The purpose of an employee assistance program (EAP), an employment rehabilitation program, is to help employees address personal issues that might negatively influence their productivity. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2022), around 8 million individuals are killed annually by smoking and tobacco-related products. More than 7 million mortalities are attributed to active tobacco consumption, while approximately 1.2 million are caused by nonsmokers subjected to passive smoking (CDC, 2022). Most smokers desire to stop when they learn about the risks associated with tobacco consumption. However, the nicotine found in tobacco consumables is highly addicting, and without help, only 4% of consumers who want to stop using tobacco will be successful (CDC, 2022). A person’s ability to cease smoking and consuming tobacco-related products can double with specialist assistance and effective cessation therapies.
Businesses incur immediate and indirect economic expenditures due to tobacco-associated fatalities, accidents, and declining health. Payouts for medical impairments and employees’ claims are instances of direct expenses. In 2018, the expenditure on smoking and tobacco consumption in America exceeded $600 billion (CDC, 2022). More than $240 billion is spent on health coverage (CDC, 2022). The cost of lost production due to diseases and related issues brought on by smoking is close to $185 billion (CDC, 2022). In addition to $7 billion in lost performance, smoking-associated deaths cost the economy close to $180 billion in reduced output (CDC, 2022). According to estimates, every smoker costs businesses $1,897 in reduced productivity annually (CDC, 2022). Losses in performance due to irregular absenteeism, missed income, wasted working days, hourly wage rates, replacement employee expenses, and decreased employee productivity in the workplace are all instances of indirect expenses.
Increasing medical expenditures are the most pressing concern affecting the community in the business world. Smoking addicts can be helped to quit completely through tobacco usage screening and professional smoking – cessation consulting. Unfortunately, just 60% of users obtain advice from a medical professional concerning stopping smoking, yet only 39% are recommended pharmaceutical medicine or therapy to help them cease (Carson‐Chahhoud et al., 2019). Screening for smokers and recommendations to external groups that provide these programs or on-site smoking cessation counselors are two possible approaches. These initiatives could improve employee turnover, lower the expense of medical insurance, and boost hiring, preservation, and employee performance (Carson‐Chahhoud et al., 2019). For instance, fitness programs and smoking and tobacco cessation enhance staff wellness and encourage a healthy lifestyle, which profits both employees and organizations and, to a lesser degree, the wider community.
Most medium-sized and smaller businesses have either disregarded the advantages of EAP programs or failed to consider them valuable enough to provide solutions to their staff. About 63% of workers reported regularly making appointments in the firms that provide these incentives (Carson‐Chahhoud et al., 2019). Despite the growing concern for these programs, hiring managers do not now appear to adopt them at a comparable significant rate. However, the broad trend suggests either a lack of employee engagement or financial compensation. The majority of troubled employees deliberately choose to deny that they have issues. Businesses should educate their staff and provide personal assistance to keep the organization more resourceful and appealing, improving the firm’s enthusiasm and culture.
A further issue is that staff are hesitant to take advantage of the incentives provided to them out of concern that their company would learn about it and maybe terminate them. Companies offer these initiatives to keep staff. According to the research, businesses must hold consultations on the application domains of these EAP and ensure the privacy of the care provided to them to overcome this lack of understanding of the merits.
In conclusion, one cannot overstate the importance of incorporating a health plan with an employee assistance program. Getting the appropriate, cost-effective EAP program in place at the business can help lower increasing medical, operating and maintenance expenditures. It is the company’s responsibility to demonstrate awareness to understand the potential benefits, both in terms of improved staff productivity and the business’s financial health.
References
Carson‐Chahhoud, K. V., Livingstone‐Banks, J., Sharrad, K. J., Kopsaftis, Z., Brinn, M. P., To‐A‐Nan, R., & Bond, C. M. (2019). Community pharmacy personnel interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10). Web.
CDC. (2022). Economic trends in tobacco. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.