Understanding the do's and don'ts in purchasing EAPs

Employee Benefit News, September, 2006 by David A. Sharar, MA, and Dale Kaplan, MSW, LCSW-C, MSWAC

The goal of employee assistance programs is to drive improvements in workplace well being and productivity, but few companies understand how to purchase them. This article outlines five common mistakes that prevent companies from purchasing a quality EAP and three strategies for success that help companies get the benefits and impact they need.

The five don'ts 1. Recognize HR/benefits staff limitations. Most HR departments are staffed with HR generalists who must manage a variety of duties and who may not have time to devote to sorting through the complex issues involved in EAP and related behavioral health benefits. As a simple function of time, HR and benefits decision makers end up focusing heavily on price. Unfortunately, this focus is ultimately ineffective at reducing...