What Are Your Employees Bringing To Work?
By Cheryl EvanAccording to Charlie Brown, the famous cartoon character, "In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back." Wouldn't that be great if they were? If we could just pull a book off the shelf, turn to the back, and know exactly what to do in any situation?
Every day, we are confronted with questions, obstacles and situations that demand our response - our "answer," as it were. Sometimes we are prepared and capable of providing an answer, or at least giving it a good try but at other times we find ourselves unprepared or overwhelmed - needing direction, help, looking for the answer - but not sure where to turn. It is at these times that the Employee Assistance Plan offered by Family Service of the Chautauqua Region can prove to be an invaluable resource.
Let's take a look at what an EAP is and how it works. In today's society, most employers provide some form of benefit package to their employees. The package may include 401k, life insurance, flex spending plans, and probably most importantly, some form of health insurance.
It's easy to recognize the importance of maintaining our physical health, and we can clearly see the outward effects poor health creates. Without good health, we are unable to function well at home or at work. Just as health insurance provides a necessary safety net for our physical well-being, an EAP provides a similar safety net for our mental and emotional well-being.
Studies show that 90 percent of all work performance issues are related to personal problems. Whether the problem is caused by stress, workplace conflict, strained relationships, or drug, alcohol, or financial concerns, you can be sure that job performance will be affected.
Whatever the source, the result is predictable: unplanned absence, work distraction and diminished productivity. As most employers would agree, their company's most important resource is their people. Without them, their company would not be able to function.
When employees, however, experience life stressors, their job performance and productivity are inevitably impacted. For a business to run at its best, each employee must be in top working condition - physically, mentally and emotionally. When even one employee experiences work performance problems, it can affect co-workers, overall productivity and, eventually, the bottom line of the company.
Sometimes the stress is caused by a strained relationship at home with a spouse or a child. Communication may have come to a standstill, or worse yet, is at a toxic level. In today's economy, financial concerns can also create a burden that many are unable to carry. Sometimes it's a legal issue the employee encounters that they don't know how to handle.
By providing counseling for marital, family, financial, alcohol and drug, legal, and other concerns, Family Service of the Chautauqua Region's EAP can help people find constructive ways to manage these issues and keep their lives and careers running smoothly.
Employers who recognize the importance of maintaining this crucial balance can, for a minimal investment per employee, offer the benefits of an EAP. Such a plan is employer supported and becomes a key part of the employee benefit package. Employees and their families can access the help of professionally trained counselors, receive budget planning and legal counsel for free.
The employee's use of the plan is kept confidential, with no personal details being released to the employer. Participating employers receive a usage report regularly, but names of those employees who have used the plan are not identified.
The benefits to the employees are obvious. The invisible burdens they have been shouldering that have threatened both their well-being and their performance on the job become manageable. And these benefits transfer directly to the employer as these employees are now able to focus 100 percent on their job, improving their productivity and thus significantly improving the company's profitability.
Companies can expect to see improved morale, reduced absenteeism, improved work performance and reduced turnover. Instead of just tolerating poor performance or taking disciplinary action, supervisors can also use the EAP as third party assistance and require employees to contact their EAP to seek assistance. Once this process is initiated, the clients receive an assessment and consultation, and the counselor provides a plan of action to assist the employee in making positive changes.
Other benefits available to the employers include free professional training offered for managers and employees. These trainings are delivered on site at the company's location, and topics include team building, time management, sexual harassment, and many others that can be customized to the specific needs of each client.
Family Service of the Chautauqua County currently provides EAP services to nearly 7,000 employees and administers the EAP benefits for more than 40 companies, locally and across the country. Taking care of your employees is our business, and no company is too big or too small for an EAP.
For more information regarding an EAP, contact Cheryl Evan, EAP benefits manager at Family Service of the Chautauqua Region, at 488-1971.
