employee assistance programs, international foundation of employee benefits

employee assistance programs: From International Foundation of employee benefits 

Safer at home. Social distancing. Wash your hands. Coronavirus.

Words that have flooded our minds and emails for the past month.

We’re standing at least six feet away from people. Working virtually. Avoiding face-to-face visits with parents, grandparents and grandchildren.  

It’s unsettling, even frightening. It’s a completely abnormal situation that’s becoming our new normal. For how long? We don’t know. How are our workers handling the stress and uncertainty? How are we handling the stress and uncertainty? What is available to us to help cope? One idea: employee assistance programs (EAPs).


COVID-19 EAP Tips for Your Workers
Each of our partner unions, Local 75, Local 601, and Local 18, have their own EAP. Please reach out to your health fund to find out plan specific details.

There may still be the misconception that the EAP is available to assist primarily with addiction issues. As industry professionals, we know that isn’t the case—and now is the time to emphasize that fact to your workers.

Your EAP is likely to offer services to assist with many or all of the following challenges that may be impacting your workers and their families during these unprecedented times:

• Depression and anxiety
• Fear and isolation
• Health impairment
• Stress
• Substance use disorder
• Sleeplessness
• Grief
• Child-care and virtual schooling issues
• Elder-care issues
• Financial challenges (e.g., wage reductions, student loan repayment, debt, investment losses)
• Housing concerns
• Family issues (e.g., marriage/partner conflicts, parenting challenges)
• Workplace concerns (e.g., sudden work-from-home, job stress, co-worker communications)
• Global worker issues.

EAPs refer workers and their family members to mental health and substance abuse counselors, financial advisers, attorneys, child-care providers, family and child counselors, and others as appropriate. They also provide educational and informational resources as well as referrals to community services.
 
COVID-19 EAP Tips for Industry Professionals

Just as your EAP will help your workers (and you personally, if needed), it will help you in your professional role. Check to see whether your EAP will provide:

• Advice on how to handle a challenging personnel issue
• Presentations and/or training programs on a variety of topics for workers and supervisors (ask for virtual options!)
• Articles, tips and resource lists
• Communication ideas to promote EAP use.

In this age of COVID-19, change abounds. Everyone is feeling the effects. Use the resources that are available to you. And stay well.  
 



For the full article: https://blog.ifebp.org/index.php/covid-19-eap