When human resources professionals lose sleep at night, it’soften over employees’ everyday personal problems: family andmarital, stress and depression, child and elder care, and financialand legal issues that occupy a great deal of their employees’ timeand energy both on and off the job.

“Our company’s success is directly related to our employees.It’s my goal to provide the tools our employees need to fulfilltheir personal lives,” says Aimee Comer, Director of HumanResources for Robins & Morton, one of the country’s top medicalcontractors.

Anywhere from 65 to 85 percent of all employee terminations aredue to personal and interpersonal factors, according to theEmployee Assistance Report released in 2001. A survey of 800,000workers in more than 300 companies by the American Stress Instituteshowed that a large number of employees had called in sick due tostress. The National Mental Health Association estimates thatdepression cost companies in 2000 $43.7 billion in decreasedproductivity, lost workdays and healthcare costs.

“It is a common fact, and has been my observation, thatstressed, worried employees are unproductive,” says John C.Thompson, vice president and director-human resources, of EBSCOIndustries Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in theUnited States. “Their moods and issues, in many cases, carry overto coworkers which can have a profound negative effect on entiredepartments. Having a good, responsive employee assistance programis essential in today’s work environment.”

An EAP that addresses employees’ personal issues has proven tobe an effective tool in maintaining productivity. According to theEmployee Assistance Program Association, proper utilization of anEAP can result in reductions of 30 percent in lost time, 69 percentin accident and sick pay, 50 percent in grievances and 70 percentin accidents.

Employees that are emotionally well don't use as many medicalbenefits. Benefits Selling reported in April 2008 that 35percent of benefit brokers listed EAPs as a current solution toimprove the cost and quality of the medical benefits theyoffered.In addition, a study by McDonell Douglas shows thatcompanies save $4 for every dollar invested in an EAP.

An EAP is instrumental in addressing other human resourcesissues as well. An EAP can act as a preventive measure againstworkplace violence, which, according to the Bureau of LaborStatistics, accounted for 13 percent of fatal occupational injuriesin 2006, and is consistently among the top four causes of workplacefatalities in the United States.

EAPs also can provide assistance in developing organizationpolicies that address employee discipline or termination, sexualharassment, discrimination and other legal issues. In 2007, theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission received 12,510 charges ofsexual harassment and recovered $49.9 million in monetaryrestitution.

How to evaluate EAPs

Not all employee assistance programs are created equal.Web-based EAP services can provide good educational opportunities,but are no substitute for the face-to-face, personalized servicesavailable through a comprehensive employee assistance program.

A high-quality program should always employ knowledgeable,licensed clinicians trained to assess and provide neededservices. There should be both Certified Employee AssistanceProfessionals and Substance Abuse Professionals on staff as well asproviders who specialize in child, adolescent, family, marital andsubstance abuse issues.

Also of prime importance is the ability to properly managemandatory or supervisory referrals in a way that quickly moves thetroubled employee back to productivity. Employees withpersonal problems and/or problem employees will have a properavenue for resolving issues that can be very disruptive in theworkplace, freeing managers and supervisors of the directresponsibility of the documentation needed for compliance with adisciplinary action.

Perhaps most importantly, with the escalation of workplaceviolence, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing has become afrequently requested service provided by EAPs. Whenadministered promptly by professionally trained and experiencedclinicians, this EAP service helps to mitigate the impact of theincident and assists the organization in the recovery of itsaffected employees.

In the best EAPs, the staff will not only learn the clientcompany’s policies and procedures and apply them consistently inmanaging employee problems, but they will also learn the companyculture and dynamics, and in doing so, develop a natural, close,and long-lasting relationship with the employer — being a keyplayer in keeping their client’s employees productive while keepingthe business profitable.

“Our EAP program is staffed with dedicated professionals who arewell-trained and eager to help our employees in need of counselingfor depression, stress, drug and/or alcohol addiction, marriagerelationships, and other issues,” Thompson says. “It has been amost welcome benefit and one that is most appreciated by thoseemployees who have taken advantage of these services.”

A good EAP provider recognizes that it essentially has twoclients: the employer who pays for the program, and employees thatthe EAP serves.

“Our EAP provider helps our employees and their families to findsolutions to life’s challenges,” Comer says. “They bring aproactive attitude and attention to detail to help the people ofRobins & Morton navigate financial, health, and stress-relatedissues, while providing solutions that allow them reach theirpersonal potential.”