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© Copyright 2000 Rogers Media. The following article first appeared in the November 2000 edition of
BENEFITS CANADA magazine.
Helping hands
Employee assistance programs aren't just about face-to-face counselling anymore. They're making
strides on everything from childcare to work-life balance and disability management.
By Andrea Davis
Tom and Sharon Phin almost lost hope. After finding out they couldn't have children, the couple decided to
adopt a child. They visited Toronto Children's Aid, filled out forms, took courses, went through extensive
interviews, had a home assessment, provided several references, and even had their backgrounds checked by
police and underwent medical exams required by the agency. But after almost three emotionally wrought
years, they were still waiting.
"We were at the point where we were thinking, 'is this ever going to happen for us?'," says Tom. "You get
frustrated after awhile." The breakthrough came this May when Tom's employer, Toronto-based Pilot
Insurance, introduced a new employee assistance program (EAP). After hearing the EAP provider had
information on adoptions, Tom made a call. A counsellor sent him a wealth of information on private and
international adoptions--two options Tom and Sharon had not seriously considered. But more importantly,
says Tom, the counsellor simply listened.
"The most valuable thing she gave me wasn't information. It was somebody to talk to," he says. "She was
able to talk to us, relate to us and understand what we were going through." This gave the couple the
support to press on with their search.
Ultimately, Tom and Sharon decided to stay with Children's Aid and at the end of June, they received a call
that would change their lives forever. The agency had a baby girl for them to adopt.
Tom and Sharon's daughter, Nicole, is 10 months old now. Sharon is on parental leave and both she and her
husband are adjusting to being new parents.
"Tom was just feeling overwhelmed," says Maura Cooperberg, the counsellor at Ceridian Performance Partners
who Tom spoke to while he and Sharon were exploring adoption. "I think part of what we do, no matter what
the issues are when someone calls, is to help put things into perspective, help them prioritize and
separate their issues."
EVOLUTION OF EAPs
Tom's story is reflective of the new types of issues EAPs are dealing with daily. Twenty years ago, EAPs
were primarily internal programs. An employee, usually an occupational health nurse or human resources
person, would deal with employees' problems on an ad-hoc basis.
Over the years, EAPs evolved towards more structured programs offered by outside providers, who have helped
address the main concern employees had with internal programs--confidentiality.
"Employees couldn't help but question confidentiality if they were having to walk down the corridor of a
building and walk into an office people generally recognized as the staff counsellor," says Gwyn Jones,
national clinical director with Warren Shepell Consultants in Toronto.
As external EAP providers became the norm, the industry acted primarily as middlemen, arranging
face-to-face sessions between the employee and a counsellor. And while that's still a primary focus of
today's EAPs, the range of services offered is certainly widening.
Stress, depression, marital problems, childcare and eldercare issues and work-life balance concerns are
increasingly the focus of forward-thinking EAPs.
"Over the years, corporations have recognized they need to deal with a wide range of issues because any one
of them can result in reduced performance at work, greater absenteeism, more sick leaves and more time away
from work," says Jones.
Helping employees deal with work-life balance issues was the main reason Toronto-based Gap Canada Inc.
introduced its EAP in 1999. "We wanted to ensure our employees had access to resources that could help them
balance work and family responsibilities," says Mary Bolan, benefits analyst with Gap.
The clothing retailer's 6,000 employees have 24-hour access to a call centre, counselling services, a
health information service and a family advisory service, which includes a family leave program for women
going on maternity leave or fathers taking parental leave. In addition, employees' children have access to
a youth line.
CONVINCING SENIOR MANAGEMENT
While offering employees these services may seem like a no-brainer to benefits specialists and human
resources departments, the challenge is convincing senior management in the company of the merits of a
formal EAP.
"To some extent, we're frustrated with the struggles human resources departments face in getting the ear of
senior executives that people are their key resource," says Kevin O'Connor, vice-president, customer
solutions, with EAP company CHC Working Well in Toronto. "Until we come back to that organization and show
our impact, they don't have what they need to go to the senior executives."
It's not only senior management that needs convincing. Often, those who occupy middle management positions
need the most coaching.
"Sometimes employers are doing all the right things but supervisors and managers don't understand the
policies," says Barbara Jaworski, director, work-life programs with CHC. "The biggest challenge is
educating middle managers."
There's also a concern among some employers that bringing in a third-party to help employees deal with
personal issues might be detrimental to the relationship between the employee and supervisor. This was the
case with Tom Phin's employer, Pilot Insurance, when it launch-ed its EAP earlier this year.
Human resources manager Lori Gosling says that while senior management was supportive of the program, it
did worry that employees would no longer go to their supervisors with problems.
"When an employee goes into their manager's office and talks about some issue, there was concern that that
relationship would be taken away because now the employee can phone somebody else," she says. "But I think
that the employees who are vocal and talk to their managers will continue to do so because that's their
personality. What I think we're doing is helping the people who don't go in and talk to their managers."
UTILIZATION AND FEE STRUCTURES
How many plan members take advantage of their organization's EAP depends to a large extent on how well the
program is publicized within the company. Utilization rates--calculated as the percentage of employees
accessing the services--range from about 6% to as high as 18%. Fee structures also vary. But they are
generally calculated on a per employee basis.
Gap Canada Inc., for instance, pays a set rate per employee on a quarterly basis. Other plan sponsors pay
on a monthly basis per employee and family member. "In terms of dollars, it's a worthwhile investment,"
says Pilot Insurance's Gosling.
As people's comfort level with using EAPs becomes higher, and as the range of services gets wider
utilization, rates will likely go up. "That's a good thing because it means companies will see a higher
return on investment," explains Alan Bross, president of FGI, an EAP provider in Toronto.
Warren Shepell's Jones agrees. "Employers have liability in several different areas. One is the cost
associated with things such as absenteeism, disability, lowered productivity and workplace conflict. Plus,
there's often a legal liability around situations involving harassment, workplace violence, traumatic
events and so the more that employees access the service, the more these types of problems will be avoided
and costs will be reduced."
INCREASINGLY DEMANDING
Plan sponsors are increasingly demanding more services from their EAPs. This, in turn, is forcing providers
to move into a more consultative role. Demand for Internet services, as well as disability management
programs, is on the rise.
Warren Shepell Consultants, for example, offers online counselling--either through a live exchange with a
counsellor or via e-mail correspondence. Other EAPs such as Ceridian and CHC Working Well offer plan
members the ability to make appointments with counsellors online.
Canadian Tire Acceptance Ltd., a Welland, Ont.-based company with 1,500 employees in Ontario, set up a
disability management program in July through its EAP provider, CHC Working Well.
Under the program, once an employee has been off work for more than five consecutive days, CHC arranges a
meeting between the employee, his or her manager, and a third-party, independent facilitator. A
return-to-work plan is set up, focusing on the employee's abilities, as opposed to his disabilities.
The program has been well-received by both employees and management since its implementation in July. It
keeps employees connected to the workplace and ensures management is an active participant.
"We know from research that the longer an employee is away from the workplace, the harder it is for them to
return. In keeping them connected, it's a morale booster," says Cindy Kaczmarek, employee relations
specialist with the company.
The program is empowering for management too, notes Pauline Eden, manager, employee services with Canadian
Tire Acceptance. "They're not wondering what's happening with so-and-so, and waiting for a report," she
says. "They know first hand the status and they're actively participating."
With work-life balance issues being at the fore of employees' minds these days, progressive plan sponsors
would be wise to offer an EAP. Just ask Tom Phin, who will sign daughter Nicole's final adoption papers in
January.
"I worked with a company for seven years before I came to Pilot and they set up an EAP about two years
before I left. I never really thought about it [the EAP]. I was single, I wasn't planning on getting
married. I wasn't planning on having kids. But having used it now, it's nice to have the security," says
Tom. "In the long run, I think any employer can see that it's a small cost for a long-term benefit."
*** ***
Implementation advice
If you're considering offering an employee assistance program to your plan members, here's some advice from
companies in the field.
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Know your needs and business goals. Sometimes, an EAP isn't the right solution to the problem. Perhaps
your company needs a disability management program or a comprehensive wellness program. "Companies need
to decide what's right for them," says Lori Gosling, manager, human resources, with Pilot Insurance in
Toronto. "They need to do their homework, talk to many different providers, do reference checks and
find out what's really out there."
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Track attendance and absenteeism data. "If you've got absenteeism data, it can help you say to senior
management 'this is how much we're spending with people being away from work and it's possible an EAP
could help with that,' " says Gosling.
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Get employee buy-in, particularly in a unionized environment. "You've got to have your employees
participating in some way in the decision on what types of programs you want to use, and ensuring when
it's implemented that employees understand it's confidential," says Anne Bradford, superintendent,
occupational health and claims management with the Toronto Transit Commission.
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Make the program available to family members. This lets employees know you value their lives outside of
the workplace and that whatever happens in the family unit can affect them in the workplace.
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Emphasize the confidentiality of the service. "If a company is going to take on an EAP, they have to
fully stand behind it and support it in terms of the anonymity," says Cindy Kaczmarek, employee
relations specialist with Canadian Tire Acceptance Ltd. in Welland, Ont.
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Contact the Employee Assistance Society of North America. This independent organization is an
accrediting body for EAPs. It can help plan sponsors answer any questions they may have. The society
can be reached at (312) 644-0828.
*** ***
What to look for in an EAP provider
EAPs offer standard services such as counselling, childcare and eldercare referrals and information on
work-life balance issues, including parenting and stress. There are specific things plan sponsors should
look for when hiring or changing providers. Here's a guide.
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Accessibility. Make sure your EAP has counsellors available in all communities where you have
employees, even small towns.
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Timeliness. How fast can your employees expect to get in to see a counsellor in their area? How quickly
is information mailed out?
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Confidentiality. Ask your EAP how privacy and confidentiality are maintained. This information is key
when communicating the program to plan members.
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Quality of services. When your employees call in, what are the qualifications of the people answering
the phones? Look for counsellors who are Masters-level social workers or psychologists.
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Communication support. The program won't be used if it's not well publicized. Ask your EAP provider
what kind of communication support is available--launch presentations, posters, wallet cards, fridge
magnets, lunch 'n' learns--and how they'll help you promote the program.
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Utilization reports. Utilization reports should contain data on how many employees are using the EAP,
as well as information on what types of services employees are accessing. This helps organizations
understand what types of trends there are in the workplace.
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