Small business owners used to wonder whether an employee assistance program had any relevance in their workplaces, but times have changed and no longer are EAPs seen as exclusive to large organizations coping with alcohol abuse and problem employees.
The one common element in any size organization is that employees share similar life challenges, such as child or elder care. For a small business the impact of a troubled employee can be even more significant, often to the point of threatening the firm’s very survival.
EAPs have an important role to play in managing the challenge of balancing work and family pressures and stress over workplace change. More working Canadians are looking after both children and parents in what has been commonly referred to as the “sandwich generation.” In fact, more than 30 per cent of Canadians report that they or others in their household provide care to an elderly family member (see link at bottom of this page, "Trickle down effects of retiring boomers").
If an employee’s problems are not addressed she may begin to miss work, intermittently at first and then for an extended period. Research shows employees in a smaller organization miss more days when they are absent than employees in larger organizations. This not only affects others in the organization but can lead to increased disability costs in addition to the costs of finding and training an appropriate replacement. The business faces the costs of lost opportunities, errors and missed deadlines.
So what does an employee assistance program do? Today EAPs provide a spectrum of support programs to assist people in obtaining the right information to get them back to work once they are absent or address little problems before they grow and lead to absenteeism. Progressive organizations offer counselling, work life and wellness programs that bring support and assistance to ensure employees are not spending unnecessary time away from the office, and that they are productive when at work.
Gayle Suderman, director of human resources and safety at Chant Construction in Aurora, Ont., has some advice for small business owners. “I have found that with an EAP, instead of taking time off work, employees are able to get help in managing their issues while staying on the job. We are a small company with between 50 and 60 staff who could be working on projects anywhere in the country. We want to know that someone on assignment in a remote location is able to access EAP services in a timely fashion.
“Sometimes the problem is as simple as finding emergency child care, or getting an answer to a legal or money management question. Whatever it takes, the EAP is there.”
One common characteristic of small business is the outsourcing of a variety of services. In many cases, a small business will not have a formalized HR department as the first line of defence for troubled staff or concerned managers. An EAP can be an inexpensive way to fill some of the functions of the HR role that would otherwise fall to managers or other employees. Research from the business schools at Carleton University in Ottawa and the University of Western Ontario in London indicates managers are not confident of their abilities to deal with employees with personal problems.
An EAP can provide in-depth coaching and support to a manager who does not have the skills or knowledge to deal with an employee with a personal problem. Many of these management consultations last for up to an hour and can range from how to effectively deal with an employee who is aggressive, depressed or perhaps battling an addiction, to the availability of community resources. Once the manager is confident about approaching the employee she may find the person needs additional help. With an EAP in place the manager can refer or direct an employee to a confidential EAP counselling service.
“Initially,” says Suderman, “some managers were concerned that an EAP would build a wall around employees and they would lose the sense of closeness enjoyed in a small workplace. It has been quite the opposite; employees appreciate management’s support. In addition, our managers value the help they can get in fulfilling their responsibilities for staff.
“There are business reasons for providing EAP support to staff,” says Suderman. “ Skilled labour is extremely difficult to find. We want to keep our trained workers and support their continued productivity on the job. I have found the EAP is extremely affordable in the context of all the benefit costs that employers pick up for their staff. It goes beyond the dollars and cents of a pay packet. Employees want to feel valued at work. An EAP program gives them a sense that their company cares about their well being, and it helps keep little problems from growing into big ones.”
Because everyone knows everyone else, what affects one person in a small company will impact others. People say they feel like members of a family. So it is not unusual when one employee is having difficulties for others to sympathize and respond vicariously, even to the point of experiencing sorrow or grief themselves. The problem can spread beyond the initial employee if staff try and support a colleague by taking time to listen, offering advice or even assuming extra work on the person’s behalf. In time, however, if the problem persists and there seems to be no resolution in sight, other staff can come to resent the situation created by the employee who needs help.
Of course smallness can often lead to just the opposite problem when it comes to employees in trouble. If someone is having difficulties, they may not want to involve teammates or managers. A personal problem involving a child or a change in financial or health status is something most employees want to keep to themselves, at least initially. If left unattended because of concerns about confidentiality, the problem will fester and can mushroom into a much more serious situation leading to long-term absences. However, an EAP is so confidential that an employee can use it without a boss even knowing who accesses the program. This can be very important as people work through personal change.
The cost of an employee assistance program may be perceived as too great for a smaller-sized organization. The question should be can a firm afford not to have one? The far-reaching effect in a smaller organization becomes evident through the impact on people, costs and ultimately the bottom line. Return on investment is achievable through diminishing absenteeism, maintaining customer loyalty and controlling short-term disability and other tangible costs that impact this bottom line. There is a financial return with the maintainance of productivity and retention of skilled workers.
Picking an EAP
How does an organization shop for an EAP? Look for the following:
•available where you need it (local, national and international);
•range of support services including telephone, in person and Internet;
•professional service providers;
•rapid response;
•confidentiality;
•compatible with business style; and
•solution oriented.
Karen Seward is vice-president at Warren Shepell Consultants and can be reached at 1-800-461-9722.
The one common element in any size organization is that employees share similar life challenges, such as child or elder care. For a small business the impact of a troubled employee can be even more significant, often to the point of threatening the firm’s very survival.
EAPs have an important role to play in managing the challenge of balancing work and family pressures and stress over workplace change. More working Canadians are looking after both children and parents in what has been commonly referred to as the “sandwich generation.” In fact, more than 30 per cent of Canadians report that they or others in their household provide care to an elderly family member (see link at bottom of this page, "Trickle down effects of retiring boomers").
If an employee’s problems are not addressed she may begin to miss work, intermittently at first and then for an extended period. Research shows employees in a smaller organization miss more days when they are absent than employees in larger organizations. This not only affects others in the organization but can lead to increased disability costs in addition to the costs of finding and training an appropriate replacement. The business faces the costs of lost opportunities, errors and missed deadlines.
So what does an employee assistance program do? Today EAPs provide a spectrum of support programs to assist people in obtaining the right information to get them back to work once they are absent or address little problems before they grow and lead to absenteeism. Progressive organizations offer counselling, work life and wellness programs that bring support and assistance to ensure employees are not spending unnecessary time away from the office, and that they are productive when at work.
Gayle Suderman, director of human resources and safety at Chant Construction in Aurora, Ont., has some advice for small business owners. “I have found that with an EAP, instead of taking time off work, employees are able to get help in managing their issues while staying on the job. We are a small company with between 50 and 60 staff who could be working on projects anywhere in the country. We want to know that someone on assignment in a remote location is able to access EAP services in a timely fashion.
“Sometimes the problem is as simple as finding emergency child care, or getting an answer to a legal or money management question. Whatever it takes, the EAP is there.”
One common characteristic of small business is the outsourcing of a variety of services. In many cases, a small business will not have a formalized HR department as the first line of defence for troubled staff or concerned managers. An EAP can be an inexpensive way to fill some of the functions of the HR role that would otherwise fall to managers or other employees. Research from the business schools at Carleton University in Ottawa and the University of Western Ontario in London indicates managers are not confident of their abilities to deal with employees with personal problems.
An EAP can provide in-depth coaching and support to a manager who does not have the skills or knowledge to deal with an employee with a personal problem. Many of these management consultations last for up to an hour and can range from how to effectively deal with an employee who is aggressive, depressed or perhaps battling an addiction, to the availability of community resources. Once the manager is confident about approaching the employee she may find the person needs additional help. With an EAP in place the manager can refer or direct an employee to a confidential EAP counselling service.
“Initially,” says Suderman, “some managers were concerned that an EAP would build a wall around employees and they would lose the sense of closeness enjoyed in a small workplace. It has been quite the opposite; employees appreciate management’s support. In addition, our managers value the help they can get in fulfilling their responsibilities for staff.
“There are business reasons for providing EAP support to staff,” says Suderman. “ Skilled labour is extremely difficult to find. We want to keep our trained workers and support their continued productivity on the job. I have found the EAP is extremely affordable in the context of all the benefit costs that employers pick up for their staff. It goes beyond the dollars and cents of a pay packet. Employees want to feel valued at work. An EAP program gives them a sense that their company cares about their well being, and it helps keep little problems from growing into big ones.”
Because everyone knows everyone else, what affects one person in a small company will impact others. People say they feel like members of a family. So it is not unusual when one employee is having difficulties for others to sympathize and respond vicariously, even to the point of experiencing sorrow or grief themselves. The problem can spread beyond the initial employee if staff try and support a colleague by taking time to listen, offering advice or even assuming extra work on the person’s behalf. In time, however, if the problem persists and there seems to be no resolution in sight, other staff can come to resent the situation created by the employee who needs help.
Of course smallness can often lead to just the opposite problem when it comes to employees in trouble. If someone is having difficulties, they may not want to involve teammates or managers. A personal problem involving a child or a change in financial or health status is something most employees want to keep to themselves, at least initially. If left unattended because of concerns about confidentiality, the problem will fester and can mushroom into a much more serious situation leading to long-term absences. However, an EAP is so confidential that an employee can use it without a boss even knowing who accesses the program. This can be very important as people work through personal change.
The cost of an employee assistance program may be perceived as too great for a smaller-sized organization. The question should be can a firm afford not to have one? The far-reaching effect in a smaller organization becomes evident through the impact on people, costs and ultimately the bottom line. Return on investment is achievable through diminishing absenteeism, maintaining customer loyalty and controlling short-term disability and other tangible costs that impact this bottom line. There is a financial return with the maintainance of productivity and retention of skilled workers.
Picking an EAP
How does an organization shop for an EAP? Look for the following:
•available where you need it (local, national and international);
•range of support services including telephone, in person and Internet;
•professional service providers;
•rapid response;
•confidentiality;
•compatible with business style; and
•solution oriented.
Karen Seward is vice-president at Warren Shepell Consultants and can be reached at 1-800-461-9722.
