The disasters of 2005 proved to be another test of the degree to which employer-sponsored benefits and services can—and should—rise to even the most trying of circumstances to help individuals, families and the workplace. The assistance offered by a company’s employee assistance program and work/life services need to be much broader than in the past. Along with traditional post-trauma emotional and psychological support, EAPs are now providing work/life services that range from helping employees in the immediate aftermath of a disaster find food and shelter, to helping them cope later with the rebuilding of their lives.

For example, in the first few days after Hurricane Katrina, the work/life specialists serving ValueOptions’ clients were able to direct employees to local help with practical, immediate recovery needs such as emergency housing, child care, older/disabled adult care, access to government and community aid and emergency services, education assistance, and help resettling in a new community. Work/life professionals—who are well versed in the art and science of resource and referral work, and who are frequently called upon to serve high-need families in crisis situations—were able to help hurricane victims get aid from government and national organizations as well as track down local assistance from even the most obscure organizations. They helped people get their paychecks, clothe their children, communicate with relatives, find transportation, access their mail, connect  with assistance offered by their employers, and get back to work. Employees were grateful not only for the information (which was frequently inaccessible to them due to the breakdown in local communications) but also for the caring voice at the other end of the phone. These valuable work/life services were fully integrated with essential counseling and emergency response work through the EAP. (ValueOptions made work/life services available to all its affected EAP clients in the aftermath of the hurricanes.)
                                                                                  
With the relocation of hurricane victims to different states in the weeks that followed, work/life specialists answered calls for information on family care, daily life issues and school registration. As employees adjusted to their new surroundings, the work/life specialists handled requests for long-term housing assistance such as locating real estate brokers and public housing information.

As hurricane-affected employees and spouses/partners now work to rebuild their lives and homes and find new jobs, finding quality back-up care for dependents is critical. Work/life specialists continue to locate back-up resources in the community and communicate whatever unique benefits employers have in place. A growing number of employers are offering back-up dependent care as part of their constellation of employee assistance benefits. This type of benefit usually consists of in-home care options for well and mildly-ill children, in-home care for adults/elders, child care centers that offer drop-in care, and companies purchasing spaces in child care centers for ad-hoc use.  

The combination of emotional and psychological support with practical work/life resources extends far beyond the traditional scope of an employee assistance program. Employees coping either with personal challenges or community-wide emergencies can return to productive lives sooner with the aid of integrated programs staffed with professionals prepared to extend dovetailed EAP and work/life services, even during major crises. Employers can benefit from the increased usage of these programs, and realize a stronger return on their investment.