Employee Assistance Plans

Employee Assistance Plans are one of the employee benefits offered by some companies. This type of benefit covers the cost, either totally or partially, for employees to receive advice on stress, referrals or counseling.

This type of employee benefit is designed to help employees get through issues such as substance abuse, bereavement, marital issues, confidence and general wellness issues.

Services of this type are usually not provided within house, but instead by a third-party expert. Although the company receives statistical information, employee confidentiality is absolute. Employees receive confidential professional help, usually for issues of the following nature:

Mental Health

This type of counseling helps employees and their dependants to cope with losing family members, friends or any other type of major anxiety or trauma.

Substance Abuse

Alcohol and substance abuse are problems for thousands of working people, and rehabilitation is often the more sensible option for employers in terms of cost and morale. The investment employers make to train new employees can require more expense than rehabilitation through a employee assistance plan.

Marital and family problems

The demands of working in full-time employment and keeping a family and marriage together can be demanding. Employee Assistance Plans often involve arbitration and mediation to resolve issues of this nature.

Debt management

Debt issues, Employee Assistance Plans may cover including addiction to gambling, use of credit and other financial dysfunctions.

Employee Assistance Plans

Some employers include Employee Assistance Plans as part of their health insurance plans. The Employee Assistance Professionals Association has over 100 chapters internationally, and runs an employee-assistance advocacy center.