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What Should I do if I am concerned about an employee?
Use your EAP as a resource to help resolve work performance issues and provide support to employees struggling with personal problems. You can encourage the employee to contact the EAP through either an informal or formal referral. An informal referral means that you simply inform the employee about the EAP and suggest that the employee call. A formal referral (please check with your EAP policy to see if you have this option) means that you inform the EAP about any job performance problems, discuss the problems with the employee, notify the employee that you have contacted the EAP, and strongly urge the employee to call the EAP for an appointment. If contact is made with the EAP, an EAP staff member will meet with the employee to assess the situation and outline a plan of action. With a formal referral, you as the supervisor can request confirmation from the EAP about whether or not the referred employee has contacted the EAP and then did or did not attend an initial appointment when one was recommended by the EAP consultant. |
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Can I contact the EAP for advice, without formally referring an employee?
The EAP is available to you and the employee. One of the major functions of the EAP is to provide consultation to supervisors and managers who are confronted with difficult employee situations. This consultation is strictly confidential. |
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How do I formally refer an employee to the EAP?
1. Inform the employee that you are making a formal referral to the EAP. Tell the employee that you will be providing the EAP with his/her name and a description of the job performance issue. Let the employee know that the EAP consultant will keep you informed about whether he or she scheduled and attended an initial appointment, but that all information exchanged between the EAP consultant and the employee will be strictly confidential. Throughout your discussions, assure the employee that acceptance of the referral will in no way jeopardize nor guarantee job security or advancement opportunities. The employee must be aware that, as in all cases, continued employment is subject to satisfactory job performance.
2. Give the employee specific instructions for contacting the EAP consultant and the deadline for doing so. Answer any questions the employee may have about what to expect.
3. Call the EAP consultant before the employee initiates contact and give the employee’s name, summarize the performance issues, and state a deadline (usually no more than 2-3 business days) for the employee to call. Request that the consultant contact you within a specific time frame about whether or not the employee has made/kept the appointment.
4. Document your Formal Referral as part of the employee’s performance improvement plan.
5. Expect a follow-up call from the EAP consultant to let you know whether the employee made and kept an initial appointment.
6. Follow up with the employee as appropriate. |
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How do I know if the employee has received the needed support?
If you made a Formal Referral to the EAP and the employee has signed a written release, the EAP consultant will inform you about whether or not the employee contacted the EAP and also if the employee did or did not attend an initial appointment when one was recommended by the EAP consultant. No additional information may be obtained without specific and additional written consent. |
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