Employee Counseling Services

The latest trend catching up in the corporate HR across the world is employee counseling at workplace. An employee assistance program, or EAP, is a counseling service for employees and their eligible dependents who may be experiencing personal or work place problems. Everyone has problems from time to time. Usually, we work them out. But sometimes problems persist, becoming serious enough to affect us both off and on the job. At such times, an EAP counselor may be able to help. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are plans that help identify and resolve issues facing troubled employees through short-term counseling, referrals to specialized professionals or organizations, and follow-up services. Many EAPs also train business owners and supervisors to recognize and deal with behavioral problems in the workforce. These programs are not designed to provide long-term treatment, but as Business Week noted, they do offer a safe environment where an employee can discuss problems with a counselor who then makes a confidential assessment, and if necessary, gives a referral to a mental-health professional. Indeed, business experts regard them as a potentially valuable tool in reversing declining performance among valued workers. Given these sobering statistics regarding the impact of emotional disorders on business productivity, employee assistance programs have become an increasingly popular element of total benefits packages for small and large employers alike. The EAP handles a wide range of problems. EAP Programs can generally help with all types of problems, small or large such as stress, anxiety & depression, marital, divorce & relationships, family & parenting concerns, alcohol & other drug dependencies, budget & debt problems, bereavement & other losses, child & eldercare, gambling, and work stress. Other concerns might include: legal issues, easting disorders, family violence and traumatic incidents. Other EAP Services include consultation, referrals, noon-hour seminars, and orientation sessions for employees and supervisors. An EAP counselor is someone educated, trained and experienced in helping employees and their eligible dependents solve their problems or referring them to professionals or organizations in the community who can. EAP counselors typically are experienced in dealing with problems in substance abuse, behavioral health, relationships, work place and numerous social, financial and legal situations that plague all of us at one time or another. EAP Programs a good way to get help. The EAP Counselor will help you define the issues, sort things out and develop a plan of action. This is the heart of what EAP does, helping you get in control of the situation so that it is more manageable. In some cases, the EAP will refer you to an ongoing or specialized resource. Given the sobering statistics regarding the impact of emotional disorders on business productivity, employee assistance programs have become an increasingly popular element of total benefits packages for small and large employers alike. In addition, companies have come to realize that a direct link can often be detected between employee well-being and employee productivity, and that the difference in value between happy and unhappy employees can often be quite profound. This is especially true if the troubled person is a manager or supervisor with important responsibilities. In addition, erratic behavior from one employee typically has a ripple
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effect, producing anxiety and lost efficiency in numerous other employees who have to deal with the troubled individual on a regular basis. Despite continuing technological advances, today's companies rely on their employees to improve productivity and increase the bottom line, wrote Brian W. Gill in American Printer. Therefore, the relationship between employees well-being and productivity cannot be ignored. Personal and work-related problems may manifest themselves in poor job performance, which adversely affects the firm's overall productivity. Indeed, consultants contend that few staffers are able to wholly shield their work performance from the negative residue of personal difficulties. Increased absenteeism, higher accident rates, substandard performance on previously mastered tasks, employee theft, and poor morale are just some of the symptoms that may appear if an employee is struggling to handle a problem in his or her personal or professional life. Benefits experts and businesses alike cite several important benefits associated with employee assistance programs. Business owners are, of course, concerned with the utility of an EAP as a cost-management tool. To an entrepreneur with a small business, the most important advantage associated with an EAP is likely to be its positive impact on employee productivity and its use in controlling health care costs. But according to many businesses that have adopted employee assistance programs, there are other benefits that may accrue as well. For example, companies that provide for an EAP may be viewed as more employee-supportive in the community in which they operate than will competitors for workers who do not provide such a program. In addition, employee assistance programs have been cited as an effective element in employee retention efforts designed at reducing turnover. Moreover, putting together an EAP allows business owners and managers to concentrate on their internal operations. Training of managers and other supervisory personnel (including the owner, if he or she is actively involved in supervision) is a vital component of instituting a successful EAP. Managers who have the most contact with employees will be the first line of defense in recognizing potential problems and correcting them before they reach the termination stage, stated Gill. Therefore, it is imperative that managers understand the objectives of the EAP to ensure the program's success and reduce any potential employer liability. In addition, management personnel have to be adequately instructed about what Gill termed the do's and donts of EAPs. They can refer employees to the assistance program, but no one can be forced to seek assistance. Supervisors and employees must understand that these services are strictly confidential and using them will not be cause for disciplinary action. However, being involved in an EAP service does not exempt employees from disciplinary action when company rules are violated. This is a very fine line that must be addressed in supervisory training. Many of the issues faced by EAP are due to the common supervisor pitfalls. Supervisors, working with troubled employees, are sometimes reluctant to involve the Employee Assistance Program. Using the EAP as a resource can reduce supervisor anxiety and improve productivity as well as the general work environment. Some common EAP Program supervisor pitfalls are: Overly Protective Supervisor- Sometimes supervisors think that referring someone to EAP may label the employee as a problem. The purpose of the EAP program is to help employees function better at work. The supervisor is often the first person who notices an employee with problems. Supervisors who offer the Employee Assistance Program to their workers show that they care about the well-being of their employees.
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Good Worker- Some supervisors shield employees because of past work performance. The supervisor thinks he/she could lose a good worker if a referral is made to EAP. These attitudes are unrealistic and unfair to the employee. The common goal of EAP is to retain and support good employees. Thinking its my problem and Ill handle it- Some supervisors believe it is their responsibility to handle and correct all problems in their area. Individuals with this perspective may view making an EAP contact as an admission of personal failure. This can result in a needless delay in getting an employee help. Supervisors should consider the financial cost to the company, as well as, the personal liability they undertake by supporting an impaired employee. The Time Excuse- A supervisor may hope a problem will work itself out given enough time. In the case of a temporary crisis that may be true. However, delaying a referral may increase the severity of some problems including depression, anxiety, and alcohol or drug abuse. Fear of Making a Mistake- Supervisors who are uncertain about the source of a performance problem may fail to take action. The EAP can be helpful in planning a course of action. Stereotypes- Commonly held beliefs about alcoholism and mental illnesses make supervisors reluctant to refer an employee for help. The stigma regarding these medical conditions can be overcome by education. The EAP counselors are licensed mental health practitioners and can assess the problem, make referrals as necessary and educate employees about mental health issues. Supervisors Own Problems- Supervisors may experience similar problems to those confronting employees. A supervisor with personal problems may be uncomfortable making a referral to EAP.

EAP counseling errors are also possible which will affect its effectiveness. Some common counseling errors are: dominating the counseling session, giving unnecessary or inappropriate advice, not listening, projecting personal skills, dislikes, and biases, making rash judgments, stereotypes, loss of emotional control, absence of action plan and improper follow-up. Using a single counseling style, and neglecting privacy factor. Determining the effectiveness of EAP can sometimes be a difficult task, since employee problems like family strife, substance abuse, and workplace stress are impossible to quantify. For example, an EAP provider will not be able to provide statistics to a client stating that over the previous six months, workplace stress dropped by 27 percent and family strife declined by 14 percent. In addition, the confidentiality restrictions associated with employee assistance programs place further limitations on tracking EAP use and effectiveness. A flawed EAP can be recognized by the following signs: General dissatisfaction with the program expressed by employees Only a small percentage (less than 5 percent) of eligible employees use the program Issues that prompted the initial use of the EAP are not resolved within a reasonable period of time EAP referrals indicate an unwarranted bias toward one type of care or treatment Employees view the EAP with distrust, seeing it as a possible management tool for doling out punishment or justifying termination
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EAP staff have potential conflicts of interest(for example, a staffer who is found to have financial ties to a provider to whom referrals are made)

Nevertheless, Employee Assistance Programs have been shown to provide a variety of benefits such as reduced absenteeism of workers, fewer medical claims from employees, improved work-efficiency, increased job satisfaction of staff members, fewer employee grievances etc. However, like everything else in todays economy, businesses are complex and multifaceted. There is a growing recognition, that one-on-one counseling is sometimes not enough, there are other issues faced by organizations. Issues such as team work, organizational development, and leadership skills and training, and so EAP also addresses them. As if that isnt enough for an employee assistance program to tend to, growing cutbacks and layoffs create internal stressors, not necessarily related to problems outside the workplace, but inside the workplace. As a result, EAP has become more complex as it tackles internal stressors faced inside the workplace.

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