Editor's Note View from the Top Point of View Perspective International Trends Provider Point of View The Next Big Thing Accor Services EAPs (Employee Assistance Programmes) are gaining a lot of importance lately all over the world, in view of the growing stress on Work-Life Balance. In Australia Accor Services is the market leader in EAPs. We caught up with Mr. Paul Flanagan, the CEO, Accor Services, Australia to get his take on EAPs and their criticality in ensuring Work-Life Balance. Employee Assistance Programmes The basic concept of EAP is to look at policy, strategy, services, within and external to the company that supports effective performance. It helps to support individuals, but it also provides a framework to help the managers in the process of managing their people. So it focuses mainly on the employees, and their managers. Role of EAPs in Work-Life Balance The breakdown of social structures as well as the different demands that the new economy is placing on the employees is leading to various problems that they don't have anyone to share with; this is where EAPs play a part. The employees prefer to receive advice from a third-party expert, and they solicit advice on all issues ranging from work-related to personal.

Business buy-in

I can provide two water-tight reasons to institute an EAP:

Employer branding and 'employer of choice': It communicates to current and future employees that 'this is a great place to work, we're going to be growing, and we want to take care of you, we want to provide support.'

Productivity saving and the ROI: Our research data indicates that EAPs help to improve employee morale and productivity significantly.

Employing EAPs at the Workplace

Pre work and evaluation

Before introducing EAP, we analyze the needs of the company to customize the solution. Organization needs vary, and are dependent on several factors: the kind of work, the demographics, location, the size of the company in terms of its revenues and its employee strength. We then do an assessment with the company to understand the needs in discussion groups with both employees and the managers.

Solution Design

This gets us to the items that form the crux of the matter. Common issues include Employee Relations Policies, or Job design issues, or even T&D, or the services that their current EAP provides. The EAPs we've provided normally include professional and confidential counselling to the employees, and also a managerial help-line, helping the managers deal with sensitive people issues, which are increasingly common.

The D-I-Y Route

An alternative to this process is a web-based resource tool, for managers and employees to take on themselves. They are also given a report with demographics and the issues specific to the population. The data can be split in many cuts to draw useful insights. We also have some counsellors who provide assistance with insights to those who work on the reports.

Measuring Effectiveness

We collect all the data, and we know who the incumbents are, what level they are at, the work they do, and the salary cost of that job. From that, we have a ROI analysis. The mechanics of this calculation are available for all organizations, and the validity has been scientifically proven. Many companies have their own methods of calculating ROI though. Some measure productivity, retention, etc. Others are more concerned about the message they are sending out to their own workforce and the well-being of the workforce, and not so much about the rupees or dollars that have been saved or earned. They just feel that is an important thing to practically support the employees.

The Biggest Takers

The services sector is the biggest taker, with the IT/ITES industry having the highest buy in. This is probably because of the demand and the rate of change, and partly because of the receptiveness of the employees and their education levels.

The India Story

With the growing Indian economy and companies becoming bigger, work and work places are becoming more and more challenging. While I'm not saying that EAPs are the one-stop solution to solving these issues, I do believe that implementing EAPs is a step in the right direction, both in showing the organization's commitment to the wellbeing of its employees, and in actually reducing the negative effects of Work-Life Balance issues on performance and productivity.