Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2005 11:12:34 -0500
TO: All NOAA Employees
FROM: Eduardo J. Ribas
Director for Human Resources Management
SUBJECT: Employee Assistance Program
None of us are exempt from experiencing situations which disrupt our daily lives. Should a problem arise in your personal life or in the lives of your family members, I want to remind you that help is available through the prepaid Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Eligible family members include those living with or dependent on you for at least half their support. With the EAP, you'll not only get a third-party perspective, you'll learn problem-solving techniques and receive specific information on available resources.
Our Employee Assistance provider is the Ceridian Corporation. Ceridian offers professional counseling in overcoming problems involving marital issues, family difficulties, life changes, stress, work, alcohol or substance abuse, relationships, and any other situation which has created personal distress.
Ceridian will also help with day-to-day life management through such services as financial consultation, pre retirement concerns, Federal taxpayer consultation (30 minutes per session, up to 90 minutes per year), legal counseling (30 minutes per session), and help in organizing life's affairs. You and your dependents are entitled to receive a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of four (4) counseling sessions per incident per year.
Assistance is available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week and all it takes is a toll free phone call to 1-877-234-5151. There is also a TDD line for hearing impaired individuals at 1-800-999-3004. A Ceridian representative will answer your call and ask for such information as your name, organization, address and phone number, job title, length of service, and a brief description of the problem. Shortly thereafter, a trained counselor as closely located to your community as possible will contact you.
Your discussion(s) with the counselor will be kept strictly confidential. However, Ceridian counselors are legally obligated to report child or elder abuse as well as intent to commit homicide or suicide, and they must provide information if records are subpoenaed. Also, master-level counselors at Ceridian will provide counseling over the telephone in the event an office visit is not convenient.
The EAP, Human Resources, and the NOAA Employee Worklife Center are partners in delivering a comprehensive worklife program to all NOAA employees. If, now or in the future, you find yourself facing difficulties which seem beyond your scope to handle, I urge you to take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program. It's free of charge and the sooner you seek help, the sooner you can restore the balance in your life.
To learn more about Ceridian, go to their web site located at http://www.lifeworks.com, enter your ID as "noaa" and password as "5018" for access. For information on other employee benefits, visit the NOAA HR Employee Benefits page at http://www.wfm.noaa.gov/employees/eap.html
This message was generated for the Director for Human Resources Management by the NOAA Information Technology Center/Financial and Administrative Computing Division
