One of the hidden benefits of our EAP services is how we help companies avoid risk. Clearly, helping employees with Substance Abuse issues decreases a company’s risks of accidents, health care costs, and even death. Helping employees with a host of other issues also decreases risk. Employees in a domestic violence situation bring risks to a company – as the violence often follows them to the workplace. Employees who are depressed also bring increased risks. Employees with untreated mental illness, or distressing family situations, or unreported harassment or workplace violence… All of these situations bring risk to the company. And all of these situations, if seen by EAP, will reduce potential risk to the company.

And, of course, there is the constant threat of litigation. Disgruntled employees, worker’s compensation claims, FMLA… The list goes on and on. EAP is a way for companies to reduce their risk. If an employee wants to sue their company and they go to a counselor, even some counselors that work for some Mainland EAP companies, they will often find an ally. If an employee comes to WorkLife Hawaii for these issues, they get another response. Not a challenge, but a neutral reality-based sounding board, and one that will not help them sue their company. We can help employees work toward resolution of their issues with their companies, but we won’t help them with litigation or by documenting their difficulties.

There is another form of Risk Management that will be discussed further--in the Critical Incident section--that comes with helping individuals and teams recover from events that may otherwise cause them to quit, or to sue, or to develop post-trauma issues and symptoms. First Responders learned years ago that after a critical incident, there are things teams could do to help individuals and teams recover. Now other businesses are learning the same thing, that after a robbery or a workplace violence incident, or a disaster or a death, coming together for a debriefing or defusing can help the recovery process and help teams get back to work faster and stay at work.

Next⇒