Improving Utilization of Eap's

Employee Assistance Programs

Employee's mental and physical wellbeing is an important factor if a company wants to be successful and enjoy annual growth and profits, but there are many factors that can distract an employee from performing their duties to the best of their abilities. Many employees suffer from problems such as alcoholism, drug use and rehabilitation, depression, financial and family issues as well as many other others that can affect their behavior and performance on the job. Corporations recognize this threat and have implemented Employee Assistance Programs (EAP's) into their organization to help their employees deal with personal problems to get them back into better health. These programs are set up to be a confidential place to turn if an employee needs someone to turn to if they need help with a situation that they cannot solve themselves. Although as of 1990, fully 80% of Fortune 500 companies had some type of EAP set up, utilization of these programs were low. In order for an EAP to be affective, management has to present the benefits of these programs to employees' more efficiently.

Harding Company

Although Harding Company is a successful, well-run company, their utilization of their company's EAP is extremely low. According to Judy Greenwald, a company that runs a successful EAP should have an involvement of some sorts in the program from 4%-8% of the company. However, only 2% of Harding Company's employees use their EAP and the company wants to know why. The three primary reasons that employees sited as reasons for the low participation was the following: lack of understanding of how the program worked, fear of breach of confidentially, and the denial that there was any problems to discuss in the first place. It is important that Harding boost the usage because the EAP will enhancement of employees' health and well-being as well as cost savings for company. For this to happen, Harding will have to implement some new approaches to reach their employees.

Gaining Awareness and Promotion of Harding's EAP

By generating more awareness of the Employee Assistance Program, Harding will in turn see happier, healthier employees and will reduce absentee workers. By running a successful EAP, managers and employees will be able to deal with their problems faster and more efficiently without taking time and money away from the company for mental and physical health. For example, a study conducted by the University of Michigan, results showed that the University saved more than $65,000 over a five year period alone just from the improvement of retention rates and sick days. It went on to conclude that the employees who took advantage and used the company's Employee Assistance Programs took less sick leave and stayed with the work force for longer periods then the overall company staff. Because Harding's employees are prone to working long hours and 6-7 days a week, improving communication to employees of these programs would improve morale greatly. I believe the rate of missed shifts due to sickness would be reduced and if employees are more comfortable with themselves and their personal problems, they would be less likely to escape out of the loading dock and screen phone calls from work to avoid working more.

Harding needs to communicate this EAP and its benefits to its employees by showing how it can help. If employees are more educated on the programs they would be more inclined to use it. As expert Carrie Reuter puts it, "the most important thing for the employee to know is that they can utilize the program for a wide variety of issues, not just critical issues, but life balancing issues." In Mazloff's findings, she wrote that the majority of Harding's employees were aware of the programs; they did not understand their overall function . Many of employees felt that if they were sent to an EAP it would be a form of punishment for behavior detrimental to their job and it was an alternative to being terminated. Others felt that the programs were put together help employees with more serious issues such as drug and alcohol dependencies and not on marital or financial binds so they would not consider the program. Still others would not turn to the company's EAP because they felt that although it was advertised to be completely confidential, it was not and it would surface that they used this program when chances for a promotion were brought up. Harding needs to clear up all gray areas and work on presenting this program better.

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