Evaluating the Development of Employee Assistance Programs in Rural Communities

The development of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) has accelerated during the last decade. However, the impact of EAPs is slowly reaching small rural communities. A telephone survey of companies in North Central Louisiana was conducted to evaluate the development of programs there. ‘Only 40% of the sample had EAPs and 13% were in the process of developing programs. Companies without EAPs generally assumed no responsibility in assisting with employee problems. This paper focuses on salient factors contributing to the limited development of rural EAPs.