Depending on the circumstances, programs can be administered by as few as one full-time individual. Once a program is preliminarily approved by the IRS as a public charity, it has up to five years to demonstrate that it qualifies as a public charity. In addition, no more than one-third of a program's annual support may come from the sum of investment income and income from unrelated business activities. Employee assistance programs offer other indirect benefits to employees, employers and society. In addition to receiving tax deductions for charitable contributions, employees gain a sense of wellbeing from indirectly helping co-workers in times of need.
Employers gain a stable, cohesive work force that supports one another.
This translates into fewer hours of lost work time, less turnover, higher productivity, and greater loyalty. Society gains in that these programs promote charitable giving and help defray the social costs caused by poverty, crime and natural disasters.