Employee Assistance Research Articles

Nurse Leader Perspectives and Experiences on Caregiver Support Following a Serious Medical Error

OBJECTIVE This study explored nurse leaders' perspectives and experiences in supporting nurses following a serious medical error. BACKGROUND Appropriate support is crucial for nurses following an error. Authentic leadership provides an environment of psychological safety and establishes a patient safety culture. METHODS A cross-sectional survey research design was conducted to determine nurse leader's (NLs') perspectives on supporting nurses following a medical error. RESULTS NL training on handling serious medical errors varied. NLs indicated experiencing a variety of formal support programs: peer support, education, error examination, employee assistance, and just culture. Following an error, NLs reported these interventions were helpful, including education/retraining, psychological safety, time off the unit, identifying system failures, nurse involvement in disclosure, and peer support. CONCLUSION This study illuminates how NLs support nurses following an error. It provides insight into the education of NLs on assisting nurses and the need to implement formal caregiver support programs.

A study on assessing the role of HR in supporting employee well-being and mental health at ashwini electronics

HR plays a pivotal role in supporting employee well-being and mental health through comprehensive wellness programs and flexible work arrangements. They promote mental health awareness, destigmatize issues, and encourage open communication. Training managers in emotional intelligence and empathetic leadership helps create supportive environments. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer confidential counseling and resources. Overall, HR’s initiatives reduce stress, improve job satisfaction, and enhance productivity.

Artificial Intelligence and Employee Well-Being: Balancing Technological Progressions with Human-Centric Workplace Strategies, a Research Agenda

Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technologies are now corporate organisations' top priorities due to the availability of large data and the advent of the Internet of Things during the past ten years. AI is becoming a crucial component of business model innovation, process transformation, disruption, and gaining a competitive edge for companies adopting digital and data-centric cultures. This study investigates the implications of smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms (STARA) on the future of work, with a particular emphasis on employee well-being and workplace dynamics. As futurists project that by 2025, 52% of all work functions will be automated, replacing one-third of current jobs, the rapid advancement of STARA creates both opportunities and risks. While automation has the potential to produce 133 million new jobs, it also threatens to eliminate 75 million employments, raising employee anxieties about job security and future roles. Despite the rising volume of studies on smart automation, there is still a major vacuum in our understanding of its implications on employees' mental health, well-being, and the entire workplace. This study investigates STARA's dual influence: while technology reduces physical strain and automates tedious jobs, it also raises new difficulties such as job displacement concerns and shifts in worker dynamics. The study emphasizes the need of human resource professionals to develop methods that strike a balance between technological integration and employee assistance. Key areas of focus include providing reskilling opportunities, adopting mental health initiatives, and encouraging open conversation regarding AI's expanding role in the workforce. By addressing these concerns, organisations may build a more resilient workforce that is better suited to the fourth industrial revolution. The study intends to contribute to a better understanding of how organisations may safeguard and improve employee well-being in the face of fast technological change, ensuring that STARA integration encourages innovation while simultaneously supporting a healthy and engaged workforce

The Effect of EAP on Job Performance Based on Psychological Contract and Perceived Organizational Support

In order to study whether employee assistance programs have a significant impact on job performance, whether psychological contract and perceived organizational support play a mediating role in job performance, and thus provide practical operational strategies for relevant enterprises to propose human resource management suggestions to promote job performance, the implementation of employee assistance programs has been the subject of practical research. The findings indicate that addressing issues related to high turnover, job burnout, and absences cannot be separated from the importance of the psychological contract, perceived organizational support, and employee performance in organizational change. By applying structural equation modeling (SEM) to the data from front-line employees of several units in China, this research tested the relationships among employee assistance programs, psychological contracts, perceived organizational support, and job performance using SPSS and AMOS. The results indicate that employee assistance programs positively affect job performance; psychological contracts and perceived organizational support play a mediating role between employee assistance programs and employee job performance (JOP). Our research suggests that an employee assistance program can optimize frontline employee assistance work, build a mechanism to stimulate frontline employees' psychological contracts, and create an organizational environment full of perceived organizational support. This study innovatively uses the structural equation model for quantitative research. In addition, most previous studies on EPA were based on a single variable, psychological contract, and POS were used as the main intermediary variables to explore the mechanism of their impact on job performance so as to enhance the explanatory power of employee job performance. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-05-018 Full Text: PDF

Enhancing Employee Assistance Programs for Stress Management in Thailand: Employees’ Perspectives

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are commonly used to manage stress and well-being in organizations in Thailand; however, their utilization rates remain low among employees. This study investigates the factors that influence employees’ utilization of an EAP, focusing on the moderating roles of perceived privacy protection and perceived trust, using the Health Belief Model (HBM). Data were collected by surveying 434 employees from organizations providing EAPs in Thailand. Structural Equation Modelling was employed to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that employees’ intention to use EAPs was significantly influenced by perceived benefits, cues to action, and privacy protection, whereas self-efficacy had a negative effect. Moreover, perceived privacy protection can strengthen the relationship between self-efficacy and EAP utilization, while it weakens the relationship between cues to action and perceived barriers. Perceived trust further enhances the impact of perceived severity and self-efficacy on EAP utilization. The practical implications for organizations are also discussed.

Meet and Greet Sessions: A Unique Virtual Opt-Out Approach to Support Trainee Well-Being.

Background Interventions to support graduate medical education (GME) trainee well-being at the institutional level continue to be an area for continuous improvement. Objective To assess participation, feasibility, and acceptability of a virtual, individual, brief, nonevaluative opt-out approach to accessing mental health support for residents and fellows. Methods From 2021 to 2023, all GME programs at one large institution were invited to participate. During orientation, incoming trainees from programs that had communicated interest were prescheduled for optional 20-minute, virtual "meet and greet" sessions with a counselor from the hospital's Employee Assistance Program. Nonformal feedback was gathered using an anonymous 6-question survey. Results Three hundred thirty-four residents and fellows from 12 of 74 (16%) participating GME programs were prescheduled for opt-out sessions over 3 academic years. Of the 334, 182 (54%) attended the sessions, 116 (35%) subsequently reached out to start counseling, and 108 (32%) responded to the survey. Each year, approximately 7 counselor hours were needed for the opt-out sessions per week over an 8-week period, which was feasible and added no extra cost. In the follow-up survey shared with all participants, 59 of 81 (73%) respondents reported that the sessions helped to reduce barriers to seeking mental health care. Conclusions During orientation, one-half of invited GME trainees participated in a virtual, individual, brief, nonevaluative meet and greet session with a counselor using an opt-out approach, and one-third subsequently requested counseling. Survey feedback was encouraging, and this approach can serve to help normalize culture surrounding accessing mental health services.

Improving Participation in Depression Risk Screening for Working Populations: Qualitative Results from Interviews with Six EAP Directors

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide practice-based evidence of ways to implement an effective and successful workplace depression screening program. Six participants from companies who participated in the workplace response program of Screening for Mental Health, Inc. (now MindWise Innovations) were interviewed to identify what they had found helpful in the online confidential depression screening programs developed for their employees. An inductive analysis of the interview responses resulted in the emergence of nine themes: accessibility, employee assistance programs, online screening, company web page, national observances, education about depression, gender differences, anonymous screening, and measurement of effectiveness.

Modeling the Relationship Between Employee Conflict, Work Stress, and Turnover Intention in the Food-Service Industry

The fast-paced and demanding food service industry faces challenges like employee conflict, workplace stress, and high turnover intentions, which impact both employee well-being and business performance. This study examines the causal relationships among employee conflict, work stress, and turnover intention using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). A sample of 237 food service restaurant workers from Pampanga, Philippines, was selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected using a survey instrument with rating scales. The study evaluated the model’s fit, internal reliability, and construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis. Path analysis revealed a moderate fit of the model to the data, indicating acceptable reliability and validity. Findings showed a direct positive effect of employee conflict on turnover intention, with work stress having an indirect influence. Recommendations include the following: implementing conflict resolution and stress management programs, improving communication, offering flexible work hours, task management, employee assistance programs, rewards, and career advancement opportunities. Due to geographical limitations, future studies should also employ qualitative or mixed methods and longitudinal designs to examine these effects over time.

Pharmacy prevalence of second victim syndrome in a comprehensive cancer center.

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. The results of a survey to determine the pharmacy prevalence of second victim syndrome (SVS) at a comprehensive cancer center are presented. The division of pharmacy was surveyed using a 47-item online Qualtrics-platform questionnaire to help determine the prevalence of SVS. The questionnaire included demographic questions, questions about self-perceived SVS, and the validated Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (SVEST). The questionnaire was distributed electronically through senior leadership. The response rate was 95%, with self-perceived SVS reported in 37% of all respondents. Overall, 53% of pharmacists and 15% of pharmacy technicians reported having experienced SVS in their lifetime. Self-perceived time needed to recover from the most pronounced event was either less than a week or less than a month for 60% of respondents, with 10% never fully recovering. The SVEST score, which helped assess SVS impact, was neutral with a mean (SD) of 2.79 (0.51). The psychological distress and professional self-efficiency dimensions of SVEST each had a mean score of 3.5 or higher, suggesting prevalence of SVS symptoms. The resources most desired to help individuals recover from SVS were a peer support program, a specified peaceful location, time away from the unit, and an employee assistance program. The pharmacy division at a comprehensive cancer center is experiencing SVS. Programs targeting SVS should be considered for a pharmacy department or division at a comprehensive cancer center to help improve their employees' well-being and job performance. Multiple avenues of support resources are needed to meet everyone's needs.

Oncology Healthcare Professionals’ Awareness and Uptake of the Employee Assistance Programme in Three Public Healthcare Facilities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Institutional psychosocial support services have gained traction, globally, more so within the context of healthcare facilities. This is mainly due to the recognition that institutional psychosocial support services are beneficial to both employees and employers, alike. However, while these institutional psychosocial support services are important, their uptake remains relatively low. With the focus being on the employee assistance programme (EAP), this study aimed to explore the awareness and uptake of institutional psychosocial support services among oncology healthcare professionals (OHPs) in public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Using the interpretative phenomenological approach, the qualitative study was conducted in three public healthcare facilities that offer oncology services in KZN. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted among 31 participants who were OHPs in the three public healthcare facilities. Thematic data analysis produced two main themes and six respective sub-themes. The main themes were awareness of institutional psychosocial support services and low uptake of institutional psychosocial support services, mainly owing to adequate personal support systems, privacy and confidentiality concerns, and stigma. The study findings point to the need for stronger EAPs that are needs-based, promoted regularly, and evaluated, in public healthcare facilities. To encourage service uptake and address privacy, confidentiality and stigma concerns, innovative and non-stigmatising ways of promoting these services are required, including hybrid approaches to the provision of EAP services. The study findings can provide a valuable contribution to the continued development and strengthening of institutional psychosocial support services in public healthcare facilities.

Why and how the interpersonal stressors influence nurses' intention to stay and job satisfaction: the JD-R model perspective

PurposeInterpersonal stressors are a major source of stress for East Asian workers. It is still a major management issue in hospital management. This study focuses on clarifying the stress response processes of interpersonal stressors. The moderating effects of gratitude and employee assistance programs were considered.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were distributed to hospital workers in a regional hospital in the city; a total of 288 valid and matched surveys were collected.FindingsThe results showed interpersonal stressors negatively affected job satisfaction, and interpersonal resources positively affected intention to stay and job satisfaction. In addition, gratitude had a moderating effect on the relationship between interpersonal stressors and emotional burnout, and awareness of employee assistant programs had a moderating effect on the relationship between interpersonal resources and work engagement.Originality/valueThis study seeks to elucidate the working conditions of nurses and may serve as a reference for hospitals in implementing or drafting labor conditions and policies for stress management.

Comprehending the disruptive influence of workplace gaslighting behaviours and mobbing on nurses' career entrenchment: A multi-centre inquiry.

To explore the disruptive influence of workplace gaslighting behaviours and mobbing on nurses' career entrenchment across multiple healthcare centres. A multi-centre cross-sectional. Data were collected from 483 nurses from various healthcare settings in Egypt, spanning from January 2024 to February 2024. The Gaslighting at Work Questionnaire, Luxembourg Workplace Mobbing Scale and Career Entrenchment Scale were employed for data collection. The study revealed moderate levels of gaslighting, mobbing and nurses' career entrenchment. Also, there is a negative correlation between nurses' career entrenchment and both gaslighting and mobbing, while gaslighting and mobbing exhibit a positive correlation. The study also highlighted regional disparities in the prevalence of these phenomena, with the highest incidences noted in urban healthcare settings. The findings underscore the critical impact of workplace gaslighting and mobbing on nurses' career entrenchment. The relevant reporting method has been adhered to, that is, STROBE. The future of the nursing profession requires building productive nurses who can cope with negative workplace experiences. This could be achieved by cultivating a workplace culture that has zero tolerance for these experiences. Offering counselling services or employee assistance programmes to help nurses cope with the emotional toll of these negative experiences is a promising strategy. This study is the first to examine serious workplace practices like gaslighting and mobbing in a nursing context, emphasizing their effect on nursing-sensitive indicators like career entrenchment. It is one of the important initiatives geared towards upgrading the competitiveness and magnetism of healthcare organizations in the era of green human resources management. Results provide valuable insights for nurse leaders to control nursing turnover and shortage crises in different endeavours. In our study, nurses from diverse geographical regions and varied specialties actively participate, offering a rich tapestry of experiences and perspectives.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Offering Personalized Employee Virtual Assistant (EVA) in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Offering Personalized Employee Virtual Assistant (EVA) in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Imbuing Spirituality to Enhance the Effectiveness of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Conventional approaches of management researchers are based on economic rationality and human emotions, which are deficient in the spiritual aspects of humanity. Spirituality is an element of practical wisdom. Rationalist ethics and knowledge do not alone ensure virtues. The concept of spirituality places an ultimate or an apparent immaterial truth. It enables a person to discover the essence of their being. Spiritual practices, including prayer, meditation, and contemplation, are anticipated to enhance an individual’s inner space. They facilitate non-judgmental awareness, the ability to recover quickly from negative stimuli like stress or calmness, empathy, and increased flexibility in response. An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an arrangement between a corporation, academic institution, or government agency and its employees that provides a variety of support programs for employees mainly dealing with work-related difficulties. The concept of the EAP originated in the 1970s to reduce substance abuse and intoxication in the workplace. Since then, EAPs have evolved to deal with various issues such as depression, marital problems, anger, anxiety, physical illness, etc. EAPs can provide daycare for employees' children and elder care for employees' parents. The relevance of spiritual wisdom in management is a widely accepted fact. This paper examines how Employee Assistance Programs can be made more effective by imbuing spiritual practices

The effects of an employee assistance program on productivity at work, workability, absenteeism, and smartphone measures of heart rate and heart rate variability.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have been shown to effectively reduce absenteeism, workplace injury rates, and health-related productivity impairments. However, established measures for determining its impact on employee-level productivity have rarely been used, nor have studies employed biological measures of well-being. Drawing on the allostatic load theory, we examine the effects of an EAP on biological measures (heart rate, heart rate variability), established measures of health-related productivity (Workability Index, Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, Workplace Limitations Questionnaire), and absenteeism 4 weeks and 6 months after clients started to receive counseling. We conducted a quasi-experimental study comparing an EAP (n = 73) with a matched control group (n = 134) using propensity score matching. We found that an EAP improves health-related productivity 4 weeks and 6 months after enrolling in counseling, above and beyond changes in the control group. Biological measures changed in the hypothesized directions, but differences between the groups did not reach significance. Absenteeism did not change in the EAP group 6 months after enrolling in counseling. In an exploratory analysis, we found that individuals requiring many sessions in the first 4 weeks showed worse productivity outcomes, demonstrating a negative dose-response relationship. Our study provides an example of how to include biological measures in EAP research. It adds to the scientific evidence of the usefulness of EAP services in restoring employee-level productivity. We calculate that the marginal productivity improvements per employee using the EAP are as much as $15,600 per annum. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Toward a more pre-emptive approach to managing work emotions and emotional labor

PurposeTo propound a broadened perspective on emotional labor management by exploring mitigatory approaches that could be pre-emptively deployed prior to actual episodic experiences of emotional dissonance and their associated negative consequences (e.g. burnout). At present, the management of emotional labor appears to skew toward reactive measures, such as deploying employee assistance programs (EAPs) to assist overwhelmed employees in coping better with their emotional demands, reducing job-related emotional demands or a combination of both.Design/methodology/approachIntricate processes of emotion emergence and established literature on emotion regulation are considered. By conceptualizing emotion emergence as a process entailing situation, attention, appraisal and response, current efforts can be seen as primarily acting upon the late stages of this process. General emotion regulation strategies that act upon more upstream processes are then considered and applied to the specific context of emotional labor.FindingsPre-emptive steps could be taken from the early stages of job selection as well as personnel selection and assessment through systematic and concerted efforts in identifying job-related emotional demands (e.g. specific display rules, frequency and intensity). Formal job descriptions could then reflect these demands to better facilitate self-selection processes. Additionally, considering these identified parameters as personnel selection and assessment criteria could further enhance person-job fit in terms of emotional congruency. For current hires, pre-emptive steps could also be taken to subliminally modulate their emotional emergence trajectory toward more job-congruent emotions. Collectively, these steps may facilitate the pre-emptive reduction of emotionally dissonant work episodes and bear substantive potential to be deployed synergistically with current, more reactive measures.Originality/valueThis paper offers a broadened perspective on emotional labor management. Through considering intricate processes of emotion emergence and established literature on emotion regulation, a pre-emptive perspective toward managing work emotions and emotional labor is propounded. It is believed that the synergistic incorporation of these pre-emptive management approaches with current strategies (e.g. reducing emotional demands, EAPs, etc.) would holistically allow for greater amelioration of this debilitating issue. Finally, it is hoped that this paper could serve as a primer for future research and discourses to be conducted, such that our arsenal available for combating emotional labor could be substantively expanded to holistically target all stages of the emotion emergence process.

Ohio Health Care Professionals' Pandemic-Related Help-Seeking Knowledge, Behaviors, and Concerns.

Health care professionals (HCPs) historically exhibit high rates of stress, burnout, and low rates of service utilization from Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and Professional Health Programs (PHPs). New and magnified stressors that accompanied COVID-19 exacerbated HCPs' risk of burnout. During the pandemic, this study examined Ohio HCP's utilization of EAPs and PHPs, knowledge of available services, barriers to accessing services, and likelihood of future service utilization. Conditions needing to change to increase likelihood of future utilization were also explored. A one-time survey was administered in July and August of 2021 to HCPs from 13 licensing boards in Ohio. This study used a subset of data to examine the extent of convergence between quantitative results-analyzed using frequency calculations-and results from thematic analysis of corresponding open-ended survey items. Qualitative results supported and elaborated the quantitative findings. Fewer than 25% of respondents (N = 12,807) utilized EAPs or PHPs to address mental health concerns. Obstacles impeding service utilization included issues around awareness, time commitment, and confidentiality-a concern encompassing issues of stigma and fear of employment repercussions. Noting multiple obstacles to accessing EAPs and PHPs, HCPs in Ohio reported low rates of support service utilization and low likeliness to use services in the future despite their experiences of extreme stress and burnout. Addressing the time commitment and confidentiality concerns could increase the likelihood of accessing services. Employers of HCPs should explore additional support mechanisms such as comprehensive wellness programs and innovative, brief intervention strategies to combat burnout, especially during viral outbreaks and other high-stress events.

Exploring the Psychological Health and Work Efficiency of Enterprise Employees under the EAP Perspective

Against the backdrop of rapid global economic advancement, intensifying corporate competition has made employee mental health a pivotal factor affecting both organizational performance and employee well-being. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), as structured mental health support services, have garnered increasing attention from corporate entities and academia alike. EAPs not only aim to address employees' psychological issues but also strive to enhance their work efficiency and overall satisfaction. By offering psychological counseling, stress management, and other comprehensive services, EAPs effectively alleviate workplace stress, promote mental well-being, and consequently elevate corporate productivity and competitiveness. Research underscores a significant positive correlation between mental health and work efficiency. Maintaining a healthy psychological state facilitates sustained high performance among employees, mitigating absenteeism and turnover stemming from psychological issues. As businesses increasingly prioritize employee mental health, the global adoption of EAPs is becoming more widespread. However, enterprises face various challenges in implementation, such as safeguarding employee privacy, low participation rates, and resource constraints. Thus, exploring the impact of EAPs on employee mental health and work efficiency, analyzing challenges encountered during implementation, and devising corresponding strategies are crucial for optimizing management practices and enhancing operational efficiency in enterprises.

Police mental health in small and rural areas of Pennsylvania

PurposeThe nature of policework is uniquely challenging to officers’ mental health, producing detrimental outcomes such as higher rates of suicide, substance abuse and divorce compared to other occupations. This is especially true in small and rural police departments, where officers often have broader responsibilities and cover a larger geographic area than their counterparts who work in large urban departments. Given the limited resources available to small and rural police, the purpose of this study is to explore the mental health services available to officers in small and rural police departments.Design/methodology/approachWe used a mixed methods approach. First, we surveyed 349 small and rural Pennsylvania police chiefs about the mental health services in their department. Of these chiefs, 53 participated in subsequent in-depth qualitative interviews about officer awareness of the mental health services available to them, what resources they thought would be helpful to officers and what barriers exist to prevent officers from seeking help.FindingsQuantitative results indicated that 22% of small and rural police departments had no mental health programs available to officers; Critical Incident Stress Management and Employee Assistance Programs were most commonly available. Budget size and the presence of a union influenced whether a department had mental health programs available to officers. Qualitative interviews found that although most departments provided some mental health services, officers were unlikely to use them. Chiefs expressed a need for improved services that officers might be more likely to use.Practical implicationsGiven the lack of resources available in small and rural police departments and the lack of adoption of some resources, we recommend peer assistance, general wellness programs and telehealth as feasible options for officer mental health.Originality/valueSmall and rural police comprise the bulk of policing in the USA, yet remain understudied. This study focuses on small and rural police.

Employee assistance program for players in the Chinese Professional Baseball League

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) offer services that assist in the management of problems faced by employees. EAP can assist in addressing employee-related issues in various workplaces, including the problems faced by professional baseball players. The purpose of this study is to develop the framework for a suitable EAP for the players of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). This study chose the modified Delphi method to develop the EAP for players of the CPBL. The selection of members of the expert panel was based on their expertise in human resource management, counseling, EAP, and sports management, as well as retired professional baseball players. The two rounds of nine-week survey were conducted to collect the opinions of the panel experts. The results indicated that EAP for CPBL players fall into four categories: EAP about work, which can help players pursue their career development; EAP about health, which can help players maintain their physical and mental health; EAP about family life, which can help improve the quality of life of players and their families; and other EAP, which can be used to establish communication channels with the teams. There are a total of 40 EAP items developed in this study.