An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) refers to a confidential workplace service that helps employees deal with personal issues, family issues, financial concerns, work-life stressors, relationship problems, and even drug or legal concerns. Confidentially sharing their issues makes employees happy. In a few organizations EAP is available for both employees and their families to help employees remain productive at work.

Through an EAP, the employees have access to trained and licensed counselors. The sessions carried out are completely confidential giving employees the peace of mind that their personal information is protected.

Modes of Communication

Chatbots are a plausible solution for timid employees. Chatbots are adaptable processors that will evolve as they maintain contact with an employee. The core feature of an EAP has always been in-person counseling. In the past few years, organizations have expanded other modes of communication such as phone, video counseling, and self-directed tutorials as well. However, employees still believe in meeting face-to-face with their therapists.     

Shortly, apps will allow employees to schedule appointments without having to call the Employee Assistance Program. Tech-savvy youth would have a higher chance of using the app. Chatbots directly integrated into the app will help employees ask multiple questions that they never ask personally.

The Benefits of an Employee Assistance Program

In an EAP, an employee has access to a crisis counselor 24 hours a day via a Crisis Telephone Line (CTL) for immediate assistance. Personal problems and mental health issues can affect an employee’s performance at work. Bad attitude in the workplace causing poor customer service or poor relationships with other team members are a few outcomes of mental issues left untreated.

A trained, qualified counselor can alleviate an employee from stress, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, or any other personal problem. Opening up about issues and learning coping strategies and mechanisms can improve an employee’s performance in the workplace. A completely confidential EAP can help create satisfied, loyal, happy, and productive working environment reducing absenteeism rates and negative implication to productivity.

By looking after the physical, mental, and social well-being of the employees EAPs not only increase the productivity with less absenteeism but also makes them more loyal. Higher staff retention rates reduce the cost of hiring and training new employees.