An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) can be an invaluable support to employees in times of stress brought on by work or personal pressures. According to the HSE (Health & Safety Executive), 5 million employees suffer work related stress at a level they believe is making them ill. However, by tackling the causes of stress, EAPs have been found to reduce rates of absence and improve productivity and efficiency.
EAPs also provide an important aspect of duty of care to assist in addressing and managing issues that affect an employee’s wellbeing and effectiveness in the workplace. It is also worth emphasising the role they can play in supporting an employer’s risk management policies in the case of stress related litigation.
Focus EAP can offer independent, confidential and experienced advice on a wide range of problems, including:
- Work and performance issues
- Business and personal relationships
- Stress, anxiety and depression
- Emotional difficulties
- Alcohol and drug misuse
- Legal and financial pressures
- Family
- Healthcare
- Bereavement
- Consumer matters
Our EAP services can include a 24-hour, 365-day freephone employee helpline service operated by professionally trained counsellors, referral for face-to-face short-term counselling and/or specialist and full case management. Working closely with an organisation’s human resources or occupational health personnel, we provide a full presentation of the programme to employees, continuous account management and statistical reporting and review procedures. We identify trends and issues and offer consultancy and support for managers.
An EAP is an ideal strategic element in promoting best practice employee management, which can be applied with equal benefit in all kinds of organisations and across varied sizes and categories of workforce.