Employee Assistance Programme

Dumb Juan

Hi,

I was wondering has anyone set up this for their employees & would you know what percentage of employees have availed of the service?

Thanks.

pedroeibar1

That does not compute. The size of the workforce is required.

Dumb Juan

Sorry for not been clear. Our own workforce is 32 and I was wondering with other people who have an EAP in place, in their experience what percentage of their employees have availed of their EAP?

Mrs OBumble

It's unlikely that most posters here will have operated EAPs in enterprises large enough to get a meaningful figure. Or that a meaningful figure could be used to budget for you, either.

Most people go years without needing EAP assistance - but if things go wrong, they might never it several times in a year.

b318isp

We have one running for about 5 years. I think 1 person (out of about 55) have used it in that time.

Dumb Juan

Thanks. I was a quoted a figure of 3 - 5% of an uptake. So I was just trying to establish if that was reasonable.

_Brian

EAP - Company I worked in it was a HR person who was assigned to help an employee in any HR cases between company and the employee. It rotated through the HR people to represent the employee and those who would represent the company.

The joke was as managers we would sit with both the EAP and the HR person representing the company and decide up front where the disciplinary case would be moving - the EAP's job was to bring the employee along with the plan.

pedroeibar1

I'm not a fan, and certainly not of putting one in place for a small co. If an employee needs assistance s/he gets it from HR with inpt from the line manager, but putting a 'plan' in place seems like a box-ticker, and a bit to 'cuddly'. Next they would be looking for life coaches!

mikemac1

I thought EAP was a helpline the employee can ring in confidence.

It can be run by the health insurers or maybe some private company.

I'm reading this thread and the OP wants numbers so that's not confidental or either is meetings with managers.

whatismyname

mikemac1 wrote: »

I thought EAP was a helpline the employee can ring in confidence.

It can be run by the health insurers or maybe some private company.

I'm reading this thread and the OP wants numbers so that's not confidental or either is meetings with managers.

I also though of it in terms of a phone line. That's how I knew it with previous employer. And did also wonder re the confidentiality aspect.

Dumb Juan

It is a phone line which is provided by a supplier outside of the company. The service is confidential and covers financial, legal, relationship & personal counselling.
It is confidential unless the person pose a grave risk to himself & others then a specified person is contacted.

pedroeibar1

mikemac1 wrote: »

I thought EAP was a helpline the employee can ring in confidence.

It can be run by the health insurers or maybe some private company.

I'm reading this thread and the OP wants numbers so that's not confidental or either is meetings with managers.

It would have been more helpful is the OP disclosed more at the outset. Large companies tend to have more hands-on programs that are run in conjunction with in-house HR cooperation. Smaller companies – if they even have an EAP - outsource it. As I said earlier I'm not a fan. If an employee has issues that impact his/her work they inevitably are medical/family/financial. Those are personal matters, are not the employer’s business and have no place in the workplace.
However, these issues do get dragged into the workplace and have an impact on the work (i.e. a drink problem) so if the employee “is worth it” s/he is helped and the problems tackled in the usual disciplinary way and then a counselling program is put in place. If that is ignored, a second warning is given and the usual procedures followed to effect a cure or an exit. Other medical /nervous problems can be handled more or less the same way with part-time hours / change of function, etc. where possible. Financial issues can be outsourced to MABS or an external accountant.
Life as an employer/business manager is difficult enough without taking on the issues of problem employees. We should not have to be wetnurses!

Duckett

EAP programs certainly have a role in large organisations 300+. Staff have many issues from financial, health, stress etc and HR does not need to be involved but can enable access for staff to suitable outside providers. It is simply responsible staff support and yes - it does come at a price. I am sure the providers can give you the usage data.