One option are employee assistance programs, also known as EAPs. “An employee assistance program is an employee benefit offered by many employers to assist employees with various personal issues on a confidential basis.  While the specifics of different EAPs vary widely, it is common for them to provide some measure of counseling for addiction, marital issues, and mental health issues.  They help employees work through some of these issues, and of course also benefit the employer by helping maintain a healthier and focused work force,” explains Bill Nolan, managing partner of the Columbus office of Barnes & Thornburg.

An EAP can come in a variety of flavors. For example, there are EAPs designed to assist employees and their families resolve personal, health and financial concerns. Another EAP could help employees and their family combat alcohol and drug abuse, emotional issues, stress or educational challenges. Still yet another example is an EAP offering financial, budget or credit counseling.

Reasons to choose an EAP

There are several reasons why offering EAPs could prove to be a cost-effective way for a small business owner to invest in his/her employees.

Among them include:

- EAPs help employees solve problems before they become an issue at the workplace

- Providing EAPs saves employees the money they would spend to resolve matters provided by an employee assistance program. Those savings could translate into a morale boost among your staff

- EAPs can be designed to provide confidential assessments, short-term counseling or even a referral service to employees and their family

- An EAP helps a company identify the impact EAP offerings have had on the workplace and employees, cost-savings enjoyed by employees and the impact of the assistance on employee’s satisfaction with their job.

- EAPs can reduce costly employee turnover as they are designed to improve the working environment

- Offering EAPs can reduce workplace accidents since they seek to reduce stress, improve concentration and impact employee happiness.

While EAPs do require a financial investment in employees, that strategy could prove a bonanza for a company’s future.

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Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio attorney and writer. She may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or @girlwithapen.