EXCLUSIVE: The UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association (UK EAPA) has published a set of guidelines that provide an up-to-date review of issues relating to the commissioning, delivery and evaluation of employee assistance programmes (EAPs).
The guidelines, which include a foreword from Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University Management School, also explain what can be included in all aspects of an EAP, such as legal support services, coaching and mentoring, account management, and trauma and crisis management, as well as counselling provision.
It includes a discussion of emerging topics and developments for the EAP industry and provides the latest statement on EAPs in relation to their status as a taxable benefit.
David Smith, chair of the UK EAPA, said: “The guidelines have been put together by representatives of the UK EAPA to enable EAP providers, organisations and the wider public to understand the broad remit and huge potential of EAPs.”
Andrew Kinder, vice chair of the UK EAPA and co-editor of the guidelines, added: “It contributes significantly to best practice within the industry and will be useful to buyers of EAP services in particular, enabling them to understand more about what is and what should be included in EAP provision.
“It also offers existing EAP purchasers a range of issues [against] which to benchmark their own programme.”