Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offer employees confidential, professional assistance for the kinds of personal problems that adversely affect their lives and their jobs. These programs started when acute worker shortages during World War II, coupled with the successes of Alcoholic Anonymous, prompted some companies in the 1940s to develop programs to rehabilitate alcoholic employees. EAPs gradually expanded throughout the country--one can now find more than 10,000 EAPs--and grew to address a variety of employee problems. EAPs usually consist of four major components: (1) identification; (2) motivation; (3) referral; and (4) follow-up. The kind of EAP an organization needs depends upon the organization's philosophy, size, culture, location, and financial resources. Some of the important variables that need to be considered when setting up an EAP include whether to have an internal or external program; whether a fellow employee or an outside contractor should administer the program and perform the counseling; the kinds of services to be offered; the formation of an advisory committee, along with a written policy to guide the program; how to make the program known to workers; record keeping and statistics; and evaluation of the process and the outcome. In many administer the programs and perform the organizations, EAPs are becoming an integral part of the organizational structure. (RJM)