Factors related to satisfaction with services provided by an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in Trinidad.

摘要

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) were designed to provide services to employees who were experiencing difficulties that negatively impacted their job performance. These programs evolved from Occupational Alcoholism Programs (OAPs), which specifically provided services to individuals with drug and alcohol issues. EAPs today offer a wide range of services that address issues such as work stress, depression, drug and alcohol issues, and anxiety. EAP research has primarily been conducted in the United States, and because of this trend, cross-cultural and trans-cultural effects have not frequently been examined in the literature. This study examined the utilization and client satisfaction of employees (N = 95) who work in six different industries (insurance, financial, private security, manufacturing, service, and energy) in Trinidad. An instrument normed in the United States was used by the EAP in this study to evaluate its' services in Trinidad. This instrument, the Client Satisfaction Survey (CSS), claimed to examine three factors (Relevance, Impact, and Gratification). A factor analysis was conducted and it revealed that the instrument did not measure Relevance, Impact, and Gratification, but instead only measured one factor, overall satisfaction with services. Overall, the findings suggested that employees in all industries were generally satisfied with the EAP services. Recommendations for future research are also discussed in this study.