Measuring the value of an EAP can be tough

But there are ways to get a grasp on how well the money is spent

Most companies would love to know what the return on investment is for the employee assistance program they pay for. But because EAPs are accessed primarily on a confidential basis, benefits are difficult to measure.

At their core, EAPs provide professional counselling services to employees and their immediate families, usually over the short term. An increasing number of providers are adding proactive components that address work-life issues such as child care, elder care, smoking, nutrition and financial difficulty. These primarily take the form of workplace seminars.

It may be assumed an EAP saves the employer money through decreases in sick time, fewer accidents in the workplace and a reduction in lateness and absenteeism. But as far as concrete metrics on how much money is being saved, employers remain frustrated by the lack of data.

“I don’t think anyone could provide that kind of direct line,” says Kendra Innes, director, corporate health services for telecommunications giant Telus. “Because there are so many things that affect absenteeism, it’s very difficult to show a direct (connection) between EAP and a decrease in absenteeism.”

The main method of monitoring the success of EAP programs comes from the provider. EAP vendors use non-identifying statistical information to track:

•the type of service accessed;

•the number of people using the program for the first time;

•the primary and secondary concerns expressed by the employee;

•the number of interviews or sessions held;

•the number and type of workshops given; and

•the number of orientation sessions and how many employees attended.

EAPs report this information back to the employer — typically four times a year — in the form of summaries and recommendations.

Internally, some employers use employee satisfaction surveys as a monitor.

“We have employee feedback (surveys) for every counselling intervention or workshop that is attended through the EAP. And they’re able to provide how they feel the level of service was, how their experience was and what they used the service for. That really gives us a good sense of how the employees are perceiving the value and the benefit of participating in the program,” says Innes.

After the counselling sessions wrap up, Telus employees receive a questionnaire from their counsellors, which they can mail to the provider. The questionnaire has tracking numbers to identify both Telus and the counsellor. It asks the employee whether she needs a followup call to address any concern about the sessions. According to the service level agreement Telus has with its provider, whenever someone has a complaint, the EAP provider notifies Telus of the nature of the complaint, how it was investigated and what steps were taken to address the concern — all the while maintaining the complainant’s anonymity.

One of the most important parts of the provider’s statistical report is the total number of employees who access the program annually. According to Dorothy Lalonde, group director, human resources at IMS Health, a medical information company based in Pointe Claire, Que., the industry average lies between five and seven per cent. IMS Health’s utilization sits within this range, which indicates to Lalonde that the service is working.

Jones Packaging of London, Ont., however, sees slightly higher utilization, particularly at its Guelph, Ont.-based plant where utilization sits at 17 per cent. The program is mostly accessed for addiction issues. Gerry Boss, director of HR at Jones Packaging, says these numbers set off red flags to the EAP. The EAP responded by looking at measures to bring down the numbers, such as providing a workplace seminar on substance abuse.

The provider used by Jones Packaging is a bit unique in that it’s one of the few that offers a mandatory-use program. For instance, explains Boss, one employee was identified as alcoholic and was directed to use the EAP. In a situation like this, the company can openly track the employee’s progress to ensure he’s getting help.

“That one case is kind of a feather in everyone’s cap,” he says. “That person went from complete alcohol dependency to being completely dried out. That kind of thing reinforces that there’s value to an EAP, without being able to put exact metrics to it.”

The effectiveness of an EAP also depends on the level of promotion it receives.

“It shouldn’t be a best-kept secret,” says Lalonde of IMS Health. “I think one of the best ways to keep it visible is to have the EAP come in and do some preventative and educational workshops.”

Wendy Filion, payroll and benefits co-ordinator at St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre in Cornwall, Ont., says the company has started attaching EAP brochures to the employees’ pay stub to make them more aware of the program.

The promotion program is too new for results to be in, but Filion says the company intends to distribute the brochures on a quarterly basis.

Some employers also look to the usage of work-life programs for an indication of an EAP’s value. At Telus, attendance at seminars has increased by 50 per cent over the past year, says Innes. This tells her more employees are tackling personal issues proactively, not just reactively.

“Typically EAP providers have been associated with just counselling services. But EAP is evolving into a very holistic support mechanism for employees. One of the significant trends we’re seeing is our employees accessing EAP prior to there being an incident in their lives,” says Innes.

So, even though the cost-benefits of EAPs have been repeatedly studied without much success, organizations say they won’t stop providing EAP as a benefit. By offering the program, an employer is showing it genuinely cares about employees and their families, which is an important factor in hiring and retention.

Kristan Wolfe is a freelance writer based in Bowmanville, Ont.

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