SolutionsVolume 18, Issue 4

A newsletter for managers, supervisors and human resource staff eligible for KEPRO services.

Volume 18, Issue 4

Q: I have an employee who has been with our company for 24 years. During that time, he has worked at 101 percent capacity. No one could touch his energy, overtime ability, and creativity. He was a heavy drinker, but it never affected his work. That’s changed. Why the change?A: Alcoholism is an acute chronic illness. This means it gets worse over time. This does not mean all alcoholic drinkers have the same behavioral pattern on their way to the late stages. Genetics, social factors, psychological factors, and environmental factors contribute to alcoholism’s manifestations. Some people may drink alcoholically almost immediately or soon after a first drink. Others may remain in less acute stages of the illness for decades. They will show few obvious effects other than a growing tolerance and problems that typically only family members recognize. Acute problems that coworkers recognize may not appear for decades, but enabling terms like “functional” alcoholic will contribute to a pattern of denial that becomes difficult to break. It appears that alcohol has begun to take its toll on your employee. Contact the EAP for guidance and a referral strategy based on his performance. If you stay focused and hold the employee accountable, the probability of effective performance-based intervention and recovery is very high.

Solutions

Q: What’s the number one complaint that employees have about bosses?A: Your Complaints about managers being poor communicators usually top the list. Poor communication, in fact, beats favoritism, incompetence, never giving praise, having mood swings, and being passive-aggressive. Supervisors seeking to improve communication should not just communicate more often. Instead, they should engage and make communication reciprocal, get feedback from employees about how the communication is going, and create systems that ensure effective communication stays in place. Not doing so will allow poor communication to again emerge as a work climate issue. What kind of structure or predictable way of communicating should you establish? The answer: Get employee input and then decide.Source: https://www.studyfinds.org/one-in-five-employees-hate-boss/

Volume 18, Issue 4

Q: My employee’s work is good, and frankly, he is my best mechanic. There is nothing to document regarding performance, but he has a bad attitude with his lack of humor, gruff style, isolation, and cynicism; he does not mesh well with us. Can the EAP help?A: Yes, the EAP can help. You do have jobperformance issues that you can document and upon which you can base a referral. It’s attitude at work. Attitude can be described in a way that makes it measurable. The EAP can consult with you on useful language to consider in documentation, and it will do so with you confidentially. Useful language is critical because your organization may need such memos in the future to support performance management decisions. The task is to describe the manner in which your employee conducts himself, the disposition and temperament he displays, and most important, the impact on others. This is key to effective documentation—describing the harm or cost to the organization in lost productivity, lower morale, conflict, lost team cohesion, etc.

SolutionsQ: My employee told me, in a private conversation, that she visited the EAP regarding some problems at home with her spouse. Am I obligated to keep this information confidential?A: Yes. Periodically, all managers learn personalinformation about their employees through private conversations, employment records, hearsay, and personal notes provided to them. Sometimes employees accidentally disclose personal information under emotional stress. Your possession of this information carries with it significant responsibility, and the appropriate care of it is a matter that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Here are some rules to follow: Consider all personal information about employees as private and never disclose it unless compelled to do so. In all cases, talk to your HR manager or legal advisor and don’t act alone without such advice. Also, it may be tempting to share personal information about an employee in confidence with another manager/colleague and ask him or her to not re-share it. Don’t do this.

Q: We have an older employee whom some people call “Pops,” as in “Hey Pops!” I am a bit nervous that the term is age discriminatory. It rubs me the wrong way at least and a couple of others as well. Still, the employee doesn’t seem to mind. What’s the recommendation?A: This term “pops” is being viewed by at leasta couple of employees as discriminatory. Is it? It really does not matter.

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Volume 18, Issue 4

Insist that employees stop using this term because people find it offensive. That’s the justification. Perhaps this tag may have been fitting for a chuck wagon cook in an old Western movie, but it’s problematic in the modern era. It does not matter that your employee is not offended. The term denotes an age stereotype. Even if your employee is fond of the term, others may label it as offensive. There are many terms commonly used in the workplace that few employees would give a second thought to. Unfortunately, many of these terms have shown up in discrimination court cases. Terms like “having a senior moment,” “looking for new blood,” “our new and seasoned supervisors,” and “old school” may also be problematic with regard to ageism in the workplace.

Q: I want to create a positive workplace for my employees. They seem happy as a group. Is that the only measure I need?A: You want happy employees, but highproductivity is also important. Think of your workplace as having a “climate” like the weather. What is the work climate like? Many things contribute to a positive work climate. Examples include effective communication, supportive supervisory practices, and shared traditions that promote positive reinforcement, gratitude, celebration, and fun. Some work organizations establish climate committees to help monitor and influence happy, healthy, and productive workplaces. Although you do not have to establish a climate committee, you should have a means of understanding your work climate. Keep tabs on it and view it as a strategic resource.

SolutionsWhen you consciously make your work climate a priority, you are more likely to nurture it into a positive force that facilitates employees deciding to work to their potential, rather than to just their quota.

SOLUTIONS is a newsletter for managers, supervisors and human resource staff eligible for KEPRO services. KEPRO EAP services provide assistance and guidance to supervisors dealing with workplace performance issues. This newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended to replace the counsel or advice of a qualified health professional. Individuals should follow the policies and procedures laid out by their human resource management department concerning use of the EAP. Some articles reprinted with permission from DFA Publishing and Consulting, LLC. KEPRO, Harrisburg, PA. All rights reserved.

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KEPRO’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP)The Employee Assistance Program through KEPRO assists organizations and their workforce in managing the personal challenges that impact employee well-being, performance and effectiveness. KEPRO’s life management consultants employ a comprehensive approach that identifies issues impacting the employee and assists them in developing meaningful solutions.

Please call the phone number below for information about your Employee Assistance Program and the services available to you.

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