Phone a friend - In the UK, two million employees are covered by around 1,100 employee assistance programmes (EAPs), at the heart of which lie telephone helpline and counselling services for workers and managers. In any year, a tenth or more of employees may access a workplace helpline. But why do staff call? And what HR benefits do helplines bring? We examine the range of employee support offered in information-advice and counselling services (including the relative merits of telephone and face-to-face advice and support); and consider the organisational issues involved in setting up workplace services: access, take-up. information, price, ethical questions, confidentiality, feedback and HR benefits. The feature includes case studies of providers Dovedale Counselling, Eastgate Assistance and First Assist., and of user-employers Royal & Sun Alliance and Virgin Megastores.