Employee Assistance Program

Balanced living relies on total well-being. Work, family, personal issues, and daily challenges can sometimes create imbalance in your life. KAUST recognizes this and is introducing an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all faculty and staff members and their immediate family members to assist in addressing these issues.

This new support service is available now. Practical information, resources, guidance, and counseling will be available to you and dependents. The program can assist you in a multitude of ways, such as work/life balance, workplace matters, adjusting to living abroad, life changes, stress, and cultural shock. Information can be provided over the phone, via email, or by post. You can also connect with a counselor to discuss more personal issues confidentially via telephone, via video conferencing, or in a face-to-face setting. Counselors are from many countries across the world and many languages are spoken.

The key benefits of the EAP include:

• Confidential – KAUST will receive utilization statistics on the number of people using the EAP and a broad overview of the types of issues raised, no personal, identifying information will be disclosed. No one at KAUST will know that you have called, unless you choose to disclose this.
• Unlimited support – You and your family can receive an unlimited amount of information, guidance, and resources. And, you have access to up to six telephone, video, or face-to-face counseling sessions per issue, per year
• No cost to the faculty/staff or family member. The service is paid for by KAUST.
• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. At any time of the day or night, weekends, and over public holidays, you will be able to speak with one of the EAP professionals.
• Independent, impartial source of support. Your EAP is completely independent and does not represent any organization, including KAUST.
• Services are available worldwide. The EAP is available to you and your immediate family, regardless of their location worldwide.

The EAP can provide support on a wide range of work and personal issues. Although there is no exhaustive list, some examples include:

• Relationship problems (personal and at work)
• Financial and debt issues
• Legal matters
• Consumer issues
• Pressure and stress
• Anxiety and depression
• Workplace concerns
• Bereavement
• Child care
• Elder and disability care

The Human Resources Department is organizing orientation sessions on June 17, 18 and 19. These sessions will provide you with more information about the EAP, as well as an opportunity to ask questions about the benefits of utilizing the service. To view the poster about EAP, click here.