The theme for this month came from a real-world situation that brought home the value of an easily overlooked benefit—employee assistance programs. In fact, I’ve overlooked mentioning EAPs in this column even though management of our EAP service at Mutual of Omaha is one of my responsibilities.
It’s easy to think of EAP services in the traditional way. For years, EAPs have provided eligible employees and their dependents services related to personal and family issues as well as drug and alcohol abuse. The EAP menu of services can include 24/7 telephone access to EAP professionals, web toolkits, print and online resource materials, face-to-face visits with a counselor, translation services, grief counseling, and many other services.
But in today’s world, EAP services have evolved. For one thing, the value of EAP services is amplified whenever there is a traumatic event. Recent events in Boston and West/Waco, Texas caused all of us to think of other events like 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing and so on.
In the EAP world, much more than usual, traumatic events prompt people to look for resources to help cope with stress and worry. Providing tools and services to help is part of the mission of the EAP area, so we immediately placed some resources on the front page of our EAP customer web site and sent information to our sales offices, especially those in Boston and Texas, so they could alert brokers.
Examples include community websites for the local area, Red Cross services and other external resources. EAPs provide tips on coping, preparing a family for disaster, and techniques to help employees build personal resiliency.
Employers and brokers also know EAP services can help keep employees more engaged and productive. Providing employees with resources that reduce stress will directly reduce presenteeism and the lost time it represents. EAP services can also help employees avoid the need for going out on disability due to mental and nervous system issues.
I’ve been impressed with my own EAP team finding new solutions for new situations that have snuck up.Recently, our EAP team has helped customers with dealing with everything from natural disasters to pre-college financial planning services to dealing with layoffs.
Whatever the situation that stresses or depresses employees and their families—don’t overlook EAPs and the valuable role they provide.
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