An alternately sad and scary article in USA Today shows that even for Americans who are working, the affects of the recession are far-reaching and can't be compartmentalized into separate "work" and "life" boxes.
The newspaper reports increased demand for therapists to help stressed out families with anxiety, depression and physical abuse. For employees, a workplace employee assistance program can provide much-needed help. Most employers now have one, but communication still lags.
A new "Five Minutes With ..." podcast with clinical psychologist Edward Trieber spoke with EBN Managing Editor Leah Shepherd about how employers can best communicate their EAPs and other benefits to help alleviate employee stress. Click here to download the audio.
What programs/policies are in place at your company to help employees with stress? Have you seen an uptick in demand for/requests about these services? Comment below.
More from EBN: Finances running low, stress running high: Employee stress levels rising as economy declines
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
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3 comments:
This article says, "For employees, a workplace employee assistance program can provide much-needed help. Most employers now have one, but communication still lags."
If "most" employers now have a workplace employee assistance program (EAP), this is news to me.
What data is the "most" assertion based upon?
Are the employers in the "most" realm limited to Fortune 500 companies?
I expect that very few small employers have an EAP.
What's sadder is how insurance companies hold it against individuals who participate in EAPs. During a stressful time in my worklife, I saw a therapist because it was the healthy and responsible thing to do. Then, when I started my own business and went to Blue Cross for an individual health plan, I was denied coverage because solely because I saw a therapist, who prescribed no drugs and made no diagnosis of mental illness.
Employed caregivers also need help coping with elderly parents. One great resource is www.ASIlverConnection.com which assists employees that need to find help for an elderly relative. EAP's can offer great resources but most are not experts in this area.
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