How Do You Set Up an Employee Assistance Program?

An employee assistance program (EAP) is designed to address reasons for productivity decline, according to the Employee Assistance Professionals Association. It aids employees in identifying and resolving generalized stress and problems with physical, emotional and mental health, family and marriage, finances, addictions to drugs/alcohol and any other personal issue that negatively affects focus and performance. Setting up an EAP includes drafting and implementing a policy, and choosing an EAP model to proceed within that preserves employee privacy and confidentiality.


Assemble a team or committee including members of human resources to decide on an operational model for the employee assistance program. The team/committee must decide whether to implement an internal EAP, where basic assistance is provided by a designated department within the organization, or an external EAP where an independent coordinator is contracted to direct employees to the specific professional services needed.


Draft an EAP policy to explain the program. According to the Employment Law Information Network's Human Resources Guidebook, an EAP policy should include statements that speak to the following: what the business hopes to accomplish by offering an EAP; a step-by-step procedure describing how employees go about accessing EAP services; an explanation of how the business intends to preserve employee privacy and maintain confidentiality.


Hire the professionals needed to provide EAP services in-house if the internal EAP model is chosen. If an independent model is chosen, interview various EAP coordinators and contract with the one determined to best fit the needs and culture of the organization.


Publish the policy within the organization and publicize the implementation of the program via internal newsletters, the business's internal website and any other means of communication that reaches employees in every sector of the organization. List the various services available through the program and stress that confidentiality is assured.


Set aside appointment times within the human resources department to speak individually with employees about their questions and to refer these individuals to the program so they may make any necessary appointments with specialists and begin accessing services.