December 2012
Intimidated or Non-assertive?
Drug Dealing Easy to Miss
Are Inhalants Harmful to the Workplace?
Ability to Share Information and Concerns
How to Manage Competitiveness Between Employees
Q. My employee has an intimidating effect on others. It’s not bullying. This person is big, strong, deep-voiced, and smart—almost a charismatic presence. Most people stop talking when this person speaks. The negative impact is suppressing other people’s ideas. How do I help the other people?
A. Meet privately with your employees. Share your observations and what you see as unwillingness to speak up and offer ideas or information in group meetings. See what feedback or explanation each offers. Your employees may need some assertiveness training. Start with this approach and observe what happens when employees behave more assertively. Is there acceptance and receptivity by the other employee? If not, a large problem exists. The EAP can consult with you about the management of this situation. Intimidation is a strong word. It implies that the behavior is filling your employees with fear, and with the force of personality and superior talents, employees are cowed and remain uninvolved at meetings. Behavior that forces or deters others can be documented for the purposes of an EAP referral or corrective interview by you.
Q. One of our employees was arrested for dealing cocaine in our town, but I never saw signs or symptoms of drug use. In fact, job performance was strong. What did I miss? This employee never looked disheveled. He was very bright and confident.
A. Although there are signs and symptoms of cocaine use, it can be difficult to spot. Assuming your employee both sold and used cocaine during work hours, there may have been performance or attendance issues that conflicted with outside activities. A cocaine user or dealer could appear as a strong and confident person. Unless there was wildly unusual behavior suggesting toxicity, this would not justify a reasonable suspicion test. Don’t confuse drug dealing with low-income or a disheveled appearance. Drug-dealing individuals are usually not hurting for cash. Many, if not most, are privileged, middle class, and the suppliers and supporters of their friends’ drug habits. They don’t deal on street corners. Always the common denominator for recognizing the most subtle forms of drug abuse is how close you are to your employee during the workday and how frequently you directly observe his or her behavior.
Q. One of the substances discussed in supervisor training was inhalants, like glue and other volatile materials. I can see alcohol and drugs being problems, but find it hard to believe that inhalants could ever be an issue in the workplace. Is this a serious problem?
A. Inhalant abuse in the workplace is not common, but it can happen. Supervisors should therefore know about it. Nearly every workplace includes inhalants that can be abused. There are many types of inhalants, such as white out, felt-tip markers, and aerosols. Almost any type of volatile substance can be abused. If a drug-addicted employee wants to get high and his or her drug of choice is not available, risk increases that the next most available mind-altering substance could be used. In 2012, a NIDA report found that 15% of 8th graders had abused some sort of inhalant. Inhalants are the only substance of abuse used more by young people than by adults. Age alone does not necessarily preclude participating in the abuse of inhalants, however. You can read the updated NIDA report on inhalant abuse at www.drugabuse.gov (search screen: “inhalants”).
Q. How can I get employees to come forward in a straightforward manner to discuss their concerns about the work unit? Some pout and complain to peers but in meetings never speak up. I think the behavior leads to morale issues and encourages similar behavior in others.
A. Even if there are plenty of opportunities to raise concerns with you about the work unit, some employees will remain silent, and seek to air their frustration with coworkers in gripe sessions. Doing so is a dependable way to gain sympathy, bond with peers, or join with others who do the same thing. Some of this is not harmful, and most workplaces experience some of it. A problem arises when this becomes a primary way of venting frustrations. These employees are keeping valuable information from you that could improve the efficiency and productivity of the organization or work unit. Encourage employees and meet with them one-on-one during the year. If permissible, consider adding “ability to share information and concerns” as part of their review, and establish standards for “outstanding” and “unsatisfactory” performance on this matter. Don’t forget to consider a referral to the EAP if this problem isn’t resolved. With assistance, you will guide employees toward the new behaviors you need them to acquire.
Q. Our organization does not have harsh performance management systems, but I see employees compete pretty aggressively. What’s the proper role of supervisors in managing competition so productivity and employee goals are achieved but negative effects of competition are avoided?
A. Workplace competition has always been a controversial subject among those concerned with productivity. The subject is very broad and extensive literature exists. Competition is a tool for managing productivity, but like any tool it can be abused. When two employees compete against each other with regard to sales or productivity goals, this can be a good thing. However, if employees compete with no regard for working cooperatively with each other, conflicts can undermine the gains sought by the organization. Always seek to improve collaboration and teamwork among employees. This can help reduce aggression, conflicts, bullying, and morale problems. Always make it your personal policy and practice to promote shared goals and mutual respect. By modeling this supervision style, you avoid competing employees seeing you as a “cage fight” ringmaster, a distorted perception easily acquired by some employees and one that can lead to big problems.
November 2012
Employee Won't Follow Referral to EAP
How Much Social Time to Allow
Threat of EAP Worked
How to Resolve Workplace Negativity
Supervisor Must Prevent Harassment in the Workplace
Q. How many times should I recommend the EAP to my employee for an ongoing saga of fights and domestic troubles at home that we hear about? The employee has never followed my recommendation to see the EAP. Should I refer the employee somewhere else?
A. You should continue to recommend the EAP to your employee whenever information about a personal problem or serious concern is shared. The EAP will conduct a proper assessment and refer your employee to any specialized source of help. Any other type of recommendation to a source of counseling help, unless in an emergency, would generally be improper. Although your employee has not attended the EAP yet, there is a strong possibility it will happen. Why? The problems being experienced by your employee appear to be chronic. This means he or she will likely experience periodic crises that will get worse over time. These crises are opportunities for your employee to choose a healthier path by accepting help from the EAP. So continue to recommend it.
Q. My department head gave me an uneasy look the other day because my employees were in the break room socializing and not working at their desks. Personally, I think there is value in socializing for morale, but how rigid should I be about curbing it?
A. Your question is an age-old one for supervisors. You’re right about socializing. It does benefit morale, and employees who enjoy each other are more likely to be energetic and stick around. That’s good for productivity. Some management experts argue that socializing employees can be more productive and that interaction facilitates creativity, self-assessment, synergism, new ideas, and the employees’ ability to learn about and recognize each other’s strengths. However, it’s true that socializing employees may avoid work or be easily distracted, so there is such a thing as too much socializing. But how much distraction, socializing, and hanging out in the break room is too much? You’re the only one who can answer that question. Now that you have a better awareness of the benefits of socializing on the job, you can view and manage it as a resource rather than as an annoyance.
Q. I suggested my employee go to the EAP and then a few months later had to make a formal referral. The employee never went. That was two years ago. Today, things are great. This person is my best worker. I stayed focused on performance. The EAP didn’t play a role, but I was glad it was there.
A. Your experience is a good one to illustrate the benefits of the EAP. The EAP worked perfectly, and here’s why: The employee assistance program is not simply a place where counselors wait for employees to show up either by themselves or via supervisor referral. More accurately, the EAP is a programmatic approach to the management of troubled employees and the risks that arise that are associated with human behavior and interaction in the work organization. Examples include conflict, morale issues, team building, supervisory skills development, and the need for consultative guidance offered to managers to deal with employee issues. The EAP was a tool for you to use in resolving the problems with your employee. You succeeded in managing your employee properly by staying focused on performance and insisting on change. Your employee felt that resolve and was motivated to make corrections. You used the EAP as a tool, although the employee did not attend. The corrective action you applied incorporating the EAP approach produced a better employee.
Q. Supervisors are not group therapists, so how can we play a role in resolving workplace negativity? I admit I see plenty of it, but if the work gets done, I am inclined to ignore it. Perhaps I am not aware of the true impact of negativity and strategies to help stop it.
A. If you are unaware of the costs associated with workplace negativity or what strategies can fight it, you’ll more easily ignore it, tolerate it, or even worse, join in it. Workplace negativity isn’t just about employees griping or picking on each other or what’s overheard in the washroom. Workplace negativity damages the work culture, and a deliberate approach is often needed to reverse it. Your primary tool for fighting negativity is communication. Intervening may not be easy, but the trick is to not give up. You may be unable to stop layoffs, but you may be able to facilitate support systems, improved communication, and quicker responses to unfounded rumors. Talk to the EAP, and be open-minded if asked about your supervision style; perhaps it contributes unwittingly to workplace negativity. Examining all angles is important. Strategies will vary depending on the issues, but once you decide upon an approach, be sure to establish systems that help you prevent the return to a negative work culture.
Q. Employees teased another worker about drinking large soda drinks. The employee was clearly not happy about it. I thought about speaking up, but figured it was okay for them to continue because the issue of large soda drinks is so prevalent in the news.
A. Whether news exists about the harmful effects of smoking, large fountain drinks, red meat, or tanning beds, it is important as a supervisor to remain focused on maintaining respectful behavior in the workplace. The intensity of media attention to topical issues can make it seem “okay” to criticize others or treat them with less respect. Harassment in the workplace has a broad definition, and it takes the passive approval of only one authority figure to encourage employees who have little else to contain their impulses to join in on treating others with disrespect. Most supervisors underestimate their level of influence with their employees. Realize that stepping in to correct this behavior may be welcomed. This is because many employees who behave disrespectfully also have second thoughts about it, even as they are participating. Your visible disapproval and corrective action as an authority figure can be powerful – not only for stopping disrespectful behavior but for reinforcing the importance of maintaining a positive and affirming workplace.
October 2012
How Does Presenteeism Affect My Bottom Line
Tips for Detecting an Impaired Employee
New Manager Wants to be Successful
How to Team Build With Little or No Budget
Non-Verbal Refusal of Feedback
Q. I know “presenteeism” refers to employees coming to work sick and being less productive, but it can be difficult to spot related job problems. How do supervisors intervene? Presenteeism is not a new concept, but I have only seen it mentioned in the past ten years or so.
A. Presenteeism is a relatively new term, but it is essentially a modernized version of what in the past has been referred to as “on the job absenteeism.” Although presenteeism is an interesting topic for discussion, attempting to identify who is affected by it is more difficult. It is better to avoid the technical aspects of this syndrome and instead focus on what you can document in your pursuit of helping your employees maximize their productivity and job satisfaction. Presenteeism typically refers to employees being at work while sick, but it also has been used to describe almost any nonproductive activity of employees on the job, no matter what the underlying reason might be. If you stay aware of behaviors that demonstrate an employee is either not performing competently or is without motivation for the tasks they are supposed to perform, presenteeism may exist. Your EAP can consult with you about presenteeism and intervention.
Q. What can supervisors do to improve their ability to spot signs and symptoms of an employee who is impaired on the job because of alcohol or drug use? A checklist is important, but some of symptoms, I think, can be very subtle and easily missed.
A. Beyond a checklist, the one thing supervisors could do to improve their ability to identify the signs and symptoms of drug or alcohol use on the job is to get to know their employees better. Knowing your employees and having frequent face time with them is your best intervention strategy. This is because over time you will develop an awareness of or “sixth sense” for your employees’ appearance, attitude, and demeanor, and how these things change from day to day. An employee with a substance abuse problem will exhibit behaviors that are inconsistent with what the supervisor has grown accustomed to experiencing. So, initiate friendly conversations and make eye contact with employees on a regular basis. You will then be more likely to notice uncharacteristically slurred speech, a glazed facial expression, an unsteady gait, glassy or bloodshot eyes, and dilated pupils. These things can be easy to miss or dismiss if you are not frequently close to your employees.
Q. I am a new manager in my organization and I want to do a good job. I am not trying to be liked, but I know leadership is not like it is on a TV show where being “tough” and intimidating can still leave employees thinking you’re a hero.
A. You’re right that being a good leader or manager includes getting the work done, but your success will depend on your ability to develop relationships and trust among those you lead. This can be a tough assignment for some managers. A good supervisor is usually liked by those they supervise, but it is a payoff for first being effective with people. To be effective, meet with individual employees privately and discover what talents, hopes, and goals they possess. Use this information to develop and challenge them during the year. Praise them for good work and behave the way you want your employees to behave: Come to work on time, be reliable, follow through, fix problems quickly, and be honest about what’s going on in the company. Talk to the EAP early on if you experience or sense trouble in relating to employees or feel disconnected from them.
Q. Our team training budget has been cut this year, so are there any strategies or techniques my employees can regularly practice that have an ongoing “team building” effect to keep us cohesive and less prone to conflict with each other?
A. Team members with regular habits of communicating in positive ways with each other have fewer conflicts and better group cooperation. Here’s a technique that may help your group. Its essential purpose is to help employees practice appreciation and gratitude with each other. See if you can make it a tradition. At the end of meetings, ask whether any team member has positive feedback for any other team member. Model what you are asking. For example, say, “I would like thank Mary for coming in last Thursday to work on the mailing project. I felt relieved of pressure and really appreciative of her for doing that.” Members take turns sharing feedback. The exercise may be a bit awkward if these are new behaviors, but because they are inherently positive, group members should catch on. This strategy builds resilience to stress and allows conflicts to be resolved more quickly.
Q. When I correct my employee’s performance, I frequently notice body language that appears resistant (e.g., folding of arms, looking up or away, remaining quiet, staring). Can I document this behavior as refusing feedback? It feels like it.
A. Start by asking your employee about the meaning of these behaviors. You are having a negative reaction to them as they strike you as insubordinate, so you need to state that these nonverbal behaviors do not work in your communication. You have a right to ask for something different. Ask your employee to appear more cooperative. Your employee may say he or she is not resistant to feedback or having their work corrected, but when behaviors do not support or reinforce this message, it is reasonable to assume differently and document it as such with appropriate detail.
September 2012
The Cost of Domestic Violence
Letting Go -- How to Delegate
Creating a Diverse Workplace
How NOT to be a Workplace Bully
Emotional Intelligence
Q. I always thought that domestic violence was almost exclusively a behind-closed-doors phenomenon and that the workplace was simply not in the picture. Is domestic violence something employers really need to be concerned with as a business matter?
A. Business and industry are severely affected by domestic violence because of lost productivity, health care costs, absenteeism, turnover, negative effects on workers, and direct risks to the workplace when violence comes through the door. The health-related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking, and homicide by intimate partners exceeds approximately $6 billion each year. The annual cost of lost productivity due to domestic violence is estimated at $727.8 million, with more than 7.9 million paid workdays lost per year. This vast problem led to the formation in 1995 of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. Its purpose is to make a difference, and in recent years it has even expanded to help educate young people to support zero tolerance for dating violence in an effort to curb problems with future employees. Source: http://bitly.com/domestic-v
Q. It’s frequently hard for me to delegate and let go. How can I become more adept at trusting my employees with assignments and not be so controlling or hover over them?
A. Not letting go and exerting control create more anxiety for you than does allowing those you supervise to manage their work. Your first step toward change is to understand that controlling behavior feels like domination and is disrespectful to your employees. It does not feel helpful and supportive. Some people learn early in life to act controlling because they have modeled it after others who played significant roles in their lives. Others learn controlling behaviors by being forced to rely on themselves in order meet basic needs or feel safe in unsafe environments. There are many reasons a person exerts overly controlling behaviors, but work with your EAP. It can help you implement a simple plan for letting go that will help you meet your goal, find more balance, and be happier in your job.
Q. Our employees are very tolerant of one another’s differences. I am proud of that because we feel like family and are supportive of each other. Is this the ultimate value of diversity awareness, having people feel accepted and valued?
A. Truly valuing diversity goes much further than tolerating someone else who is different so they feel accepted. The world of work is becoming increasingly global and interdependent. This has made it imperative for business organizations to understand and promote acceptance of diverse workforces so they can compete. Most employees don’t realize there is also a strong business case for valuing diversity, but they should understand it so it reinforces respectful behavior. Not valuing diversity will create a negative consumer image, with loss of preference, revenue, and even advertisers that won’t support a company disrespectful of diversity. A valued and diverse workforce has employees who feel accepted and more positive about their jobs. This in turn leads to lower turnover, a cost organizations seek to avoid.
Q. I want to push my employees to do their best, but I don’t want to be accused of bullying. How can I help employees maximize their productivity but not have them see me as aggressive, especially as a bully?
A. The most common behaviors perpetrated by bullies in the workplace can also be accidentally attributed to well-meaning supervisors, who without malice may use supervisory work practices that produce ill effects for their employees. A few examples include: 1) having their opinions and views ignored, 2) having information withheld that affects their performance, 3) being allotted an unmanageable workload, 4) being given tasks with unreasonable or impossible targets or deadlines, and 5) being ordered to do work below competence. The importance of good communication is crucial because you cannot know how employees perceive your drive to maintain high levels of productivity. Where your goal is simply to get work done under pressure, employees may view your treatment of them as hostile. Take responsibility as a supervisor by having a proactive, two-way communication process that allows you to get feedback as to whether or not your style is problematic for those you supervise.
Q. As a supervisor, how can I help my employees use emotional intelligence to do a better job at managing our customers? Is it too technical a concept to discuss and over the head of someone like me who is not clinical or the recipient of an advanced degree?
A. Emotional intelligence (EI) is not too difficult to discuss with your employees. Use a brief definition of EI as being the ability to recognize, describe, understand, manage, influence, and utilize emotions effectively in human relationships. The following EI ideas can help your employees be more effective and experience less stress with regard to customers: 1) Pay attention to customers’ emotions and how they change or shift so that the needs of the customer are more precisely met. 2) Use empathy with customers. 3) Use emotions in communications (e.g., “Are you happy with your selection?” versus “Did you find everything you were looking for?”). 4) Anticipate customers’ concerns and inquire about them before they are stated. 5) Pay attention to body language that can give signals as to needs or desires. There are many more ideas about how to use EI at work, but these examples will help generate deeper customer loyalty.
August 2012
Terminating an Employee While in Treatment
Understanding the Enabler
Compassionate Leadership
Dealing With an Overly Bossy Employee
What to Do With a Grumpy Employee
Q. Is it appropriate to ask the employee assistance professional’s opinion as to whether we should issue a disciplinary action (in this case, termination) while an employee is in a treatment facility or after discharge from treatment?
A. The decision about the time and place of issuing a disciplinary action should not rely upon the opinion of your employee assistance program. Employee assistance programs do not participate in administrative or disciplinary decisions because it damages perception of the EAP as a safe and helpful resource. These decisions are outside of EAP practice. EAPs owning responsibility for such decisions can lower program utilization and thereby increase behavioral risk to the organization. Presumably you are concerned about the employee’s psychological state of mind and the impact of the termination on his or her condition. Experience shows this diagnostic thinking cannot predict the impact of your decision, the course of the illness, or whether relapse will occur. The patient owns these decisions and outcomes. You should rely upon your management advisors and what they think is best or customary for the work organization. It is appropriate to discuss general issues associated with this type of situation with the EAP, but the specific decision will need to be yours alone.
Q. I am sure there are employees in our work organization using illicit substances. I understand enabling, but what causes people to enable when they absolutely know how bad they’d feel if a terrible drug/alcohol-related crisis resulted or someone got killed?
A. Most people understand enabling as protecting, covering up, and making excuses for a coworker or friend with an addiction problem, but stopping enabling is not as easy as it sounds. To stop enabling a friend or coworker with a severe personal problem requires making choices that may create significant stress, guilt, and feelings of loss. The decision requires the enabler to experience personal sacrifice associated with changing their behavior. To no longer enable, therefore, is not a simple decision. It can have life-changing consequences for the enabler, and these are difficult for most people to face. The enabler usually manages this choice with procrastination, denial, minimization (“It’s bad but not that bad,” “She’s a functional alcoholic,” etc.), and projection (“It’s not my job to deal with it”). The result is cover-up and protection of the drug user.
Q. What’s the difference between a compassionate supervisor and one who is so concerned about an individual employee’s well-being to the point of being too vulnerable to lead effectively?
A. Many supervisors confuse compassionate leadership with being submissive, timid, or easily manipulated. This is not compassion. A marine drill sergeant may be demanding and results-driven, but can show compassion when a recruit requires bereavement leave to attend a family funeral. Compassionate leadership is about tolerance and the recognition of differences in individuals and their capacity to produce different outcomes or levels of success based on their personal strengths and resources. Being compassionate means being able to choose a proper response to an employee’s difficult circumstances and making adjustments to one’s leadership style to accommodate an obvious need for understanding that benefits not only one employee, but also the work unit as a whole.
Q. I have an ambitious employee who produces great work, but collaborating with others is a problem for him. He experiences too many power struggles, and before long he starts managing others on a team rather than collaborating with them. Any tips on managing or referring to the EAP?
A. Your employee enjoys being with coworkers, but prefers the leadership role over collaboration. But it is equally important to learn both roles; otherwise increased alienation of coworkers will result. Meet in private with your employee, and describe the issue as you see it. Your employee’s ability to receive feedback and be thankful for it will be an indicator of amenability to change. Consider a mini-performance improvement contract with the goal of demonstrating improved ability to collaborate with peers. If issues continue, arrange a referral to the EAP, who will help your employee understand how his desire to control interferes with productivity. The EAP also will help your employee understand how powerful collaboration can be for work teams. Your employee undoubtedly has leadership strengths, so the goal should be to help him apply these skills appropriately.
Q. One of my account executives is a very grumpy person. This irritated persona has been tolerated by coworkers mostly, I think, because we think it is just a personality style. I have never made this issue a performance matter, but I have thought about it. Is it too late?
A. It is not too late to get started, but there are steps to consider in helping your employee. You must document clearly what you and others witness so it can be used effectively in a constructive confrontation. This is not as easy as it sounds. Many supervisors struggle with how to describe behaviors that adversely affect performance, such as verbal tone, attitude, and nonverbal communication. A consult with your EAP can help immensely. Discuss your goal, take notes during your meeting, and be clear on how you will communicate to the employee what you would like changed. A role-play with the EAP can help you. Chances are, you will see short-term improvement after the first meeting with your employee, but sustained improvement may not be forthcoming until underlying issues are addressed. That may require formal referral to the EAP.
July 2012
Helping Employees Cope With Organizational Change
Create a Work Culture Where Employees are Passionate and Excited
The Most Important Leadership Skill
Core Values of EAP Protects its Mission
Why Supervisors Hesitate to Refer Employees to EAP
Q. I’ve observed employees who have heavy workloads resisting organizational change even when they are able to finally share their work burden or give up work they complained about for years. Why?
A. When employees face organizational change, resistance is often observed, even if they personally benefit from it. This resistance is usually not evidence of employees having personal problems, and it is usually not cause for alarm. Much resistance to change can be prevented by educating employees about how they may respond to it. This education can vary in its complexity. At a minimum, employees should understand that if organizational change calls for giving up something like job duties or prestige, changing an office location, or losing coworkers, then resistance can emerge. Even the loss of a familiar routine or pride in a specific task can create resistance or conflict. The common denominator, of course, is loss. It is not always possible to prepare employees for change, but your EAP can help or supplement organizational efforts at planning for change. This may include one-on-one counseling for groups of employees to help them examine personal reactions to change and loss, help them understand what’s motivating resistance, help them confidentially with insecurities that undermine acceptance of the organization’s change goals, and more. Talk to the EAP to learn more.
Q. Can I create a work culture where employees are passionate and excited about what we do, or is this an accidental experience like “charisma” that is out of my control? I would love to know the secrets of having a high-energy group of happy folks on the job.
A. You can set the stage for a passionate and positive work culture, but ensuring that it happens is less certain. There are accepted principles to consider, however. One commonsense idea is to hire passionate employees. (Their brilliance is important, but the energy they display is even more important.) Put them in key posts so they rub off on others. Use effective communication to help employees bond. Manage conflicts with efficiency, and you reap more positive outcomes from them. When difficult employees and employees with personal problems demonstrate performance issues, use the EAP to resolve these issues. There is no other mechanism that can substitute for this resource. Passionate people in workplaces have fun because energy “spills” into spontaneity and authentic relationships. These relationships naturally translate into longer working hours. Be sure to recognize, praise, and reward those who go the extra mile. Keep your employees in touch with the big picture, the dream, and the goal “we’re all shooting for.” Finally, expect and promote a respectful workplace as relationships emerge and develop.
Q. What is the most important leadership skill?
A. Deciding which leadership skill is most important is similar to determining what might be the most important bone in your body. It’s difficult to say. Coping with complexity, being a strategic thinker, communicating well, developing teams, or being a good time manager are key skills, but for the most part, these skills are teachable. What is more meaningful is to ask, “What is the most important leadership trait?” A recent survey of leadership training experts by CareerBuilder.com and reported on by CNN found “honesty” to be the most important leadership trait. This was followed by focus and passion. Traits or personality characteristics are more difficult to acquire because they are aligned with values and personality. Do you see any traits in the article that you’d like to develop more adeptly? Consider how the EAP might help you. Source: http://bitly.com/leader-traits
Q. Can the EAP conduct an assessment on my employee for something like emotional intelligence or other aptitudes, and then with a release be allowed to report findings to me?
A. Services you describe can be referred to experts in the community rather than being provided by the EAP. An employee would then be free to communicate with whomever he or she wishes directly, with releases signed and in the possession of those service providers. An EAP operates within a set of principles called the core technology. These elements define, within the program’s parameters, the limited communication necessary to allow you to manage an employee’s performance. This is limited almost entirely to attendance and cooperation with a supervisor referral with a signed release. An EAP that extends its communications beyond these limits or adds services requiring a release of significant, confidential information risks jeopardizing its perception of confidentiality in the workforce because it confuses employees about its mission. This can reduce utilization as a “program of attraction” for self-referring employees, and in turn can increase risk to your organization.
Q. What are common issues that interfere with a supervisor’s motivation or desire to make a formal supervisor referral to the EAP?
A. Most supervisors know that an employee can be referred to the EAP for performance, attendance, or conduct problems. Unfortunately, this does not ensure that a referral happens. Unfamiliarity with the referral process or uncertainty about what the employee’s reaction will be to a formal referral can create timidity and impede the referral decision. Supervisors who want to see an employee removed or dismissed, rather than helped, also create resistance to supervisor referrals. Not viewing the EAP as a positive management tool to correct performance can also reduce the number of supervisor referrals. Education and visibility of the EAP are important interventions to any of the above.
June 2012
Assisting Employees with PTSD
What is Fear of Success?
Does Financial Problems Impact the Workplace?
How to Encourage Employees to Utilize the EAP
What are the Symptoms of Burnout?
Q. I know employees with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, but is there an idea source on accommodations?
A. PTSD includes a range of symptoms that affect memory, concentration, emotions, and the senses, so it’s possible your employee will request some accommodations so he or she can adequately perform essential functions. Not all employees exhibit symptoms at work. If your employee shares his or her diagnosis of PTSD with you, consider options for making accommodations. Also, talk to your human resources advisor or appropriate management advisor. The EAP is also available to assist you in a consultative capacity, as it would be with any employee. Check out the very useful resource offered by the federal government,www.askjan.org, for great ideas on accommodating almost any disability.
Q. What is fear of success? Is this problem something a supervisor should help an employee overcome or would this be strictly an EAP issue?
A. Fear of success has been discussed in psychology journals for decades. You also will find many references to it in contemporary literature. Fear of success is created by anxiety associated with the anticipation of reaching a goal. The phenomenon usually is outside the awareness of the person experiencing it. Like most achievements, positive and negative consequences and the need for change usually result. If challenging enough, these factors may produce anxiety resulting in procrastination, the inability to complete assignments, failure to anticipate problems that undermine the goal, distractions, beliefs about the unattainable nature of the goal, or behaviors that undermine action steps to the goal’s timely completion. Would-be goal achievers are usually not aware of how they sabotage their own success and often are baffled by the inability to get what they desire. You can’t be a psychologist of course, but you can help by insisting on timely achievements, results, accountability, and voluntarily accepting help from the EAP. Each can play a helpful role.
Q. I am sure many employees experience financial problems, but I don’t hear much talk about it. Besides stress and worry, how can employees suffer from financial problems?
A. A recent MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends discovered that about 44% of employees live paycheck to paycheck, and nearly 60% are very concerned about having enough money to make ends meet. Most people would agree that financial stress is difficult with its accompanying worry and distraction, but this is only part of the story. Many people endure financial stress alone because of stigma, fear of being judged by others, or feeling guilty because of overspending. These issues can keep employees from seeking help, even from a trusted EAP. Financial stress can contribute to headaches, backaches, ulcers, increased blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and panic. Many employees will cope with financial stress using denial, “magical” thinking, and/or coping strategies that relieve fear but don’t solve their problems. As problems worsen, risk increases for falling prey to payday loans, Internet schemes, gambling, or other high-risk “remedies.” Financial problems diminish one’s sense of autonomy, feelings of security, and self-control. So with financial problems come increased workplace absenteeism, diminished workplace performance, and depression. All these things can adversely affect productivity.
Q. I am in favor of employees using the EAP to help them manage stress, and I am happy to encourage them to do so, especially during these stressful times. What can I say to increase their motivation to consider the program?
A. When encouraging use of the employee assistance program, go beyond merely mentioning the program as a helpful resource. Increase motivation to use the program by reinforcing important aspects of the EAP’s unique approach, particularly its confidential nature. Also disavow and renounce the stigma of seeking professional help for a personal problem. State that you will not allow harm to come to the employee’s job or career situation simply for using the EAP. This position is consistent with any organization’s policy establishing the EAP. It can be helpful to mention specific types of problems many employees experience and that are appropriate for taking to the EAP. These include family problems, struggles with teenagers, or communication conflicts in couples’ relationships. Repetition of a positive EAP message is one key to improve utilization, but nothing is more powerful than a supervisor who encourages use of the program.
Q. I think awareness of the symptoms of burnout is important for employees so they can consider getting help early. Are there measurable and documentable symptoms of burnout that supervisors should know so they can document this condition and refer employees to the EAP?
A. There are job performance issues associated with burnout, but using them to determine if your employee faces burnout is not a good idea. This is because these behavioral signs and symptoms are mostly secondary to the mental health issues of burnout underlying them. Also, other problems may contribute to what appear to be burnout symptoms. Avoid this diagnostic examination and pondering because you will make more efficient referrals to the EAP. For example, one symptom of burnout may be dread at getting up in the morning to go to work. You can’t document “dread,” but you can document tardiness. Another symptom of burnout may be resentment toward other employees who love their jobs and are bright-eyed about their careers. You can’t document resentment, but you can document conflict. It is hard to document “lack of motivation,” but it is easy to document incomplete assignments, lack of initiative, or work delays.
May 2012
Supervisor Overwhelmed by Job
Why Employee's Relapse From Alcohol Treatment
Role of Supervisors, Improper Conduct and Inappropriate Boundaries
Dealing With Absenteeism
Supervisors or Managers as a Resource
Q. I have been a manager for about two years, but frankly, I don’t like the job. I accepted this position because I was too embarrassed to say I didn’t want it. I can’t quit, but I don’t think I’m cut out for the pressure and expectations. How do I cope with this situation?
A. If you can’t quit, you have only a couple of options: Improve your ability to cope with a job you don’t like or acquire what it takes to be more accepting of the position and its responsibilities. If you have not worked with a job coach or the employee assistance program concerning this issue, then choose the latter. Dislike for your position may be a combination of many factors, such as your need to learn to cope with job pressures, fear of responsibility, depression, inadequate supervisory skills (there are dozens of them, and they are all teachable), lack of balance in your life (allowing you to do things outside of work that you enjoy), and lack of stress management techniques designed for the specific issues you face on the job. See if working on any of these issues improves job satisfaction.
Q. My employee went to the EAP but was unable to stick with the treatment program for alcoholism. Unfortunately, the employee’s job was lost due to the relapse. Why do some employees recover while others do not? I can’t help but think the relapse was somehow partly my fault.
A. As with the treatment of any chronic condition, the burden of following instructions and managing a program of recovery from alcoholism rests with the alcoholic (patient). A frustrating part of alcoholism is relapse. Your feeling upset and wondering if you could have prevented it is a natural response. However, the relapse is not your fault. A universal tenet in all effective treatment models is that patients are responsible for their own recovery. There can be many reasons for a relapse, including inadequate treatment, inefficient or inadequate follow-up, concurrent mental health or physical problems, provocative and non-supportive living environments, failure to follow instructions, poor education about the illness, and relationships with codependent persons who undermine recovery. A failure to change one’s lifestyle is often another cause of relapse. The best way you can help your employees is by better understanding the disease with help from the EAP, referring employees to the EAP when performance issues appear, and holding them accountable for their own conduct or performance.
Q. The U.S. Secret Service scandal last month shed light, in part, on the role of supervisors, improper conduct, inappropriate boundaries, and how managers can undermine the mission of a work unit by choosing to become “one of the boys”? Why does this happen?
A. Those in leadership roles who decide to behave as peers or become “one of the boys” with their supervisees risk rendering their authority irrelevant. Management trainees and their employers can benefit from learning more about this dynamic and its powerful effect in undermining productivity and the organization’s mission. What supervisors do always takes precedence over what they believe, say, and think—even if a history of positive leadership exists. Behavior always trumps because it is observable. The problem for many supervisors is that they lose track of the organization’s mission as their goal. Instead, their relationship with supervisees becomes more important. The mission then unwittingly becomes subordinate to it. Ironically, these supervisors often believe their priorities are properly aligned or complementary. Supervisors can benefit from the EAP’s ability to help them examine these misplaced loyalties, and top management should refer these troubled supervisors early—as soon as the problematic pattern comes to light.
Q. I have an excellent worker with a serious absenteeism issue. I hesitate to initiate a confrontation or take disciplinary action because these options could damage my relationship with this employee. Pushing a formal EAP referral might also be problematic. What should I do?
A. A supervisor with an outstanding worker who has an absenteeism problem is a classic example of why employee assistance programming melds so efficiently with management practices. Most supervisors with the problem you describe hope for the pattern of absenteeism to spontaneously resolve itself, but unfortunately this rarely happens. Talk to the EAP first. Bring and share information you’ve documented about the absenteeism pattern. This will help the EA professional determine how you can better monitor and properly confront your employee. Eventually, you will need to face the crisis that will appear if this problem continues. Will your job be jeopardized? Will other employees’ health suffer from working overtime? Will direct and indirect costs associated with the absenteeism climb? Currently, your procrastination feels preferable over taking action, but working with the EAP may help you feel comfortable about moving closer to intervening in this situation (rather than losing control of it and experiencing undesirable consequences).
Q. How can I encourage my employees to use my expertise as a supervisor or manager? I think some employees are unsure about how to use a supervisor as a resource. I don’t want to be just a boss, but a teacher, mentor, and career adviser as well.
A. Many employees approach their jobs with the idea that the supervisor plays only a punitive role. Younger employees may be more susceptible to this pattern of thinking. This misconception can make employees quiet and “avoidant.” To intervene, offer guidance on how you can benefit them, especially their careers. Share how you can help employees develop their goals, identify and point out strengths and areas for growth, deliver knowledge and experience, delegate valuable assignments to encourage skill building, offer brainstorming collaboration, problem-solve workload and manageability issues, and invite suggestions for changes in the office or workflow. Always explain that you seek loyalty from employees, but this does not mean agreeing with everything you say. Don’t hesitate to put these and other issues into writing if it will help your employees make more constructive use of your role.
April 2012
Dealing With Workplace Politics
How to be Approachability
Supervisor Stereotypes
Helping Employees Find Fulfillment in the Workplace
Stress and Burnout
Q. I don’t like company politics. I like to come to work, stay out of controversy, and go home. I also encourage my employees to watch out for politics. Is politics in an organization ever a good thing?
A. Workplace politics is how decisions in business organizations are made using relationships, influence, and power. Workplace politics can be a stressful part of any work environment, but like conflict, politics is a normal occurrence in organizations. It is therefore better to understand and manage this phenomenon for positive change. Many people confuse politics with other problems such as gossip, unethical behavior, unfair distribution of resources, game playing, and manipulation. Any of these undesirable behaviors could be associated with workplace politics, but they don’t have to be. Politics in the workplace can be a positive force for networking. As a result, materials, opportunities, and intangible resources can be obtained by way of influence and association with others when these needs would not otherwise be met. This is a valuable use of politics. This example of your employees interacting with the political environment to bring about positive change for the benefit of your work unit and improvement in productivity makes politics something to be appreciated rather than shunned.
Q. Is being “approachable” important for a supervisor? I keep an open-door policy and I am available anytime. Doesn’t this mean I am approachable?
A. Approachability is a valuable strength for a manager and usually means he or she is an effective communicator. Being approachable increases the likelihood of reducing risk to the organization and solving problems sooner because employees are more willing to come to you with issues and concerns before they grow worse. Approachability is closely associated with two other skills—vulnerability (openness) and authenticity. Employees are naturally attracted to these personality traits, and they directly influence your reputation, likeability, and the appearance that you are approachable. Typically, these traits are also associated with warmth and patience and the willingness to respect employees’ views, collaborate with them, and be a good listener. Do you struggle with any of these traits or skills? If so, there may be room to become more approachable. Your EAP can help because these skills can be taught or the traits can be acquired.
Q. I am a new supervisor. Should I have an awareness of the misconceptions about being a supervisor I am most likely to accidentally model? It may help me stay out of trouble with my employees and management?
A. It is good to have an awareness of the stereotypes, misperceptions, and falsehoods associated with the supervisor’s role to avoid modeling them. Most fall into four broad areas. 1) The Dominating Personality (bossing people around, intimidating staff, instilling fear, and being loud); 2) The Overseer (being the sole planner, doing all the big thinking, delegating everything, and kicking back to watch it all happen); 3) The Easy Streeter (giving lots of kudos, keeping the troops happy, being a friend to all, and trusting that the skills of supervision will come naturally and you will now have less stress with no more hard work); and 4) The Stress Monster (always being available day or night, being a know-all-see-all, doing the most difficult tasks, being smarter than anyone you supervise, never making a mistake, and arriving early and staying late).
Q. How can I help my employees find more meaning and fulfillment in their jobs? I think some of my employees feel their lives are slipping away because they can’t pursue other occupational interests. Some are locked into retirement plans.
A. Your employees are no doubt thankful to have jobs and retirement plans, but any employee who feels unfulfilled will experience frustration. Everyone is exceptionally good at something, but not everyone has a job that plays to their strengths. Here are a couple ways to help. Encourage employees who demonstrate frustration to identify what things they love to do and then discover how their current job functions could be tweaked to meet those needs. The EAP can help your employees with this examination of needs. Another approach: Imagine having a frustrated accounting clerk—who really wants to be a school teacher—organize a money literacy event sponsored by your company for grade-school children. This idea may improve job satisfaction, create publicity for the organization, and positively affect productivity. Many employees fear growing old and never having a job that will make a difference in the world. This need can sometimes be achieved in other ways. The task is to discover it.
Q. I am experiencing ongoing stress. Recently I have felt a little detached from conversations and events. It is difficult to describe, but sometimes it’s like I am only “half there,” not really involved. It also feels like I am just going through the motions. Is this burnout?
A. A professional assessment is recommended to determine the cause of this symptom. Many people under stress and experiencing burnout complain of feeling “detached” from their surroundings. Things seem less real, even a little dream-like. This is known as depersonalization. It is a defense mechanism, but it is less commonly experienced as compared to others like denial, externalizing, and projection. Its purpose is to taper your response to stress in your environment, but this is not the way you should continue to function. You need be aware of your surroundings, especially when driving a car or operating machinery. You know something is not quite right, so with that information, turn to the EAP for an assessment. The EAP can help you determine if you are experiencing burnout, evaluate you for other symptoms, and get you to the right help.
March 2012
The Importance of Communication
Gaining Greater Skills Through EAP
Preventing Bullying in the Work Place
Employee Will Not Consult EAP
You Say Micro-managing Like its a Bad Thing
Q. I think I write excellent documentation and correction memos. It’s my primary way of communicating with employees regarding performance issues. Personal meetings are difficult to arrange and often must be rescheduled. Should I make a greater effort to meet, even if I feel that I am efficient already?
A. Effective documentation is an important skill for supervisors; however, good communication is an even more important skill to master. When you discover problems with employees, your most important goal is to resolve them. It’s a common mistake among supervisors to remain at a distance from employees, send emails and documents, and call that communication. You can discuss problems this way, but solving them requires much more. A performance problem is a discrepancy between what you want from your employee and what you get. Typically there are many issues associated with performance discrepancies that written communication will not uncover. These include employee attitudes, skills, interference from others, organizational issues, and ineffective teamwork. Rolling up your sleeves and processing—talking about—issues to improve productivity is what is really needed. Resisting the temptation to communicate primarily within a digital world is your challenge.
Q. How can I use the employee assistance professional as a consultant? I refer employees to the EAP, but I am a little unsure about what the EAP can do for me regarding supervisor tips, process, problem solving, etc.
A. When employees and managers think of the EAP, they usually think of solving employees’ personal problems; however, EAPs offer much more. EAPs have unique relational advantages in organizations based upon their trustworthiness, patience, approachability, and listening skills. They gain these strengths through training and experience. EAPs can therefore consult with you on dozens of topics and concerns associated with behavior in the workplace. A few of these include: steps you can take to improve communication with your employees; simple coaching tips to help employees resolve conflicts; managing your stress; how to attain goals; techniques for developing teams; effective and positive constructive confrontation techniques; motivating and inspiring your employees; guidance on intervening to deal with nonproductive behaviors you may witness with employees; and facilitating positive work cultures.
Q. What are the most common bullying behaviors in the workplace? I would like to know what they are so I am more likely to spot them or believe employees when they come to me with complaints.
A. According to one study, the most common bullying behaviors in the workplace include: falsely accusing someone of errors; staring at, glaring at, and nonverbally intimidating the person; discounting the person’s thoughts or feelings, such as by saying “Oh, I can tell you’re new here,”, saying “Duh,” or “Everyone knows that”; giving a coworker or subordinate the silent treatment; and making up rules up on the fly. Other common bullying tactics include backstabbing, assigning undesirable work, and socially isolating the victim from coworkers. You can learn more about bullying behaviors from the EAP, but a comprehensive list is also available from the Workplace Bullying Institute. Educating employees about bullying has a major impact on preventing it. As you can see, some of these behaviors are difficult to measure, but you’re right, knowing what they are will help you hear complaints with a more open mind and be less likely to minimize their significance. Source: www.workplacebullying.org.
Q. I have an employee who won’t go to the EAP, or at least I don’t think this person has gone yet. I am considering giving assignments that will cause the employee to quit. Should I discuss this strategy with the EAP?
A. Although your question is one for legal and HR experts to respond to, by your own definition this would be mistreatment of your employee. It therefore sounds unethical or at least extremely risky. The EAP will not discuss this strategy with you because to do so would cross the boundary of advising you on administrative and disciplinary matters. It sounds as though you need some coaching on effective ways to manage this troubled employee and motivate him or her to accept a referral to the EAP based upon performance-driven intervention techniques. If an employee really wants to keep a job, there is almost always a way to motivate the employee to visit the EAP voluntarily prior to being dismissed. Work with the EAP to find that strategy.
Q. I admit to micromanaging my employees, but is it always a bad thing? What if the project is really important? I admit to not being able to control this problem, but I can’t let go of important things that I delegate to employees. How do I find a balance?
A. It appears you have doubts about the competence of the employees to whom you are delegating. You may have realistic concerns. Issues like micromanaging are not all black and white. Your task is to step back, identify the pattern of over managing, and experiment with pulling back to develop more balance in your approach. The EAP can support and coach you to be more successful. The hard costs of micromanaging are many; the most notable, of course, is being resented by your employees. That’s a big price to pay for the problem. The primary issues that drive micromanagement are usually mostly psychological. Either you don’t trust employees, are too caught up and overtaken by the details, live in fear of mistakes, or struggle with self-doubt. EA professionals have a high success rate with solving this problem.
February 2012
Does Off-Duty Drug Use Lead to Workplace Accidents?
Managing Workplace Anger
Bullying in the Workplace
Great Leaders Inspire Their Employees
Holding Employees Accountable
Q. I am sure some of my employees smoke marijuana after hours, off duty. I have never suspected anyone of smoking it at work or of being impaired, but could our company’s higher-than-average accident rate be related to pot smoking, even if people are not coming to work high?
A. Hundreds of studies have demonstrated marijuana’s adverse effect on behavior and performance. As a result, marijuana is a prohibited substance in virtually all drug-free workplace policies. What gets less discussion is the effect of marijuana withdrawal for heavy users. These withdrawal effects—observed by medical doctors, counselors, and researchers—include trouble sleeping, sweating, fatigue, mood swings, cravings, anger, insomnia, depression, and restlessness. Could these withdrawal effects contribute to an increased risk of accidents or lower productivity on the job? Indeed they can. For this reason, when conducting assessments with employees who are self-referred or referred by managers for performance issues, employee assistance professionals remain aware of signs and symptoms of substance abuse withdrawal. This is why an employee referral for a performance issue can lead to treatment for a drug or alcohol problem, even though the supervisor never witnessed any obvious symptoms of a substance abuse problem.
Q. Do supervisors have any responsibility for helping employees manage anger in the workplace? Or is this a problem to address primarily by referring to the EAP? I see angry employees, and sometimes I step in because I worry about where anger might lead—for example, to a fight.
A. Witnessing displays of anger in the workplace is a common experience for supervisors. Although your employee assistance program is a key avenue of help for employees, your ability to properly intervene or positively influence angry employees is crucial. There is a financial and safety rationale for your role because it can prevent workplace altercations and conflicts that can lead to undesirable occurrences such as injuries, lawsuits, downtime, decline in morale, high turnover, and violence. Although you have no counseling role, you can practice effective communication with employees, understand and address their frustrations, empathize with their angry feelings, keep promises you make to them, and, of course, know when to make a referral to the EAP. As a person with authority, what you say can have a powerful effect. Don’t minimize it. For example, say, “I understand your frustration” rather than “I am tired of hearing your gripes.” Your EAP can help you acquire or improve upon these empathic and relational skills.
Q. It seems like bullies in the workplace often have some type of power, even if only imagined. Is this correct? What’s the supervisor’s role in prevention? Would training for employees help reduce risk?
A. You’re correct. Employees who bully often possess some degree of power—supervisory, tenure, delegated, indirect, or team leadership. Some bullies may perceive that or mistakenly believe they have power or authority, and this alone is enough to prompt their aggressive behavior. Obviously bullies can exist anywhere in the organization, so conducting general education and awareness is helpful. This should include self-assessment for the potential perpetrator or victim. Throw in a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying and a significant reduction of the risk can be accomplished. Supervisors should be aware that a bully is often a trusted employee who is relied upon by the immediate supervisor for knowledge, expertise, and skills. He or she can be passionate and loyal to the organization. Nevertheless, if a supervisor becomes overly dependent on this “right-hand man/gal” relationship, bullying behaviors may emerge, aided by the protection or special relationship the bully feels exists with the supervisor.
Q. I once read that one of the most important jobs of a supervisor is helping every employee find his or her gift. What does this mean?
A. Much leadership literature is not about technical skills leaders must possess—documenting properly, resolving conflicts, praising, inspiring others, etc. Instead, it is about passion, values, self-awareness, having or developing a personal vision, integrity, wanting to teach others, and the desire to make a difference. With the personal awareness and energy that flow from these values and attributes, great supervisors demonstrate enthusiasm in helping subordinates discover their potential. This approach to supervision is positive and optimistic, and it is full of curiosity about what great things might lay hidden and undiscovered in the employees they supervise. This desire to invest in people and to champion their uniqueness is what separates great leaders from other managers, and it is easily spotted by those who hire and promote in great companies.
Q. How can I hold employees accountable without making them feel that I am beating up on them or them getting overly defensive?
A. Willingness to be personally accountable for one’s life is learned, and it supports accountability in the workplace. However, you can have better success with holding employees to account if you have an effective relationship with them. Your view of accountability is important, so help your employees anticipate being held accountable. Always be sure there is no ambivalence about the results you expect.
Some supervisors see accountability as a measure of “blameworthiness” when things go wrong. Do you approach your employees with this orientation? If so, you may also communicate less effectively and less frequently. Remember, you can make willingness to be accountable a performance measure. Then if issues remain, make a supervisor referral to the EAP.
January 2012
Partnership Benefits of EAP
Communication Key Role in Positive Work Culture
Drug Addiction in the Work Place
Employee is Using Subtle Threats for Control
How EAP May Affect Mental Healthcare Costs
Q. There is a common saying in management that employees don’t leave companies, they leave supervisors. Obviously this means the quality of the supervisor-supervisee relationship is crucial. Does the EAP have a role in helping managers keep good relationships with the employees?
A. The phrase is oversimplified, but an employee’s relationship with the supervisor is the most important one. Unless this relationship is constructive and positive, the risk of losing a worker to another employer or, worse, to a competitor will remain unacceptably high. Kevin Sheridan, a business consultant specializing in talent management, reports in his new book, Building a Magnetic Culture (2012), that engaged employees are ten times more likely to feel their work is recognized, that their supervisors and top management care about them, and that they are getting useful regular feedback. Such employees are four times less likely to leave. Obviously the supervisor is a key influencer in helping employees get these needs met. EAPs have a role to play because their skills and abilities can help supervisors enhance their relationships with employees. The purview of EAP work is often the business of improving relationships; therefore, use of the EAP is an excellent strategy for increasing employee engagement and thus the improvement of business outcomes.
Q. I believe everyone should contribute to and maintain a positive work culture. How can I help my employees play this positive role?
A. The first steps to building a positive work culture begin with the employer and flow down from the top where all levels of management practice behaviors that line staff below them model. There are many components of a thriving positive work culture, but supervisory staff do have influence in helping their employees buy into positivity. It’s been shown that positive work cultures tend to be easier to come by in flatter organizations where the up and down movement of information and ideas is not as slow or encumbered by bureaucracy. This highlights a key strategy you can employ to influence your employees: promote easier communication, faster communication, and the personal modeling of behaviors that support a positive work culture.
Q. An employee died from a drug overdose. Everyone was saddened and surprised. The employee was one of our most loved. I heard something about a drug problem years ago, but never since, and performance was excellent. I am feeling guilty. Did I miss symptoms?
A. Your employee could have relapsed without any warning signs you could have spotted. Drug addiction can be treated and abstinence achieved, and with a programmatic approach to maintaining abstinence, the illness is arrested. Abstinent employees refer to themselves as “recovering” or in recovery. Years of abstinence can pass, and achievements and performance may be outstanding, but the disease does not vanish. Addiction is a chronic illness. Experts in the addiction treatment field generally regard drug addiction as a progressive disease with no cure. Every area of an addict's life is affected and must be treated: physical, emotional, and spiritual. A recovering addict without an active and effective approach to recovery has a higher risk of relapse over those who have such an approach. Consequences of any relapse are unpredictable, but death from a narcotic overdose for relapsed addicts is possible. When addicts in recovery overdose and die, there may be great difficulty in comprehending why. Treatment experts and members of the largest group of recovering people, Narcotics Anonymous, have observed that relapses usually occur in the absence of an adequate recovery program combined with a sudden or acute stressful life event or circumstance.
Q. What am I supposed to do with an employee who is obviously smart but always showing off how much he “thinks” he knows about what’s legal for me to do as a supervisor, what the organization can’t do, etc. It is a bit intimidating.
A. The employee you describe may have difficulty feeling responsible or subordinate to you, so controlling you by discussing or referencing legal matters to intimidate you is an effective way of feeling more in control. A wide range of issues can contribute to this negative and problematic behavior, including anger, mental health issues, and more. The behavior is inappropriate and disruptive to communication and building a working relationship, so it should be addressed. Consult with the EAP for guidance on your approach. Often, employee assistance professionals can spot tangential issues or consider underlying contributing factors to a problem like this one. Let your supervisor or leadership staff be aware of the difficulty you are experiencing with this employee. Doing so is prudent because issues of this nature are too important to ignore or manage in isolation.
Q. How do EAPs save the organization money with regard to the use of employee mental health benefits? Employees have to go to approved counselors associated with the benefit plans. Where is the EAP role if the employee does not need referral?
A. EAPs are usually aware of approved panel therapists in the community who have the expertise needed to treat a specific problem. This knowledge can assist the employee in making an informed choice from a list of approved providers. If a managed care referral is made to a therapist to treat a problem outside the therapist’s area of competence, the EAP may discover a problem in the client-therapist match during follow-up, and the EAP can consider how or whether to intervene to facilitate the employee’s finding a new treatment provider. An EAP may also speak to the treating therapist with the employee’s permission to lend support or suggestions to the treatment plan