There are essentially two types of EAP referral: Firstly, a self-referral is where an employee seeks help for themselves. This may be done through a sponsor such as HR or occupational health, the referral would not appear on the clients personnel file and the nature of the discussion is entirely confidential. A formal referral may be made by the employee’s manager, occupational health team or HR department. This may be recorded on the HR file of the individual, depending on the situation. However, the actual session content remains confidential.