Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Policy for Employees and Family Members

Policy

[Company Name] will provide confidential and voluntary assistance through its employee assistance program (EAP) to all employees and their family members who may be faced with challenges of financial concerns, legal issues, alcohol or drug problems, marital problems, illness of a family member, emotional worries, child care problems, etc. For the welfare of employees as well as for effective business operations, [Company Name] encourages its employees to take advantage of this valuable benefit.

Procedures

Employees and their family members can refer themselves to the EAP. The program may be reached 24 hours a day on weekdays and weekends.

[Insert EAP contact information]

Meetings with EAP counselors

EAP counselors are available to meet with employees or family members to assess a problem and develop a plan for resolution. The counselors may suggest a referral to an outside resource, such as a therapist, agency, physician, treatment facility or other professional that would be appropriate to assist in resolving the problem or situation.

There is no charge for employees or their families to use the services of the EAP. The EAP counselors will make every effort to coordinate referrals for ongoing treatment with the employee's health insurance coverage as well as with his or her ability to pay.

EAP visits during work hours

In most cases an EAP visit that is urgent or cannot be scheduled outside of work will be treated similar to other doctor's appointments. Refer to company paid time off and call-in procedures.

Referrals for employee performance or behavior issues

When an employee's job performance or attendance is unsatisfactory or there appears to be signs of other problems impacting work performance, the supervisor should counsel the employee in consultation with human resources with an end toward resolving the situation. If the circumstances warrant, the employee may be referred to the EAP to assist in the resolution of the problem. Depending on the situation, the employee may accept or refuse participation in the EAP. However, there may be situations where continued employment at [Company Name] may be contingent on the employee's calling the EAP for assistance.

Voluntary participation in the EAP does not jeopardize job security or promotional opportunities. However, it does not excuse the employee from following company policies and procedures or from meeting required standards for satisfactory job performance except where specific accommodations are required by law.

Confidentiality

All contact between an employee and the EAP is held strictly confidential. In cases where an employee's continued employment is contingent on calling the EAP, the EAP counselor will only verify whether the employee has contacted the EAP and, if ongoing treatment is necessary, that the employee is following through on the treatment. Information given to the EAP counselor may be released to [Company Name] only if requested by the employee in writing. All counselors are guided by a professional code of ethics.