Blackwell Reference Online

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An employee assistance program (EAP) is an employer‐sponsored intervention designed to identify and assist employees with personal problems that interfere with their work performance. Personal problems may include substance abuse (alcohol and other drugs), aids/aids‐related complex , psychiatric disorders, workplace violence , marital and family problems, and financial and legal difficulties. EAPs serve the organization by: 1 assessing the nature of the employee's problem; 2 selecting appropriate community resources to assist the employee; 3 assisting the employee in acquiring such services; 4 follow‐up of the employee at the workplace; and 5 training and consultation with supervisors and managers about related policies and procedures. EAPs provide a means for both employee self‐referral and supervisory referral. EAPs by definition are concerned with performance management and must also protect employee privacy. The growth and diffusion of EAPs is related to technological innovation in the workplace that places lower tolerance on substandard employee performance, increasing availability of health services for behavioral problems, and increasing legal liability ( see Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ) by employers for employee behavioral problems. In the public sector EAPs grew out of a concern for alcohol abuse and a federal mandate to provide EAPs for all civilian ... log in or subscribe to read full text