| Employee
assistance programs boost productivity and profits
by Sonny Phipps
Virginia Business
May 2005
Every year, U.S. businesses lose nearly $312 billion
through lost productivity and absenteeism caused by
mental illness. In fact, employees with behavioral
disorders are absent from work three times more often
than other employees and are 35 percent less productive,
according to the National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health.
On average, alcohol-dependent employees miss 15.3
workdays per year, and patients with diagnosable behavioral
disorders average twice as many visits to primary-care
physicians than other employees.
Many businesses offer employer-sponsored behavioral
health benefits, such as employee assistance programs
(EAPs). These programs offer a broad range of
support services including assistance with depression, alcoholism, financial
management, divorce and child-care issues. To en-courage workers to take advantage
of EAPs, they’re designed to be user-friendly, offering 24-hour counseling
and an online component, so people can access services when and where it is
most convenient for them.
But do such programs make a difference? The good
news is, yes. Research shows EAPs can reduce absenteeism
and improve productivity. In November 2003, ValueOptions,
a Norfolk-based provider of managed behavioral health-care
services to Fortune 500 companies, health plans and
governments, began conducting a study to assess the
effectiveness of company-sponsored EAPs. Based on data
collected from more than 12,000 individuals so far,
the study has found that employees who receive behavioral
health treatment show considerable improvement.
During treatment, the employees were absent fewer
days from work, with absenteeism decreasing by 55 percent
and productivity increasing by 63 percent. After treatment,
83.8 percent of those who missed work because of behavioral
health problems reported improvement, and 74.6 percent
reported no absenteeism because of behavioral health
problems during the previous month. In addition, of
those members who reported being less productive because
of behavioral health problems, 68.6 percent reported
no lost productivity 90 days later.
Clearly, employer-sponsored behavioral health programs
are successful because they enable individuals to participate
more fully and productively in family life and at work,
improving the bottom line of the businesses that provide
them.
Nolan (Sonny) Phipps is director of Outcomes
and Research for the Employer Solutions Division
of ValueOptions and is the author of the research.
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