EAPs Benefit the Entire Organization

	EAPs salvage employees and reduce turnover. . .Employees with personal problems, who have been your most troublesome may become your most responsible and most valued employees with the resolution of their personal problems.
	EAPs reduce the likelihood of lawsuits initiated by employees. . . . Terminating employees, although sometimes necessary, is always legally risky. An EAP can make it less likely employee problems will have to be resolved by terminating the employee. As a result, EAPs save companies millions of dollars lawsuits that never happen.
	EAPs help supervisors remain focused on performance. . . You are an expert on performance, not personal problems. An EAP makes it easier for you to do your job. EAPs give you an alternative to tolerting poor performance, pleading with the employee to change, or figuring out how to terminate or transfer an employee.
	EAPs help supervisors trouble-shoot difficult employee management situations. . . Employee assistance professionals have more experience than any other profession in consulting with supervisors about difficult employees. This experience builds into an extensive base of pratical knowledge.





Some supervisors say, "Why have an EAP. If I had a problem employee, I would just fire him." In practice, this does not occur. Instead, supervisors make an effort to help troubled employees, become involved in their personal problems, tolerate continuing performance issues, and eventually lose the employee through termination. EAPs make all these problems less likely.




Use the EAP early when performance problems first emerge and your efforts as a supervisor fail to correct them. You will be more successful before the relationship with your employee deteriorates.