If you are like most HR professionals, you are always working to maximize your employee benefit package while minimizing your costs. Ed Bray, the director of Employee Benefits for Hawaiian Airlines, has a suggestion for you: Show your EAP some love. Bray says that one theme has been consistent across companies in his decade of HR experience: organizations are not making full use of their EAP, a benefit they already have that can offer employees significant value. He offers his top 5 reasons why you might want to promote its use, which we summarize here:
1. Everyone loves free.
2. Your EAP probably offers elder care resource and referral services.
3. Particularly in the current tough economy, employees could use any financial and legal consultation services available through an EAP.
4. It is likely that your EAP provides referral services for reputable childcare facilities in your local area.
5. There is an excellent chance that your EAP has a website with a plethora of information available to your employees, including a list of all covered services and resources.
We couldn’t have said it better! We can add to Ed’s list. Here are 20 more benefits that your EAP should provide:
- Access 24/7 counseling services for virtually any problem
- Address family conflicts
- Prepare for retirement
- Decrease stress
- Kick the smoking habit
- Get help for depression
- Lose weight and keep it off with exercise programs and fitness benefits
- Adopt a child
- Get discounts and savings
- Create a will
- Deal with substance abuse issues
- Cope with grief and loss
- Develop professionally through courses and training
- Get help for consumer problems
- Deal with mental and behavioral health issues
- Balance work, life and job
- Plan for college and tuition assistance
- Access caregiver support and resources
- Deal with debt and get help with debt restructuring
- Get help for cancer, diabetes, and other health challenges
Benefits for HR practitioners and managers, too
Your EAP should provide resources and benefits to you, as an HR manager, and to your managers and supervisors. Your EAP is a critical tool to help you retain employees, reduce absenteeism, and improve productivity. Are you making full use of all the benefits and services available to you?
- HR Consultation with SPHR professionals for difficult issues
- Administrative referrals to address unacceptable performance issues
- Pre-employment screening and background checks
- Mediation services
- Trauma Response services
- Professional development and management training
- Drug Free Workplace Programs
- HR tools and resources for policies and compliance issues
Does your EAP measure up? If you’d like to learn more about turbocharging your employee benefit package, reducing absenteeism, and enhancing productivity, call us today: 800-535-4841.