An Employee Assistance Program (or EAP) helps you deal with family, marital and relationship problems, substance abuse problems, financial difficulties, stress, depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and other mental or emotional problems. Employees are usually encouraged to contact EAP even if their problems are not job-related. Short-term counseling is available in-house at no cost, while referrals are made to other services or outside professionals for longer-term treatment. When counseled or treated by others, the cost is the responsibility of the employee, but the EAP works to keep it affordable.

Ideally, a troubled individual will recognize a need for help and contact the EAP on his or her own. Often, however, those with serious problems will not take the initiative in seeking help to confront the problem. Indeed, denying the existence of an obvious problem is a common reaction by those most in need of help.

 Employee assistance plan managers—also called employee welfare managers—are responsible for a wide array of programs covering occupational safety and health standards and practices; health promotion and physical fitness, medical examinations, and minor health treatment, such as first aid; plant security; publications; food service and recreation activities; car pooling; employee suggestion systems; child care and elder care; and counseling services. Child care and elder care are increasingly important due to growth in the number of dual-income households and the elderly population. Counseling may help employees deal with emotional disorders, alcoholism, or marital, family, consumer, legal, and financial problems. Some employers offer career counseling as well. In large firms, some of these programs—such as security and safety—are in separate departments headed by other managers.