Employees Assistance Programs Offer Personal One's Eap Employers

Many large employers offer "employee assistance programs" (EAP) as part of their "benefits package" (all the things given to employees in addition to money, such as insurance, vacation days, and company-owned cars). EAPs are supposed to help employees "deal with" (handle; manage) personal problems that, if left untreated, might begin to affect their health and/or work performance.

EAPs first appeared in the 1960s and 1970s, mostly focusing on helping employees deal with "alcohol abuse" (not being able to stop or control one's drinking of alcoholic beverages), but now they offer assistance in many areas. For example, EAP programs can offer assistance for "substance abuse" (overuse of alcohol and illegal drugs), stress, healthcare concerns, relationship "counseling" (professional advice about personal issues), "office conflicts" (arguments and poor relationships with one's co-workers), financial concerns, "tax filing" (submitting tax documents to the federal government once a year), and more. EAP programs can usually put individuals in touch with financial advisors, "attorneys" (lawyers), medical specialists, travel agents, and more.

In a typical EAP program, employees can call one or more telephone numbers for a "confidential" (without having one's personal information be shared with others) "consultation" (a period of time to ask questions and receive information). Based on that consultation, they might be directed to online "resources" (information and materials), or they might receive a "referral" (a recommendation and authorization to see someone) a professional or specialist.

Employers appreciate EAPs, because they believe that providing this service to employees helps to reduce medical costs and "absenteeism" (days when people do not come to work), and increase "productivity" (the amount and quality of work obtained from one person or machine).