Employee assistance program treats personal problems

Though the concept of employee assistance programs (EAPs) is widely accepted throughout business and industry, few hospitals have established similar channels for dealing with workers whose personal problems cause work-related problems. Among the reasons for the health care profession's lack of involvement in this area are: lack of information about costs and benefits of EAPs; the hospital's multidisciplinary environment in which standards of employee competence and behavior are set by persons from many disciplines; hospital working hours; and health care workers' attitudes about their vulnerability to illness. St. Benedict's Hospital, Ogden, UT, however, has confronted the question of how to demonstrate Christian concern for its employees. St. Benedict's EAP, the Helping Hand, which was created in 1979, combines progressive disciplinary action with the opportunity for early intervention in and treatment of employees' personal problems. When a worker with personal problems is referred to the EAP coordinator, he or she is matched with the appropriate community or hospital resource for treatment. Supervisors are trained to identify employee problems and to focus on employee job performance rather than on attempting to diagnose the problem. St. Benedict's records during the program's first three years illustrate the human benefits as well as the cost savings of an EAP. Of 92 hospital employees who took part in the EAP, 72 improved their situations or resolved their problems. The hospital's turnover rates declined from 36 percent to 20 percent, and approximately $40,800 in turnover and replacement costs were saved.