Employee assistance programs are a common component of many organisations’ employee benefits programs. Melinda Finch reports on some of the latest trends in the area and examines how organisations can get the most out of such programs
Employee assistance programs are a common component of many organisations’ employee benefits programs. Melinda Finch reports on some of the latest trends in the area and examines how organisations can get the most out of such programs
The pressures that life and work put people under can be difficult to cope with at times, and many find it hard to manage on their own. High levels of stress often lead to burnout, depression and other mental and physical health problems. Fortunately, the ‘grin and bear it’ culture of our previous generations has made way for a more supportive cultural and corporate environment and employee assistance programs (EAPs) are helping to alleviate some of the strain. For programs with their origins in substance and alcohol abuse treatment, EAPs now cover a whole range of personal and professional issues from gambling, parenting fears and eating disorders to workplace conflict and management issues.
In fact, EAPs have gone from strength to strength in Australia. “In the 1980s the programs expanded to include psychological assistance for personal and work-related issues and were not specific to any one area,” says Pam Freeland, operations manager for OSA Group, which provides consulting services based on behavioural dynamics for more than 500 small to medium enterprises and multinational organisations. “With this change came a greater acceptance and approval of the programs,” she says.
Calling in the experts
One of the developments in EAP provisions over the last few years has been greater use of external services. Like many organisations with a diverse and sizeable workforce, the NSW Police have chosen to use an outside provider. “Up until 2001 our welfare type services were provided in-house but we made a decision at that time to outsource and use an EAP provider ... and we have been very happy with our contract and our program,” says Gary Jackel, director of health services for NSW Police.
Of course a key part of that satisfaction and success is the result of a punctilious tender process. “We were very specific in what we wanted and what we expected of the providers,” he says. “There were various services provided by a range of organisations. Some of them were ‘here are our services or here’s our model – take it or leave it’ and there was an expectation that we would fit into that model. But we had specific requirements and in our contractual specifications we were very clear to annunciate those and to ensure that the provider was able to meet those expectations.”
Over the last four years the provider has done very well, no small feat considering the force has 17,000 staff, and NSW Police have just recently renewed their contract.
All stressed out and everywhere to go
Often the most rewarding jobs are the ones that are the most challenging and it is these in particular which need a precise and professional EAP. Established during the Great Depression, the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) in Victoria is an independent organisation with strong Anglican and community links dedicated to the eradication of poverty in Australia. Its 650 strong staff include social workers and carers who can sometimes be placed in confronting or difficult circumstances during the course of their work.
BSL offers a 24/7 confidential counselling service for permanent staff and members of their immediate family. “Services can include face-to-face, telephone and after-hour emergency counselling,”says Richard Gales, HR Manager. “Issues can be work-related or personal and include emotional stress, marital problems, financial worries, poor health, anxiety, depression and grief. A management hotline is also available where managers can get instant advice on any issue.”
Geographical considerations have played a big part in the EAP development. “Apart from a centrally located office in Melbourne there are an increasing number of suburban offices alleviating the necessity to travel into the city,” Gales says. “Our EAP provider also offers an extensive training program, psychological assessments, critical incident support, health and wellness programs and mediation.”
NSW Police, which serves a population of seven million in an 801,600 square kilometre area (double the combined geographic areas of the UK), also regards their EAP provider’s reach as being a key success factor. “One of the advantages of our EAP is that they have been able to provide a state-wide service for us,”Jackel says. They also have local providers which “have been particularly well received in country areas whereas previously an internal, centralised function was really too remote from the wider part of the State.”
Even bigger geographical considerations are developing for companies and service providers. “There is demand for greater Asia Pacific regional coverage for global companies,” says Greg Power, Sales Manager at ACCESS Programs. “Australian EAP providers are being asked to have greater reach geographically. To be a successful EAP provider you need to have a global footprint,” Power says. ACCESS Programs is a not for profit organisation providing psychological support services with over 50 major clients in Australia and overseas including New Zealand and Japan.
Balance is everything
A potential pitfall for EAPs is that they can’t be used in isolation. “The building up of a mutual care and support culture within the organisation and making people aware that there is an EAP and what it is about is important,” says Power. Creating a safe, secure service for people to turn to in their least finest or darkest hours is a test for many. At BSL “it has been a challenge encouraging staff to use the program, particularly those who have no history of seeking counselling support in the past,”Gales says. Another challenge is convincing people of the complete confidentiality of the program.
These issues can sometimes be avoided by implementing compulsory EAP participation for all staff. For example, NSW Police who are working in specialist areas of the organisation who have been recognised as being high risk of psychological harm are required to participate in a quarterly one on one session with an EAP psychologist. “This monitors their well being and ensures that the specialist duties they may be exposed to are not damaging to them. This is part of their condition of employment. Everyone from the commander down to the most junior constable in these areas is required to participate in these quarterly sessions,”Jackel says.
According to Power other pitfalls can include inadequate partnering between provider and company and poor communication. Deficiencies in the roll out, the EAP being put on back burner after introduction and failure to integrate the EAP with HR services to get best value can also be potential hurdles. In order for an EAP to succeed, senior management needs to understand the role and value of the EAP. “It needs to be sold up the line by HR or the EAP provider,” Power says.
Not the be all and end all
“The EAP is not an end in itself; it forms part of our overall programs, Jackel says.” The NSW Police has a chaplaincy program with over 100 part time chaplains throughout the State. There is also a fitness program and other health-related programs. “We have an internal psychology section which provides support and medical rehabilitation services. They’re all part of that process. We have found that the EAP program has worked well for us but we have a good provider and the terms of the contract and the flexibility is there for the provider to meet our expectations.”
Benefits
In many cases the benefits speak for themselves. Organisations see a reduction in stress and workers compensation claims by early referral to the EAP and resolving of the issue, Power says. In addition, “prevention of conflict escalation, relationship breakdown and suicide, through an early intervention and prompt response model” are just some of the proactive results of an EAP.
“Some of the best aspects include the awareness of the impact of emotional and psychological distress on the workplace, not only in terms of psychological injury but also in lost productivity by those coming to work in a mildly distressed state,” Power says.
Although factors such as size, type of work, level of technology and composition of workforce all seem to vary, a key to the success of EAPs is their level of acceptability from both management and employees. Measuring usage rates and monitoring the trends is a way to check if this is on track. “We monitor the usage rates of the EAP and one of the keys for us is the feedback we get from our program,” Jackel says.
BSL also monitors the usage of its EAP via half yearly reports which break usage down by gender, location, staff or family member, broad occupational categories, referral source, types of issues and whether they are work-related or personal, Gales says. “The EAP has also provided advice and support to resolve issues and conflicts between managers and staff and the program has also been useful during periods of redundancies.”
Ultimately EAPs provide organisations with a solution to the problems that having anxious or unhappy people in the workplace can cause. Cutting corners will undermine your EAP. “EAPs are not a cheap option,”Power warns. “To provide a proper, professional service it is necessary to ensure that the fee is sufficient to enable the provider to sustain the quality that your people require. Work in partnership and don’t get stressed about the dollars.” No stress is the point after all.
Is depression hurting your bottom line?
Depression is currently considered to be the world’s greatest health problem. As a psychological disorder it is debilitating and has far-reaching effects on the individual, in the workplace, on colleagues, families and friends. In Australia more than 800,000 people are believed to suffer from a depressive illness every year. Depression will affect at least one in five people at some point in their lifetime and impacts on all age groups. However, it is most common in the 25 to 44 year old age group, with women experiencing depression twice as often as men. It is estimated that currently, over 6 million working days are lost annually because of depression. In addition, depression causes the equivalent of 12 million days of reduced productivity every year, and also has major implications for workplace safety. On average, untreated depression lasts for about 6 months, but it can persist for up to two years. Staff who are depressed typically work at 40 per cent of their capacity, and additionally take up to three to four sick days per month. Research suggests that half of all depressive episodes are undiagnosed and untreated. Translated into the workplace, this means that one employee in 40 are likely to be suffering from untreated depression at any one time.
Source: Davidson Trahaire Corpsych
