Stressed Employees? Who Isn’t!

It seems like every other conversation I have is around something to do with stress: workplace stress, personal stress, financial stress, legal stress, the effect of stress on productivity, the effect of stress on personal health, the effect of stress on, well, you name it.  For employers, the effects of stress on their workforce can lead to increased absenteeism and medical costs, to say the least.

I’m not a medical or psychological expert, but a few decades ago I was introduced to the concept of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  I did a bit of research on the topic to find out if – and why – employers should consider such a resource for their people. I thought EAPs were a new concept at the time, only to learn that their origins date back to the early 20^th century.

How EAPs Started

Around the early 1930s, and during a time when drinking on the job was the norm, employers began to notice the effects it had on job performance and productivity. By 1939, the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) movement had begun to spread throughout the US. This would also be the start of the EAP movement as employers began to see the effectiveness of such programs by providing their workers resources to deal with life problems, resulting in the rise of productivity. 

Why EAPs Are More Relevant Today Than Ever Before

Why employers should care about the effects of stress on employees is not only a paternalistic question but one that affects their bottom line. I don’t need to tell you that we’re experiencing one of the most stressful periods in our lifetime, both as individuals and organizations.

EAPs can vary from provider to provider, but most have common elements. Some are limited to drug and alcohol abuse, but many programs offer expanded services that address a variety of areas, including:

• Marital conflict
• Family relationships
• Grieving a loss
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Stress management
• Crisis intervention
• Childcare
• Eldercare
• Eating disorders
• Gambling addiction
• Psychological or psychiatric problems
• Financial programs
• Legal problems

Employee Assistance Programs are employer-sponsored and offered at no cost to employees. Services are often also available to employees' immediate family members and others living in their households at no additional cost. Offering an EAP can help support your recruitment and retention efforts.

Most EAPs also offer support to managers and supervisors, including advanced planning for situations such as organizational changes, as well as coaching when faced with challenges associated with employee personal issues of which they aren’t trained to handle. Another benefit of a good EAP is working with the whole organization when faced with a traumatic experience, such as the death of a co-worker.

The Good News

An EAP is one of the most, if not the most, affordable employee benefit you can offer. Prices vary from provider to provider and can range from $1.00 to $10.00 per employee per month. The more employees you have, usually the less it costs per employee. It can be beneficial to participate in a group or association that offers an EAP program to its members, helping you take advantage of a larger pool of employers which results in a lower EAP rate.

At Cascade Employers Association we partner with Canopy for high quality EAP services for our member employers. We believe you won’t find a better resource for employee wellness, safety and productivity when looking for an EAP partner. And Cascade members get to take advantage of large group pricing.

Interested in implementing an Employee Assistance Program at your organization?  Let’s talk!