Employee Assistance Programs Available to Many American Workers

Living in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Brandon Guest helps businesses choose employee benefits at his company Boniface LLP. One frequent topic of Brandon Guest’s professional conversations in South Carolina is employee assistance plans (EAPs).

A growing number of businesses, especially large ones, give employees short-term access to counselors through EAPs. Bundled into their company health insurance, EAPs help workers deal with many issues, such as stress on the job, toxic relationships with coworkers, and addiction (essentially any problem that may hinder personal wellness or job performance). The contents of counseling sessions are legally required to be kept confidential from management.

Counselors listen to participants, identify areas of work, and provide coping tools. Mental health issues are often addressed, such as depression, inappropriate displays of anger, and anxiety. People having trouble caring for a sick relative, making ends meet, or experiencing money problems can also take advantage of the support.

More than 97 percent of American companies with more than 5,000 employees offer EAPs. That figure falls to 80 percent at the 1,000 to 5,000 level, and 75 percent in workforces of 251 to 1,000. These numbers have been climbing steadily for at least two decades.