EMPLOYER CHOICES IN EAP DESIGN AND WORKSITE SERVICES

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology
• Employee Benefits

Background:

• The private healthcare market presents diverse employer needs for behavioral health solutions.
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are a key component of workplace behavioral health benefits.
• Employer preferences for EAP features are influenced by organizational factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how employer characteristics impact the selection of EAP features.
• To understand variations in EAP service offerings among large employers.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 103 large employer purchasers of behavioral healthcare.
• Analyzed the relationship between employer variables (size, industry, etc.) and EAP feature selection.
• Focused on a single managed behavioral healthcare organization.

Main Results:

• Employer preferences for EAP counseling type and delivery mode were largely uniform.
• Significant variation was observed in the number of EAP counseling sessions offered.
• Employer choices for EAP-provided worksite activities showed considerable diversity.

Conclusions:

• EAP counseling modalities are widely standardized across employers.
• Employer-specific factors significantly influence the scope of EAP services, particularly session limits and worksite interventions.
• Organizational characteristics and culture play a crucial role in shaping tailored EAP benefits.