Media room

May 13, 2005

Assurant Employee Benefits Offers New EAP Options

Broad range of offerings brings important benefit within reach of more workers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Assurant Employee Benefits, known for making flexibility and customization available to small- and medium-sized employers, has introduced a new, broader range of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) options.

The company now offers two tiers of EAP program choices: EssentialAssist Plus TM and EssentialAssist TM. Each tier offers three levels of service. EssentialAssist Plus is comparable to the EAP programs the company has been offering. The EssentialAssist tier adds lower-priced options specially designed to make assistance services affordable for more employers and available to more of their employees.

Assurant Employee Benefits' EAPs provide confidential counseling services to employees and their families to help them cope with a broad range of issues ranging from routine problems to serious life challenges. Family stress, alcohol or drug problems, legal issues, difficulties with co-workers and financial worries are among the most frequent issues that prompt workers to seek EAP services.

“EAPs have emerged in recent years as a key component of an employee benefit package because of the significant impact they can have on productivity, absenteeism and job performance,” said Melonie Jones, second vice president, life and disability marketing at Assurant Employee Benefits. “We developed the EssentialAssist package of EAP options to make these valuable services available to a greater segment of the workforce.”

The EssentialAssist package offers confidential assessments and referrals through New Directions Behavioral Health professionals. Services can be obtained from providers available 24 hours a day by calling toll-free telephone numbers.

The EssentialAssist tier options include:

• Essential T: Phone assessment and referral counseling
• Essential 2: Assessment and referral, plus up to two sessions of in-person counseling
• Essential 3: Increases benefit to up to three counseling sessions

The EssentialAssist Plus tier options add quarterly utilization reports, management consultations and educational workshops to the basic benefit. These options include:

• Plus T: Phone assessment and referral counseling
• Plus 3: Assessment and referral, plus up to three sessions of in-person counseling
• Plus 6: Increases benefit to six counseling sessions

“Including an EAP in a benefits package is truly a win-win for employers and employees alike,” Jones said. “Employees have access to caring and confidential professional help when they need it, and employers provide support to their workers at a time when those workers might need it most, demonstrating their commitment to the well-being of the individuals in the company and their families.”