The Current State of Employee Assistance Programs in the United States: A Research-based Commentary

Abstract

This article presents a commentary by scholar Dr. Mark Attridge on the best practices and current trends in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefit for employees in the United States. The goal is to help employers better understand and maximize their EAP by presenting research-based content in a style that is more conversational than academic. The paper starts with an overview of the basic qualities that define and differentiate EAPs. This is followed by examining short-term counseling and related individual EAP services for supporting distressed workers. The third part presents evidence of the effectiveness of EAP counseling and a recommended self-report outcome measure available to EAP providers. The fourth part describes the organizational level services that full-service EAPs also provide to support the workplace. The next part explores best practices that employers can use to improve the utilization of the program. The final part notes the growth of EAP globally. Also presented is a resource bibliography of over 270 research-based materials created by the author on a variety of EAP topics.