Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
As a manager you are often faced with sensitive situations involving disabled employees and their coworkers. If your company offers Employee Assistance Counseling, an EAP counselor can be a resource to the manager and staff in dealing with disability absences.
When should you use the EAP?
Whenever you encounter a situation that makes you stop and wonder:
- Whenever you encounter a situation that makes you stop and wonder "How should I handle this"?
- Whenever you find yourself worrying about an employee's welfare.
- Whenever someone's work is suffering because of personal concerns.
An Employee Assistance program can help when:
- You are trying to help an employee who will be going on short-term disability, but you find yourself becoming inappropriately involved in the employee's well being.
Example: The EAP can advise you how to be supportive without violating the employee's privacy, or becoming too involved in personal matters.
- Your other staff resent the increased workload since a coworker went out on disability.
Example: The EAP counselor can assist you in finding ways to address your staff's feelings of resentment without revealing the reason for the disabled employee's absence.
Example: The EAP counselor can help with ideas for creating a quieter work environment for an employee who has difficulty with distractions.
- You think an employee seems able to work but appears to be avoiding committing to a return-to-work date.
Example: The EAP counselor can help you understand the employee's fears about returning to the job, and help the employee face those fears.
Early intervention may help to avoid a disability absence altogether. You can offer the EAP to an employee on an informal basis as a way to help deal with personal problems even if they are not yet affecting their performance.
Behavioral health problems generally have a gradual onset and there may be signs of a potential disability, including:
- Reduced productivity or work quality
- Absenteeism or tardiness
- Erratic work habits
- Safety problems
- Interpersonal conflicts or confrontations
- Poor grooming or disheveled appearance
- Concentration problems
- Emotional upset or irritability
Employee Assistance is also a great resource when you are faced with the following kinds of management issues:
- Job performance problems
- Substance abuse
- Violence at home or at work
- Critical incidents
- Other sensitive situations
Why should you use the EAP?
- It's a private source of consultation, information and assistance.
- It relieves you from the burden of handling employee issues alone.
- It provides expertise in areas you don't have.
- It allows you to focus on your other job responsibilities.
- It can help you problem-solve and troubleshoot.
- It offers you encouragement and support during difficult situations.
- It helps you create more satisfied and productive employees.
What if you don't use the EAP?
- You might respond improperly to a situation.
- You might overlook problems that can quickly become more serious.
- You might provide less effective help to an employee in need.
- You might waste valuable time trying to handle a situation alone.
- You might underestimate the magnitude of an issue.
- You might be focusing on an issue that really isn't the root problem.
|
