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Employee assistance programs (EAPs) offer support like assessments, counseling, and referrals to employees who have personal or work-related problems. They address a variety of issues affecting mental and emotional well-being, including alcohol and substance abuse, stress, grief, and more. Most companies in the US offer EAPs, but less than 10% of employees use them. The vast majority of employees that do use their EAPs report overall satisfaction with the program.

Workplaces are communities, and employees expect connection, shared purpose, and support from their workplaces. Companies offering EAPs support their employees in ways beyond a paycheck and offer a way for employees to bring more of their whole selves to work.

Employee assistance programs are often missing financial support, though financial stress has strong associations to anxiety, depression, anger, and mental health challenges. Employee assistance funds (EAFs) are a way for companies to support their team members through financial assistance. They are typically largely funded by the company or corporate foundations, and they can also incorporate ways for employees to contribute and support one another.

There are a variety of ways that you can evaluate providers of EAPs and EAFs. Look for providers that take a philanthropic approach embedded in employee engagement and employee wellness broadly. Different companies, industries, and groups of employees have different needs, so you want a provider that will customize the program to your employees. Adaptability of programs is important, so talk to potential providers about ways employees can receive support and how they can activate in a variety of scenarios.

In this episode’s listener question, we’re asked for advice for a president elect stepping into a role where the current president has not been effective. In the news, HR Morning recently shared 3 tips for hiring events.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purple Ink
• Susan Tinder White Consulting
• ”What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?”
• ”2024 Employee Assistance Program Considerations, Statistics & Recommendations”
• Global Impact
• Email Global Impact
• ”3 Ways to Up the Ante on Your Hiring Events”
• JoyPowered® Memberships
• JoyPowered® on LinkedIn
• JoyPowered® on Instagram
• Email JoyPowered®

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