How Employee Assistance Programs Can Help Workplace Substance Problems

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are important workplace programs geared to help employees address problems such as with alcohol or drugs.  The use or misuse of substances becomes an immediate occupational health and safety concern when an employee’s coordination, concentration, motor control, judgment, and alertness is impaired. When employees can get assistance with addressing the underlying issues, then their workplace performance and their behaviors are likely to improve.  Ignoring the matter can result in reduced productivity, decreasing health of the employee and ultimately, the potential dismissal of the employee from employment.

Generally, it is an accepted standard that employers have the responsibility to protect workers from hazards, including substance use, that may cause serious harm to employees.  In addition to physical injuries, such as from operating dangerous machinery or lifting heavy objects, there is a growing emphasis on protecting personnel from mental health impacts such as stress and depression.  Often, mental health disorders co-occur with substance use disorders. 

At the 2019 Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organisation conference, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Chairman of Malaysia's National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), advocated for EAPs in businesses citing the need for increased education and promotion of mental health to address the impact of "psychosocial problems in society." He also stressed that EAPs can help identify employees who are suffering from such conditions to provide the help they need to maintain healthy work performance.

In some countries, such as France, there is a cultural bias against EAPs offering mental health programs through the workplace due to a strong distinction between work and personal life and the reluctance of employees discussing personal issues through a work-related program. Over the past dozen years, there has been more acceptance of the value of EAPs due to government-mandated implementation in large corporations.

EAPs offer several solutions to assist employees and organizations deal with the complex issues of substance use disorders and addiction:

1.  EAP providers typically consult with company management to help design a drug and alcohol policy that reflects the values and priorities of the organization. This is not a “one size fits all” proposition. Companies need to make strategic policy decisions about what kind of drug testing (if any) they want to do and what kind of training programs they need to support their policy. EAPs offer organizations assistance at every step in this process.

2.  EAPs help individual employees (and family members) assess and respond effectively to the problems caused by substance abuse. One of the most confounding issues facing employees with alcohol and other drug problems is their inability to accurately assess the magnitude of the problem. Misinformation, denial, distorted thinking, fear and guilt often interfere with their understanding of what is happening to them. EAPs offer a confidential opportunity for employees to receive expert assessment and, when indicated, referral to appropriate community resources and/or treatment.

3. EAPs train supervisors to recognize possible employee substance abuse issues (before they become safety issues) as part of performance management process. Employees with drug and alcohol problems often have more absences, more accidents and are less productive. EAPs offer training programs which help supervisors to recognize performance issues that may result from substance abuse problems and provide strategies for intervening with these employees before the problems escalate.

4. EAPs train supervisors how to respond when there is a safety issue associated with possible employee substance abuse. The ability of an organization to fulfill its obligations to provide a safe workplace depends upon the ability of supervisors to recognize potential hazards before they become accidents. EAPs can also offer training programs that teach supervisors what to do if they think an employee may be impaired.

EAPs should be much more than a behavioral health provider network. EAPs are worksite-based programs that are structured to work closely with employers as they respond to the various issues, including alcohol and other drug problems, that employees bring to the workplace.

How are Employee Assistance Programs regarded in your country?  Is there a cultural bias against using an EAP? If so, how?