ABSTRACT
Australian Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have certain commonalities with their counterparts in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, there are also marked differences in the way that Australian EAPs have evolved due to particular industrial and social influences. In order to provide an understanding of these influences a brief review of the history of Australian EAPs is presented. This includes an overview of the social and industrial trends that provide the context for the development in Australia of innovative HR practices such as EAPs, work-life, and wellness programs. While the focus is on Australian EAPs the arguments presented embrace the broader debate on the nature of organizational integration of EAPs with other employee services. Australian views on the organizational integration of EAPs are provided from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. The approach taken to the integration of EAPs with other employee services in Australia is illustrated using case studies. Conclusions are presented relating current practices and future trends in Australian EAPs to other employee services such as work-life and wellness programs.
