What is an EAP and How does it work?

What is an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) & How Does It Work?

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are a confidential workplace service that employers pay for. An EAP helps employees deal with work-life stressors, family issues, financial concerns, relationship problems, and even drug or legal concerns. It is often available to both employees and their families to help workers remain productive at work.

How Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) Work

EAP provides outside counselors, resources, and referrals to assist employees and their family members. Any employee assistance benefits received by employees or family members remain confidential. So while the employer pays for the service, they have no insight into an employee’s specific use of the service.

Most EAPs provide a set number of counselling referral sessions, from 1-5, at no cost to the employee to fully assess the issue. The EAP does not provide for long-term counseling, but can help the employee get the ball rolling.

Commonly asked questions include:

• Is it confidential? (Yes. No employee specific information is shared with employer.)
• Do I have to pay? (No, EAP counseling and referrals are free services to the employee.)
• How do I know it is confidential? (Counselors are required to maintain confidentiality.)

If you want to speak with a counselor, please check your employer handbook or website to determine who to contact. We have contracted with many local employers and we offer convenient morning, evening, and weekend appointments to accommodate your busy schedule.

If you have any questions about how an EAP works, please give us a call at 941-681-0616 or email me at [email protected]