Developing and Implementing an Employee Assistance Program in Smaller and Intermediate Size Businesses

Author

Timothy K. Hobart, Fontbonne College

Year of Award

1987

Degree

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

College

College of Business & Professional Studies

Degree Program

Business

Department

Business Administration

Keywords

EAP, HR, Addiction, Productivity, Human Resources, Healthcare, Insurance, Benefits, Management, Morale

Abstract

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) provide companies with private, professional and confidential help for those employees and their immediate family members who are experiencing personal problems: marital, financial, emotional, drug, alcohol and legal. Companies with effective Employee Assistance Programs -- and there are over 9,000 in the U.S. today -- report substantial reductions in absenteeism, lost productivity, accidents, sick leave and turnovers. Additionally, these companies realize substantial returns as high as $10.00 for every dollar invested in an Employee Assistance Program.

The Employee Assistance Program field has grown dramatically over the past 17 years and the forecast for continued growth is equally impressive. For years employers have been most concerned with protecting inventories, assets and rolling stock. During the past 15 years, considerable attention has been devoted by employers to protecting the Human Resources of an organization. Like a damaged piece of equipment, a trouble employee can result in lost productivity, increased healthcare claims and turnovers due to personal problems. An effective Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can retain valuable employees who might otherwise be lost due to personal issues.

Many large corporations have had Employee Assistance Programs in place for some time. I believe the next generation of Employee Assistance Programs will be implemented in smaller and intermediate size businesses.The benefits to a smaller sized employer in implementing an Employee Assistance Program are in many ways more significant than to a large employer. A dysfunctional high level manager or company officer in a small firm can reek much more havoc and crisis than a person of the same position within a large corporation. Thus, the smaller firm could stand to lose much more in view of the importance of one well placed employee with a personal problem.

Employee Assistance Programs have proven themselves to be a valuable resource and management tool, not just to the large corporation but to the small employer as well.

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Recommended Citation

Hobart, Timothy K., "Developing and Implementing an Employee Assistance Program in Smaller and Intermediate Size Businesses" (1987). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 584.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/584