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An employee assistance programs (EAP) is an employee benefit programs offered by many employers. EAPs are intended to help employees deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their job performance, health, and well-being. EAPs generally include short-term counseling and referral services for employees and their household members. Supervisors may also refer employees (supervisor referral) based upon unacceptable performance or conduct issues. In 2007, two researchers from the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland conducted research on EAPs in Europe.〔Buon, T & Taylor, J (2008) A Review of the EAP Market in the United Kingdom and Europe. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, Vol. 23(4) 425-443 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15555240802540079?queryID=%24%7BresultBean.queryID%7D&#.VS-4FPnF98E〕 Tony Buon & John Taylor reported a much higher awareness of EAPs in the United Kingdom and Ireland than in Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. They also found that the HR and other managers involved with EAPs were working at a relatively senior level but had a relatively low level of participation in the buying decision; there is a possible mismatch of services included in EAPs compared to what respondents actually want. The researchers also reported that purchasers generally believe that EAPs provide value for money. They also found little difference between organizations and participating countries in the reasons for establishing and maintaining EAPs or in fact in the anticipated benefits. == Services == Employees and their household members may use EAPs to help manage issues in their personal lives. EAP counselors typically provide assessment, support, and referrals to additional resources such as counselors for a limited number of program-paid counseling sessions. The issues for which EAPs provide support vary, but examples include: * substance abuse * occupational stress * emotional distress * major life events, including births, accidents and deaths * health care concerns * financial or non-work-related legal concerns * family/personal relationship issues * work relationship issues * concerns about aging parents An EAP's services are usually free to the employee and their household members, having been prepaid by the employer. In most cases, an employer contracts with a third-party company to manage its EAP. Some of these companies rely upon other vendors or contracted employees for specialized services to supplement their own services, such as: financial advisors, attorneys, travel agents, elder/child care specialists, and the like. Confidentiality is maintained in accordance with privacy laws and ethical standards. In the United States, California requires EAP providers who deliver actual counseling services on a pre-paid basis for more than 3 sessions within any six-month period to have a Knox-Keene license. This is a specialty license for psychological services and is mandated by the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975. The state's Department of Managed Health Care regulates these licensed plans and assists consumers with regard to grievances, access to quality care, and ensuring that the EAP has an appropriate level of tangible net equity to deliver services to plan members. Title 28, Rule 1300.43.14 of the California Code of Regulations allows EAPs without a Knox-Keene license to request an exemption if they solely refer callers to external services and do not provide the actual services themselves. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Employee assistance program」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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