What is an EAP? - Employee Assistance Program

It is now law that companies address mental and physical health in the workplace and comply with current employment legislation. In 2001 we saw a 12 fold increase in compensation claims; the main reason for the increase being due to the fact that we now live in a claims and compensation environment. So unless you run a very tight ship you could be party to an expensive compensation claim. Ask yourself -“Do you have systems in place to identify stress in the workplace” or bullying etc, as often these go un-noticed and the consequences are extreme to say the least.

Hatton v Sutherland [2002] - The Court of Appeal said “An employer who offers a confidential advice service, with referral to appropriate counselling or treatment services, is unlikely to be found in breach of duty” (to safeguard their employees' health)

EAP’s originated in the USA some decades ago and are now growing in number in the UK with more and more companies offering this important employee benefit.

How will it help employers?

An EAP is a tool which helps your company manage its most valuable asset; its staff. An EAP gives your staff access to a 24 hour telephone based counselling service to deal with work related or personal issues 365 days a year, 7 days a week. An EAP not only ensures that staff have access to support at the right time; it can also improve staff performance, reduce absence and reduce costs due to stress.

An EAP also benefits your managers and supervisory staff through access to coaching and assistance in the areas of employee relations and other management concerns, as well as how to identify stress.

What’s it cost

Don’t forget that in order to meet your duty of care, you must include every member of staff on the EAP.

For the staff

The telephone based service gives your staff and their dependants a sense of wellbeing that their employer cares about them by providing support not just on work issues but on everyday troubles, furthermore with the added burden of the credit crunch this could prove just the tonic for your staff.

If the company wish to role the package out to the staff, promotional leaflets are provided and awareness days can be arranged to explain the benefits of this service.

Reporting

When sufficient numbers of staff are included within an EAP, a quarterly report is provided to the employer showing the utilisation. The report will show the number of calls in each category, providing useful information as it can often identify trends within the organisation before they become out of control.

Not convinced - then read on

• 12.8 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2003/2004 according to figures from the Health and Safety Executive and Office of National Statistics.
• EAP programmes aim to reduce employee absence and contribute to effective attendance management, improve productivity and staff morale.
• The cost of an EAP for your staff is tiny; the consequences of not having an EAP can be significant.
• Protect yourself against stress-related personal injury claims.
• Aiding recruitment and retention.
• It provides vital expert support and guidance for your managers and supervisors to help them manage problems more effectively.
• It dovetails with your HR function to manage work-place conflicts effectively.

For further information, e mail:- sales@healthwisegroup.co.uk or call us on 01384-456-345