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Employee Assistance Programs

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE HISTORY
PROGRAMS No one knows when the first employer offered counseling
and social work services to its employees. But in 1917
The term employee assistance program (EAP) refers to a
Macy’s, the New York City department store, opened an
program that provides business and industry with the
office specifically devoted to helping employees deal with
means of identifying employees whose job performance is
personal problems. Metropolitan Life Insurance Com-
negatively affected by personal or job-related problems.
pany and Western Electric were also pioneers in the field,
The EAP arranges for structured assistance to solve those
but it was not until the years immediately following
problems, with the goal of reestablishing the employee’s
effective job performance. The services of an EAP may be World War II that a limited form of EAP became rela-
contracted, or the program may be an employer’s own cre- tively common.
ation, designed to fit the unique needs of a company. In those days, Alcoholics Anonymous was a new
EAPs typically provide professional, confidential, no- or organization gaining widespread attention. For the first
low-cost assistance for employees with personal problems. time, alcohol abuse was perceived by business to be a
EAPs help employers by identifying troubled work- workplace problem, and many companies started alco-
ers, by either supervisory referrals or self-referrals. Each holism programs for their workers. These programs were
referred employee is assessed, and a plan of action is usually staffed by recovering alcoholics who trained super-
designed to suit his or her needs. The ability to uncover visors to spot alcoholics by looking for such symptoms as
the employee’s primary problem is required. The goal is to shaking hands, bloodshot eyes, and alcohol on the breath.
enable the employees to work again at peak levels. An These early programs produced gratifying results, but they
effective EAP requires a knowledge of resources available were severely limited because they identified only late-
in the community. stage problems. Alcoholics in the early stage whose hands

AT&T employee assistance center counselor provides advice to an 18-year employee who has been laid off. ROB NELSON//TIME LIFE
PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES

236 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION