The Effect of Employee Assistance Programs At the Workplace Essay

The Effect of Employee Assistance Programs At the Workplace Throughout the business world, one of the largest problems individual businesses face is the use of illegal drugs and alcohol. These substances greatly affect the business and workplace environments for many individuals. Employee assistance programs were created to help deal with augmenting substance abuse problems. Employee assistance programs enable a companies and its workers to detect if a co-worker is having problems and aids in helping them to overcome their problems by giving them advice or suggesting counseling. Critics have noticed some problems with this program. One problem is the lack of confidentiality and the fact that co-workers and bosses are afraid to confront their workers. In order for companies to minimize their loss of money, and for employees to stop ruining their lives and the lives around them, the employee assistance program is a necessity. Appropriate prevention and intervention efforts with employee assistance programs will save companies from losing experienced employees, and save employees from failure and even death. The most tremendous problems that companies are facing in the Nineties are the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Alcoholism is defined as a chronic, progressive, and fatal disease. The American Medical Association has recognized alcoholism as a disease since 1956 (Scanlon 9). An alcoholic is identified as having a severe dependency, or addiction, and a cumulative pattern of behaviors associated with drinking. Alcoholism is apparent when someone is frequently drunk, having marriage problems, driving while intoxicated, getting fired, or being arrested (Drug Abuse). A significant difference between being an alcoholic and a drug addict is that drugs, no matter what the age of the user, are illegal. Drug abuse is defined as the use of a drug for a purpose other than for its possible intended medical purpose, which causes a person to be impaired physically, emotionally, and socially. In both cases people use these substances as a way to escape from their problems, and as a way of postponing upcoming problems in their lives (Scanlon 10). Substance abuse is the misuse of any substance leading to a loss of control over mind and body. Employee assistance programs were founded in 1971, and they: â€Å"Have been working to develop and main... ...Tyrone. â€Å"The Quick Fix.† The Seattle Times 22 Dec. 1997: C1. Cooper, Lynn M. â€Å"Work Stress and Alcohol Effects.† Journal of Health and Social Behavior Sept. 1990, 260-263. Dickman, Fred ed. Employee Assistance Programs. Springfield Illinois: Charles Thomas, 1988. â€Å"Drug Abuse Self Assessment Survey.† 23 April 1999. Gerhart, Clifford. â€Å"Fighting Substance Abuse on the Job.† Alaska Business Monthly Aug. 1996:46-50. Goldberg, Carol. â€Å"High Price of Addiction.† LI Business News April 1998:1. Hartwell, Tyler D. â€Å"Workplace Alcohol-Testing Programs.† Monthly Labor Review June 1998:27-28. King, Phyllis A. â€Å"Alcohol in the Workplace.† Supervision 59 (1998): 16-18. Maynard, Roberta. â€Å"Handling Drug Problem on the Front Line.† Nation’s Business Aug. 1997: 11. Miller, Andy. â€Å"Employee Assistance Programs.† The Atlanta Journal and Constitution 30 Aug. 1998: 7. Scanlon, Walter F. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in the Workplace. New York: Praeger, 1986. â€Å"Substance Abuse in the Workplace.† 23 April 1998. â€Å"Substances in the Workplace.† HR Focus Feb. 1997:1-3. â€Å"The Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the United States.† National Institute on Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 23 April 1999.