Home > Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior > Employee Assistance Programs (Eaps)

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) consists of employer-sponsored services intended to aid employees with personal problems that may adversely affect their job performance. Initially developed to address alcohol-related problems, over the last fifteen years EAPs have emerged as a common response to the problems of ALCOHOL and drug abuse in the workplace. In addition, they provide a variety of services to help employees and their families resolve health, emotional, marital, family, financial, or legal concerns.

While the exact mix of services provided depends on a number of variables, such as size and type of company, EAPs generally offer, at a minimum, confidential client counseling, problem assessment, and treatment referral. A comprehensive EAP offers

1. assessment and referral—EAPs conduct psychosocial assessments to guide decisions to refer clients to treatment and the choice among treatment alternatives
2. treatment follow-up—client follow-up and reintegration into the workplace is an essential EAP function
3. supervisor, management, and union representative training—training provides the information needed on how and when to use the program and how to best assist employees who use it
4. employee education—information on a broad range of problems and how to use the EAP.

The delivery of EAP services may take several forms, depending on such factors as the organization's size and structure. Large companies and organizations, unions, and employee groups often operate their own programs. These services are most often housed within the human resources or medical departments. Smaller organizations, or organizations with dispersed worksites may find it more advantageous to contract with an independent EAP provider located outside the company. A newer trend among small employers is the development of consortium EAP arrangements in which a number of small employers contract with an external provider to provide EAP services.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the number of EAPs grew dramatically. The Employee Assistance Professionals Association estimates that by the 1990s, 20,000 EAPs were in place in organizations throughout the United States. The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nearly 12 percent of the nonagricultural establishments they sampled offered EAP services. Further, they found that of those sampled, the probability of an establishment offering EAP services increased as a function of establishment size, ranging from 79 percent of employers with over 250 employees, to 9 percent of employers with fewer than 50 employees.

Rapid growth in the number of EAP progams has led to heightened scrutiny concerning their cost effectiveness; in the current economic climate, EAP programs will experience increased pressure to conduct evaluation studies that provide empirical evidence of their efficacy. More research is needed to identify and improve the most essential program components and to aid in tailoring programs to fit specific needs.

Costs incurred in providing EAP services vary widely, but their presence has been clearly tied to overall savings in a number of areas. For example, the McDonnell Douglas Corporation of St. Louis found that employees utilizing their EAP services betwen 1985 and 1988 for an initial assessment before being referred to treatment had 44 percent fewer lost work days, 81 percent lower termination rates, and lower total four-year medical claims per person than employees seeking treatment for chemical dependence without first consulting the EAP.

For many companies, the approach taken to minimize the impact of drugs in the workplace incorporates a number of additional elements that complement EAPs and constitute a comprehensive strategy. These include a clearly stated formal policy prohibiting drug use, consequences for violating the policy, and alternative strategies to deter drug use.

The Employee Assistance Professionals Association may be consulted for further information: Suite 1001, 4601 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203.