In every company, it’s crucial that you have a department that solely takes care of human resources matters. Part of it is setting up employee assistance programs for the wellness and convenience of everyone who works in your business. It’s a valuable tool for any kind of business you are in, and here’s why.
What are employee assistance programmes?
Employee assistance programs are plans and programs created by the human resources department to target and resolve issues that employees face through counseling and such. Employee assistance programs also cover trainings for supervisors to recognise behavioural problems in the team and ways on how to resolve it. Here are some of the programs:
- Eldercare issues
- Natural disaster preparedness
- Family counselling
- Mental health programmes
- Workplace violence
- Marriage counselling
- Crisis planning
- Stress management
- Financial assistance
- Personal counseling
- Educational support
- AIDS/HIV programmes
These employee assistance programs create a safe environment for employees and foster higher productivity. The programs that should be included will depend on your company and what you think is best for the group. A lot of businesses take employee assistance programs for granted, but these companies should think about reconsidering because of the key role it plays in the business. There are several more benefits to having this program.
Why are employee assistance programs key for all businesses?
1. Your employees get the help they need.
First of all, having employee assistance programs will provide help for any employee who needs to be protected by confidentiality, free of any cost. The illnesses and rates of depression will significantly decrease among employees if you have these programs up and running. Ultimately, this is key for all businesses because your employees will have better health and well-being.
2. There is a direct link between employee productivity and well-being.
It’s difficult and almost impossible to separate one’s personal life from their work life. There is value when your employees are happy compared to when they are not as this can reflect in their work. If your employees are troubled, their work is also hampered because of their emotions and state of mental health. Therefore, productivity is also on a downward spiral, causing the bottom line to decrease as well. The relationship between productivity and well-being should not be ignored since personal or work-related problems are usually manifested in poor job performance.
3. One employee down causes a ripple effect of frustrations.
A troubled employee can cause behavior that is unlike them. This behavior, in turn, causes a ripple effect and induces anxiety and lost efficiency among other employees. That is why it is important to address these issues on the onset. If one employee is down, it’s possible that this also transcends to other employees around. Helping one employee struggling will prove to help the entire firm as well. Poor morale going around the office will cause increased absenteeism and substandard performance. It’s important that the general morale of the team is kept good.
4. It will result in a higher retention rate among employees.
When employees feel that their employers value their personal well-being even until substance abuse, personal problems, or crisis interventions, they tend to stay in the company longer. Your business’ employee assistance programs will differentiate you from other companies. By maintaining the quality, security, and anonymity of your programs, you’ll be surprised at the response of your employees.
5. Your company will save on costs.
With a higher productivity rate, costs associated with absenteeism or inefficiency will significantly improve. With a happier and healthier workforce, you will be able to increase margins and be assured of quality outputs from your employees. Won’t it be better to have a few employees performing in tip-top shape compared to hundreds performing under poor morale?
Conclusion
Vital for retention and loyalty, businesses benefit greatly from crafting employee assistant programs. As you can see now, employee assistance programs play a key role in the foundations of any kind of business. To have a business up and running, you must make sure that every part of the team is valued and taken care of. After all, a business is only as good as the people who run it.
