees and family, productivity among employees and for healthy human resources. Employee Assistance Program supports employer by helping in management of complex employees’ situations. It helps in reducing cost of health insurance through a decreased use. The cost of Employee Assistance Program varies considerably with the typical costs of this program having not changing greatly since its invention. Employee Assistance Program is an employee benefit given by employer to employees accompanied by health insurance plan.

This program is made to help employees handle their personal problems that may have an adverse effect to their performance in work, health and their well-being. This program generally involves; evaluation, short-term counseling and employees referral services together with their family members. This program can be used by employee and family members in managing their issues affecting their work and personal lives (Kemp, 2000, p. 124). Counselors of Employee Assistance Program usually evaluate, support and if required they give referrals to additional resources.

An assistance to employees and families

This program give assistance to employees and families in various issues like; safe working environment, substance abuse, emotional distress, health care concerns, major life events, family or personal relationship issues, financial or legal concerns and work relationship issues among others. It is not only benefits employees and their family but also the organization since it improves employees’ work performance thus high productivity (Mannion, 2004, p. 74).  Employee Assistance Program is made to improve psychological health of employees.

It helps organization staff in developing coping skills and accepting greater degree of personal responsibility. Employee Assistance Program is free to employees and family members who are pre-paid by employer. In most organizations, employer contracts with third party Company to manage its Employee Assistance Program. Many organizations depend on resources from skilled dealer of specialized products to complement their services. According to privacy laws and ethical standards of professionalism, confidentiality is highly observed in this program.

Employers have no idea of who is using their Employee Assistance Program unless there are justifying situations and appropriate release forms which are already signed. In some situations, employees are advised by management to seek Employee Assistance Program help because of problems in behavior or job performance. Employee Assistance Program raises concern to people who believe that employer’s put their interest above health and well-being of their employees. Both employer and employees benefits from the program if it is properly done and with a highly qualified dealers (Bureau of National Affairs, 1998, p. 89).