A properly administered EAP not only strengthens your potential legal defense but also is perceived as fair and caring by workers and the general public alike. EAP programs & problems with Drug Abuse Availability of an EAP changes employee perceptions of the purposes of drug free workplaces from one in which "big brother" (the employer) is seen as "out to get me" - to one in which a caring employer is not only seeking to provide a safer workplace for everyone but is also providing an important employee benefit (the EAP). Drug testing and the fear of being caught and subject to employer disciplinary consequences are merely the incentives which encourage employees to stop doing drugs and seek free professional help, if they can't quit on their own.
Question: Wouldn't it be less expensive to just terminate a problem employee?
Answer: No. Termination is a costly approach. The process of recruiting, hiring, training and retaining an employee is more expensive than employers realize. "Getting rid" of someone is fraught with potential legal liabilities and additional costs. If handled incorrectly, it may also set a negative tone, which is disruptive to other employees. EAP programs provide employers with a positive resource that allows problem employees a chance to improve. This option reduces the employer's legal consequences and turnover rates, while improving employee morale and sense of loyalty toward their employer. It also may have the additional benefit of helping to avoid potential "wrongful termination" lawsuits.
