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Since the early 1970s work‐based interventions to deal with the emotional problems of workers arising from the workplace have emerged from the practitioner community. “Employee Assistance Programmes” (EAPs) have developed principally in the US and other English‐speaking cultures. A descriptive analysis of the emergence of EAPs in the US and the attempt by Australians to transfer this technology to Australia, the structure of that effort and apparent reasons for its eventual stagnation is presented. It points to the relative importance of government agencies, programme development specialists and treatment delivery agencies in programme adoption and implementation. It is evident that employers are working to demonstrate interest in employee health in terms of its impact on productivity and performance and its effects on the costs of health care. These developments are not limited to the USA. As a multinational phenomenon, employer involvement has an open‐ended potential for subtle forms of social control.

Discusses recent developments in employee assistance programmes, which have led to their being both proactive and reactive. Since the US Department of Labor decided that programmes should begin with education and prevention, the use of computer‐assisted instruction (CAIs) programmes has increased. Discusses the development of these programmes covering both advantages and disadvantages. Concludes that they are not a panacea, but are useful when used with other tools.

Interest in the impact of stress on employees has traditionally focused on factors occurring in the workplace. Whilst this is valid, stress has many sources not least of which are life events such as divorce, bereavement and relocation. The impact can erode individual productivity and ultimately organisational effectiveness. The employee assistance programme (EAP) is emerging as a positive and constructive response by employers to help employees manage and resolve work and personal conflicts, pressures and problems. Originating in America in the early 1960s, the EAP first appeared in the UK when the Employee Advisory Resource (EAR) was developed in 1981. EAR marked the beginning of a new strategy in human resource management which has been refined and applied to an increasing number of blue chip companies in the UK. The EAP is here to stay and many different models exist. The Employee Advisory Resource has a nine‐year track record of application and shows how the availability of counselling through an EAP can reduce individual and organisational stresses.

Defines the employee assistance programme (EAP) and describes its potential and impact on organizations. Provides details of how EAPs operate at each step. Evaluates their use and value in the context of the need for organizational performance.

Factors for successful workplace health promotion (WHP) are well described in the literature, but often sourced from evaluations of wellness programmes. Less well understood are the features of an organisation that contribute to employee health which are not part of a health promotion programme. The purpose of this paper is to inform policy on best practice principles and provide real life examples of health promotion in regional Victorian workplaces.

Individual case studies were conducted on three organisations, each with a health and wellbeing programme in place. In total, 42 employers and employees participated in a face to face interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and the qualitative data were thematically coded.

Employers and senior management had a greater focus on occupational health and safety than employees, who felt that mental/emotional health and happiness were the areas most benefited by a health promoting workplace. An organisational culture which supported the psychosocial needs of the employees emerged as a significant factor in employee's overall wellbeing. Respectful personal relationships, flexible work, supportive management and good communication were some of the key factors identified as creating a health promoting working environment.

Currently in Australia, the main focus of WHP programmes is physical health. Government workplace health policy and funding must expand to include psychosocial factors. Employers will require assistance to understand the benefits to their business of creating environments which support employee's mental and emotional health.

This study took a qualitative approach to an area dominated by quantitative biomedical programme evaluations. It revealed new information about what employees really feel is impacting their health at work.

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) provide confidential counselling services to employees with problems that may or may not be work related. Reports on the recently initiated EAP managed by FOCUS Limited for British Gas. Outlines the essential stages involved for a company to establish an EAP.

Describes a process through which organizations might seek to implement interventions relating to employee wellbeing. Emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive needs assessment both in obtaining the breadth of information needed to design appropriate interventions and also in providing baseline information against which to evaluate programme effectiveness. Discusses factors which influence the type of intervention appropriate for a particular situation and highlights their design implications. Finally, provides guidance on programme implementation and evaluation, and discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to tertiary welfare provision.

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of Personnel Review is split into 8 sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Career/Manpower Planning and Recruitment; Health and Safety; Industrial Relations and Participation; Pay, Incentives and Pensions; Performance, Productivity and Motivation; Redundancy and Dismissal; Work Patterns; and Training and Development.

Discusses introduction and progress of EAPs in Europe. Makes the case for generating support from management, unions and health professionals and outlines approach to doing this. Provides strategy and tactics for developing EAPs in Europe. Key factors are: a rallying cause for communities; definition of community problems reflected in the workplace; leadership to legitimise the programme, others to implement it in the organisation; resources; diffusion of EAPs among key organisations; maintenance of professional standards and networks.

The multiple roots of Employee Assistance Programmes belie the commonly held view which sees them simply as the descendant of Occupational Alcohol Programmes. Their origins in performance management processes, however, and particularly the way in which their development has been influenced by the health insurance and managed care movements adds considerably to their significance. Their resilience over 40 years stems as much from this contextual relevance as from their core professional bases. It is this contextual relevance which makes their continuing growth in the UK almost certain. The EAP can thus make an invaluable contribution to organizational change and to education and training, as well as to the health of the workforce.