With the growing recognition of the significance of overall employee well-being, most large employers (and many smaller organizations) now see an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as a core component of a workplace well-being strategy. Emotional and behavioral health are critical issues that impact both employees and employers. Stress and depression are at epidemic proportions and can impede an employee’s health, happiness, overall quality of life, and productivity at work.
Emotional and behavioral health are critical issues that impact both employees and employers. Stress and depression are at epidemic proportions and can impede an employee’s health, happiness, overall quality of life, and productivity at work.
An effective EAP provides resources and expert case management for participants and also serves the employer on an organizational level with consultative support for management. The right partner will provide strategy and direction for the organization to optimize the EAP as a workplace solution.
In the EAP purchasing process, employers often work through a benefits consultant who designs an overall health plan offering for the organization, including elements as disparate as maternity care, dental health and vision benefits for a wide range of people. Unfortunately, the EAP can sometimes be a last-minute add on that’s not fully considered or examined.
Given the potential impact on the organization and employees, evaluating the EAP is a critical step in choosing the program that will deliver the services employees need to stay healthy, happy and productive. Additionally, a strong EAP partner can be an effective tool to help manage the bottom line.
Here’s a list of questions you should ask your benefits consultant about a proposed EAP before signing on the dotted line:
1. Who answers the calls at the EAP? What is their training?
Will employees be talking to a call center employee who follows a script or a social worker who can provide in-the-moment support? The BHS call center is staffed by master’s level clinicians, people who want to support and help by their nature.
2. Does the EAP provide case managers who connect with participants to ensure their issues have been addressed?
Follow-through is critical. It ensures that the EAP services are effective and appropriate and demonstrates the value the organization places on the employees’ overall well-being. Following up provides a personal connection that is proven to deliver positive outcomes. Ideally, the master’s level clinician that initially supports the participant becomes the coordinator of care and manages the issue to resolution.
3. Does the EAP help employees achieve a healthy work/life balance?
A good EAP is designed to deal with everyday stress before it grows into a bigger problem that can impact both health and productivity. Daily stressors come in many forms, including relationship issues both on and off the job as well as financial or childcare issues. For example, how can the EAP help an employee going through a divorce?
4. What tools does the EAP provide your organization?
Beyond an employee resource, your EAP can offer management services to the organization. For example, BHS Assistance Programs include Performance Consultants that can help supervisors become better managers, sharpen their skills, and identify and understand risky employee behavior to best protect the company and help the employee.
5. What resources can the EAP offer to manage costs throughout the year?
Your EAP can be an early warning sign to a burgeoning issue in the workplace. BHS uses our data to identify trends. We bring creative solutions for improving the whole organization that can help reduce healthcare costs and improve productivity.
6. What is the reporting process?
Will you get an annual spreadsheet or a true management review that can impact the bottom line? Our program managers take the time to review key metrics and help organizations understand the effectiveness of the program.
7. Can your EAP support you in times of disaster or crisis?
Every organization is susceptible to the negative impact of a crisis or disaster. Can your EAP help your employees facing a natural disaster such as a hurricane or provide a true Crisis Incident Stress Management (CISM) plan?
8. Who will be MY contacts at the EAP?
Does the EAP provide dedicated program managers that will get to know your business and serve as an ongoing partner and resource? Just like an employee has access to care coordinators, you should be able to connect with a dedicated professional who can offer immediate assistance to the organization.
9. What does the EAP cost your organization?
While “free” can be an attractive selling point, you’ll want to be careful when choosing your EAP. Oftentimes, you get what you pay for. An add-on to your healthcare plan will likely not provide the support you want to provide to your organization, especially in times of crisis.
10. Does the EAP actually provide services, or is it an “Assess and Refer” plan?
Will the EAP truly live up to the “assistance” part of the program name and offer coaching and guidance? Or will they just refer the call?
Organizations considering an EAP that truly serves the employee and workplace should thoroughly review the answers to these questions. Asking these questions before the contract is signed can prevent major problems down the road.
Have some questions of your own? Let’s chat.
This post was updated on August 16, 2019.
Post Written by Mac Hobbs
Director, Business Development