Two Ways To Help Your Employees Help Themselves

More and more employers are discovering the advantages of helping employees through rough times. Employment Assistance Programs (EAPs) and Dependent Care Services can provide unique value-added benefits for both you and your employees.

Employment Assistance Programs
Today's employers face more workforce challenges than ever - many of them because of problems that employees face in their personal lives. Employee Assistance Programs can help. EAPs provide counseling for such issues as relationship concerns, family problems, stress, workplace problems, and alcohol/chemical dependency. These programs also offer consultation and information for such "life-management issues" as financial concerns, finding providers for child or elder care, tax issues, legal advice, organizing personal affairs, and pre-retirement planning. The information that employees share with an EAP is strictly confidential and not shared with the employer.

Considering the fact that substance abuse alone costs businesses more than $120 billion a year in lost productivity, an EAP program can be highly cost effective. EAPs have led to significant reductions in use of sickness benefits, work-related accidents, Workers Compensation claims, and employee conflict.

The Employee Report Line (ERL) is an essential risk management tool that offers a simple, efficient, and secure method for your employees to report any type of wrongdoing in the workplace.

Dependent Care Service Providers
Increasing demand for child and elder care has triggered the development of "Dependent Care Services Providers." These firms help employers take advantage of Internal Revenue Code Section 125, which provides a tax-advantaged method for employees to pay out-of-pocket health care and dependent day care expenses. The current IRS limit for this benefit is approximately $5,000.

A Business Insurance survey lists the top dependent care providers: Ceridian (www.ceridian.com), Child & Elder Care Insights Inc. (www.carereports.com), Work/Life Benefits (www.wlb.com), and LifeCare Inc. www.lifecare.com.

There's plenty of help available for your employees - and you. EAPs and Dependent Care Services Providers will be happy to share the costs and benefits of their services.

Provided by: HRTutor.com and The Human Equation Email this article Two Ways To Help Your Employees Help Themselves By: Donald A. Phin, Esq.
More and more employers are discovering the advantages of helping employees through rough times. Employment Assistance Programs (EAPs) and Dependent Care Services can provide unique value-added benefits for both you and your employees. Employment Assistance Programs Today's employers face more workforce challenges than ever - many of them because of problems that employees face in their personal lives. Employee Assistance Programs can help. EAPs provide counseling for such issues as relationship concerns, family problems, stress, workplace problems, and alcohol/chemical dependency. These programs also offer consultation and information for such "life-management issues" as financial concerns, finding providers for child or elder care, tax issues, legal advice, organizing personal affairs, and pre-retirement planning. The information that employees share with an EAP is strictly confidential and not shared with the employer. Considering the fact that substance abuse alone costs businesses more than $120 billion a year in lost productivity, an EAP program can be highly cost effective. EAPs have led to significant reductions in use of sickness benefits, work-related accidents, Workers Compensation claims, and employee conflict. *The Employee Report Line (ERL) is an essential risk management tool that offers a simple, efficient, and secure method for your employees to report any type of wrongdoing in the workplace.* Dependent Care Service Providers Increasing demand for child and elder care has triggered the development of "Dependent Care Services Providers." These firms help employers take advantage of Internal Revenue Code Section 125, which provides a tax-advantaged method for employees to pay out-of-pocket health care and dependent day care expenses. The current IRS limit for this benefit is approximately $5,000. A Business Insurance survey lists the top dependent care providers: Ceridian (www.ceridian.com), Child & Elder Care Insights Inc. (www.carereports.com), Work/Life Benefits (www.wlb.com), and LifeCare Inc. www.lifecare.com. There's plenty of help available for your employees - and you. EAPs and Dependent Care Services Providers will be happy to share the costs and benefits of their services.
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