The first Employee Assistance programs were not just workplace focused but also worksite located. Like HR, Legal and other departments, EAPs were almost exclusively internal programs, so they were staffed by company employees. Today, EAPs are often regarded as low-cost or benefit add-ons provided by external vendors. In fact, outsourcing is the norm, not the exception. While EAPs have become common place, more than doubling in the last two decades, the rates of internal and hybrid EAPs seem to be falling at a significant rate.