Employee Assistance Programs: Sources of Assistance Relations to Inputs and Outcomes

The scope of the national problems in areas traditionally encompassed by employee assistance programs (EAP) services is troubling. As a result, there has been a national movement to enhance and enlarge a broad range of services for employees including depression, stress, relationships, marital problems, compulsive gambling, career issues, financial and legal concerns, lactation centers, child and elder care, health and wellness, violence, and so on. In this article, the author examines the relationship between inputs that determine what sources of assistance are sought and the outcomes associated with them. First, the author reviews common sources of assistance, external, web, opinion leaders, formal off-site, formal on-site, and formal referral, that are used to address these problems. Second, he examines input factors-accessibility, motivation, self-efficacy, and trust-that determine which one of these are likely to be used. Finally, the author details the various outcomes associated with usage: avoiding, feedback seeking, social support, balance, resilience, commitment, and productivity. The implications for managers will focus on building effective EAP.