FREE ESSAY ON EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The Effect of Employee Assistance Programs 
At the Workplace
Throughout the business world, one of the largest problems individual businesses face is
the use of illegal drugs and alcohol. These substances greatly affect the business and
workplace environments for many individuals. Employee assistance programs were created to
help deal with augmenting substance abuse problems. Employee assistance programs enable a
companies and its workers to detect if a co-worker is having problems and aids in helping
them to overcome their problems by giving them advice or suggesting counseling. Critics
have noticed some problems with this program. One problem is the lack of confidentiality
and the fact that co-workers and bosses are afraid to confront their workers. In order
for companies to minimize their loss of money, and for employees to stop ruining their
lives and the lives around them, the employee assistance program is a necessity.
Appropriate prevention and intervention efforts with employee assistance programs will
save companies from losing experienced employees, and save employees from failure and
even death. 
The most tremendous problems that companies are facing in the Nineties are the abuse of
drugs and alcohol. Alcoholism is defined as a chronic, progressive, and fatal disease.
The American Medical Association has recognized alcoholism as a disease since 1956
(Scanlon 9). An alcoholic is identified as having a severe dependency, or addiction, and
a cumulative pattern of behaviors associated with drinking. Alcoholism is apparent when
someone is frequently drunk, having marriage problems, driving while intoxicated, getting
fired, or being arrested (Drug Abuse). A significant difference between being an
alcoholic and a drug addict is that drugs, no matter what the age of the user, are
illegal. 
Drug abuse is defined as the use of a drug for a purpose other than for its possible
intended medical purpose, which causes a person to be impaired physically, emotionally,
and socially. In both cases people use these substances as a way to escape from their
problems, and as a way of postponing upcoming problems in their lives (Scanlon 10).
Substance abuse is the misuse of any substance leading to a loss of control over mind and
body. 
Employee assistance programs were founded in 1971, and 
they: 
"Have been working to develop and maintain the 
best possible workplace relationships… EAP members follow professional standards
and a strict code of ethics, which includes a firm commitment to protect and uphold
confidentiality" (Dickman 7). 
Employee assistance programs (EAP) are designed to assist in finding and to aid in
solving productivity problems associated with employees impaired by alcohol, drugs and
any other problems that affect the employees job performance. The cost ranges from $12 to
$35 per employee for an EAP program. Businesses investing in an EAP rather than an
insurance policy save anywhere from $5 to $16 per employee (Goldberg 1). This proves to
be considerably cheaper for a company that will greatly benefit from the use of this
program. 
Loss of productivity within a company is the major cause of businesses starting to
implement employee assistance programs. Companies loose billions of dollars due to
substance abuse. The economic cost placed on society from alcohol and drug abuse was
estimated at $246 billion in 1992 and $276.3 billion in 1995. Total loss of potential
productivity resulting from long term residential treatment of alcohol and drug abusers
was $2.233 billion. Clients with primary drug problems cost $694 million. Clients with
alcohol problems cost $577 million, while cross-addicted (Drugs and alcohol) clients cost
$962 million. Sixty percent of these costs are attributed to losses in the workplace,
which is approximately $82 billion in lost potential productivity (Economic). It is known
that seventy percent of people that do drugs have a job (Gerhart 46). 
The level of stress attained in a certain occupation and prevalence of drugs are directly
related to each other. The more stress a job causes to its workers the higher the chance
those workers have of becoming substance abusers. The fact that work stress promotes
heavy and problematic alcohol use is widely accepted (Cooper 260). Five to eight percent
of all workers abuse alcohol. Absenteeism is sixteen times greater with people that have
substance abuse problems than with attending normal employees. Substance abusers also use
three times as many sick benefits, and are five times as likely to file a worker's
compensation claim (Goldberg 1). 
One out of every ten workers in the United States abuses alcohol or drugs (Substance
Abuse). Statistics such as this both directly and indirectly affect the lives of people
everyday. How does a boss or co-worker know if someone is having a problem with a
substance and if it is affecting his or her performance at the workplace? Various signs
are apparent in these situations. Some indications of substance abuse may be: increased
absenteeism and tardiness, especially on Mondays and Fridays, frequent unreported
emergencies or accidents, frequent sickness, depressed or anxious attitudes, overreaction
to criticism, fatigue, and missing deadlines (HR Focus). To handle this problem in the
most effective manner it must be dealt with promptly. 
Employee assistance programs have invaluable programs that benefit its business
clientele. The overall recovery rates in businesses that have instituted these programs
are about fifty to eighty-five percent says King, who is a credited researcher and writer
on the topic of substance abuse in the workplace (16). Sixty-two percent of surveyed
employers offered EAP services to their employees (Miller 7). These statistics are
increasingly high due to the wide range of services that are offered. Some of these
services are employee education (on-site and off-site), individual and organizational
assessment, Alcoholics Anonymous, counseling, and referrals to treatment. EAP's also
train supervisors and management for early detection of substance abuse problems (Beason
C1). Employee assistance programs result in happier and safer employees, decreased
insurance costs, better performance, larger profits, fewer accidents, and an overall
increased productivity. 
The majority of businesses care for their employees and want to make sure that they get
through their difficult times. Ninety percent of companies encourage the members of their
staff with drinking problems to seek help, and half of the employers allow time off for
rehabilitation (Cooper 262). However, other discrepancies are found with drug abusers.
Approximately one-third of all companies fire anyone that is found using illegal drugs.
The companies encourage counseling, but at a lower percentage of eighty-one percent, and
forty percent allow time off for rehabilitation (Gerhart 49). The companies get a five
percent discount from the Department of Labor and Industries, on workplace compensation
premiums for having a "drug free workplace" (Beason C1). 
One of the major problems found in employee assistance programs is confrontation. If an
employee or manager detects substance abuse or knows about a problem that another worker
is having, confrontation rarely occurs. The supervisors are reluctant to monitor and
intervene with alcohol related behaviors. They usually tend to cover up the misuse of a
substance rather than to acknowledge its existence (Maynard 11). How are people supposed
to get better? How is the company supposed to grow stronger if problems aren't taken care
of? Yes, EAP does work, but for the program to work the management and supervisors must
detect and report problems with their workers. People who tend to be afraid of the
confrontation believe alcohol testing is a good approach to dealing with the problem.
However some of these tests, such as the urine test, do not tell or show whether there is
alcohol-induced impairment, or if alcohol was used in the workplace (Hartwell 27).
Another way to prohibit substance abuse in the workplace is to enact anti-drug and
anti-alcohol policies. These policies should take a clear stand against the use or
distribution of substances in the workplace. They should also explain the penalty for
going against the rules (HR Focus). 
An even larger problem with employee assistance programs is confidentiality. EAP's have
their clients sign forms stating that everything shared during counseling will remain
confidential, except in cases where potential harm may be inflicted upon the client or
others. This poses a potential problem. In most substance abuse cases the employee, could
harm himself or herself or someone else, whether the harm is done directly or indirectly,
due to the potentiality of this problem people are losing their jobs says Beason, a
reporter for the "The Seattle Times". Many people hear about these cases and don't trust
their counselors or the employee assistance program. The clients talking about their
problems add to their chance of losing their job. As stated in a business magazine, a
worker was caught abusing drugs by his employer. His employer sent him to an employee
assistance counselor for help instead of firing him. The employee told the counselor that
he got cited for driving while intoxicated. The employee was later fired (Beason C1).
Most workers that recognize their substance abuse problems will not even bother getting
help due to the fear of losing their job and pride. 
Employee assistance programs are without a doubt the most effective way for companies to
deal with decreased productivity and substance abuse problems affecting their invaluable
employees. Ignoring the problem of substance abuse in the workplace can cost companies
substantial amounts of money and possibly their employee's life. The high recovery rates
from these programs prove their effectiveness. This program is based on the belief that
these problems can be successfully resolved if the employee is willing to seek help and
pursue counseling. In the end, the result of using employee assistance programs, help to
enhance the work climate assist employees with personal problems that affect their job
performance. 
Bibliography
Beason, Tyrone. "The Quick Fix." The Seattle Times 22 Dec.
1997: C1.
Cooper, Lynn M. "Work Stress and Alcohol Effects."
Journal of Health and Social Behavior Sept. 1990, 260-263.
Dickman, Fred ed. Employee Assistance Programs. Springfield 
Illinois: Charles Thomas, 1988.
"Drug Abuse Self Assessment Survey." 23 April 1999.
Gerhart, Clifford. "Fighting Substance Abuse on the Job." 
Alaska Business Monthly Aug. 1996:46-50.
Goldberg, Carol. "High Price of Addiction." LI Business
News April 1998:1.
Hartwell, Tyler D. "Workplace Alcohol-Testing Programs."
Monthly Labor Review June 1998:27-28. 
King, Phyllis A. "Alcohol in the Workplace." Supervision 59
(1998): 16-18.
Maynard, Roberta. "Handling Drug Problem on the Front 
Line." Nation's Business Aug. 1997: 11.
Miller, Andy. "Employee Assistance Programs." The Atlanta
Journal and Constitution 30 Aug. 1998: 7. 
Scanlon, Walter F. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in the
Workplace. New York: Praeger, 1986.
"Substance Abuse in the Workplace." 23 April 1998. 
"Substances in the Workplace." HR Focus Feb. 1997:1-3.
"The Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the United
States." National Institute on Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
23 April 1999.