how to use employee assistance program

An employee assistance program (EAP) is a benefit program provided by organisations to their employees. This program is crucial today when employees are experiencing several stressful scenarios. It is the best solution for discussing and combating work-related and personal stress.

The program offers confidentiality to protect employee rights while offering the required services. All these services under the employee assistance program offer relief from problems that affect employee productivity, thus helping employees improve their mental well-being and professional performance.

Some of the issues addressed under the employee assistance program include mental health issues, health concerns, drug addiction, financial stress, legal issues and marital problems.

Also Read: What Are The Benefits of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)?

To Support Employee Wellness

The major reason for introducing the employee assistance program (EAP) was to improve employee wellness. The EAP provides valuable resources and confidential support to employees. It includes mental health support for depression, anxiety, and emotional imbalance.

EAP also teaches techniques to combat emotional stress and provides education to identify early signs of issues. Overall, employee assistance programs provide every resource to employees that can help boost their productivity.

Also Read: 15 Mental Wellness Activities To Boost Employee Productivity

Improves the Bottom-Line Workforce

The use of employee assistance program should be available to the bottom-line or organisational workforce. It helps in improving their productivity and overall performance. Additionally, EAP also provides support for mental health issues, substance abuse, family problems, and other job-related issues.

An approved employee assistance program should be available to every organisation employee, regardless of their position. This will help organisations create a productive and supportive working environment.

In-House Employee Assistance Programs

Big organisations with large numbers of employees and the ability to afford on-site programs should use in-house employee assistance programs. These organisations need an EAP professional to implement the programs and ensure that they run smoothly.

It is a great way for employees to get support for work-related stress whenever they feel overwhelmed while working. Any employee can assess the services on-site; the EAP staff assigned especially are experts. They can help employees with issues like mental health, drug addiction, financial stress, family issues and work stress.

Also Read: Employee Welfare: Meaning, Benefits, Types and Importance

Contract or Fixed Partnership Employee Assistance Program

Another way to get employee assistance program benefits is through contract or fixed partnership services. Under this type of program, the employer partners with a third-party organisation. These vendors could be any educational institution, substance abuse recovery organisation or mental fitness coaching institute.

In this type of program, the vendor offers their services for a set fee, regardless of employee usage. That is why employers should customise the program to fit their budget and employee needs. For example, in mental health programs, employers can cover a specific number of therapy sessions per year.

Pay-Per-Use Employee Assistance Program

The next program on the list of employee assistance programs is a pay-per-use program. As its name suggests, this program allows the employer to connect with vendor service providers on a per-pay usage basis.

This program is also extremely useful for the employees to get assistance and services for mental health problems and addiction issues. Employees can book sessions with the vendor organisation EAP staff as per their comfort and talk about their issues.

This type of employee assistance program is financially easy on employers due to its reduced cost calculation. Furthermore, it fulfils its responsibilities of providing employees with the required support. Small businesses primarily use this type of employee assistance program.

Combined Employee Assistance Program

Employees constantly face pressure from looming deadlines and personal struggles. In such situations, having resources and assistance can reduce their stress and improve their overall well-being. That is why several employers choose combined employee assistance programs.

Rather than choosing between an in-house employee program and a contract employee program, it is more useful to create a blend of both. The combined employee assistance program is known to provide tailored services targeting employees' primary concerns. The program can have a positive impact while making the most of the allocated budget.

For example, if an organisation lacks the infrastructure to build an on-site fitness centre, it can partner with a third-party or local fitness centre. With available resources, the organisation can hire a mental fitness therapist or start an in-house peer support system.

Work stress has become an ingrained part of today’s workforce, negatively impacting employees. This stress ultimately leads to the deterioration of employees' well-being and reduced productivity. However, there is a list of employee benefit programs that can help employees break this cycle of stress and unproductiveness.

Some of the program's major service benefits include improved mental health, stress relief, work-life balance and increased productivity. The best way for employees to benefit from this program is to understand their needs and consult with program staff about available services.

Also Read: How To Manage Employee Health For Better Productivity?

Mental health problems are the most common factor affecting employee productivity. That is when the use of an employee assistance program (EAP) becomes crucial. The EAP provides employees with access to mental health professionals, job resources and other necessary support services.

The best way for employees to access EAP services is to inform their supervisor or HR representative. They will inform the employees about available workplace services, allowing them to access the required services without disrupting their work schedule.

By now, it is understood that employee assistance programs have great benefits for employees and organisations. With services like counselling sessions, group sessions, healthcare assistance, etc., which are available 24/7, employees can improve their well-being and overall performance immensely.

However, setting up a whole list of employee benefit programs requires funds. The cost of implementing an EAP varies from organisation to organisation. The major affecting factors are the number of employees and services provided under the program. Based on these requirements, employers can create a budget and implement EAP smoothly.

Also Read: Why Are Health and Wellness Important For Employees?

Employees are the backbone of any organisation. As employers, it is their responsibility to use employee assistance programs (EAPs) to improve their workers' well-being. By learning about different ways to use EAPs, employers can improve their employees' overall well-being.

Along with programs like EAP, organisations also provide additional benefits like group health insurance to make quality healthcare services accessible to their employees. This not only ensures employee retention but also helps organisations attract new talent.

TATA AIG offers several SME insurance plans, including group health insurance policies and other business insurance plans that offer comprehensive coverage for any labialises that may arise from running a business.

Who benefits from having an EAP in place?

Employee assistance programs benefit both employees and employers. Employees are helped to improve their performance by eliminating problems. For employers, improved employee performance helps the organisation succeed.

What is an example of an EAP?

Some examples of EAP are counselling and referral to employees for additional services for professional and personal concerns. It includes financial stress, health worries, and the care of elderly parents.

What is the impact of an employee assistance program?

The employee assistance program benefits in several ways, such as improved work-life balance, increased productivity, better mental health support, reduced absences and a stronger organisational culture.

What is the scope of employee assistance programs?

There is a lot of scope for employee assistance programs. Organisations understand the importance of employee well-being and are working to adopt EAP for their company. Under EAP, organisations can provide help for professional, health, financial, and personal issues.