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My employee does
not drink on the job, but I know by appearance this person is suffering
from a hangover a couple of times a month. I cannot say that job
performance is affected, but there must be something I can do to
intervene formally. What approach should I use? |
Talk to the EAP
first.
But you are having difficulty identifying performance issues associated
with what appears to be a hangover, a consult is warranted. A
confidential discussion with the EA professional will make it easier to
develop a plan or approach that includes specific performance issues you
could be overlooking. On the other hand, you may need tips on how to
better spot these issues as they occur. The goal is to help you make an
effective supervisor referral. Employees with hangovers do not function
at optimal levels, and spotting these work-related deficiencies is
therefore the key. Some of them will be obvious, but others will be
more subtle. What most people don’t realize is that many symptoms of
hangovers create cognitive and psychomotor dysfunction as much as
intoxication does, so helping your employee stop this behavior is a
safety issue as much as it is a productivity concern. |
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Is there any new
research about exercise and stress to help employees who are survivors
of layoff? Some of my employees have recently formed an exercise
support group, and I am encouraged with their improved morale. |
Research
associated with
stress, the
recession, layoffs, and their effects are continually released. In
March 2010, researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center
announced their findings from a study of 2,800 employees who were
survivors of layoffs. The report showed that chronic stress is strongly
associated with an increase in being overweight or obese. Healthy
dieting did virtually nothing to help change these conditions. Instead,
the key to reducing weight—directly attributable to stress—was
exercise. The results of this study strongly suggest that chronic
stress, especially for sedentary workers, contributes to weight gain and
that exercise is an essential part of an effective stress-reduction
program.
(Source:
www.urmc.rochester.edu, Search: Rochester Study Connects Workplace
Turmoil, Stress and Obesity, March 24, 2010) |
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I think social
media Web sites like Facebook are consuming time and hampering the
productivity of some employees. We don’t have a policy against their
use, but one of my employees can’t stay away from these Web sites, even
after I insist. Performance is affected. Is this a real addiction? |
Although it is
hotly
debated, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
will not include “Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) in 2013 when it
is next revised and published. This has no bearing, of course, on your
task of managing the problematic use of the computer by your employee.
Meet with your employee, and with your documentation in hand, make a
supervisor referral to the EAP. Even though IAD is not officially a
mental disorder that does not mean that it is not treatable. Help from
the EAP will include assessment, referral to help, support, follow-up,
and a program of recovery to help maintain abstinence from compulsive
Internet use. |
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When being
confronted on a specific matter, my employee glared saying, “You know, I
am really about to get into someone’s face!” The employee
stormed off. This employee often has a hostile tone, but my supervisor
and I debated whether this was a threat. What do you think? |
There is an old
saying
that goes, “The meaning of your communication is the response that you
get.” In this instance, at least one of you perceived this statement as
a threat. Most employees know that they can’t openly make threats at
work. So what you may be witnessing is belligerence cloaked with an
offhand, cryptic expression. You got the message this employee intended
to send. You do not need to split hairs and debate what was meant, or
the precise meaning of his or her statement. Feeling threatened is
enough to confront and correct this behavior. Your employee may have
issues with boundaries, anger management, self-control, and respect.
Behavior of this sort tends to get worse and is reinforced by those who
experience it, minimize its meaning, and then do not take steps to
address it. |
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We have a very
diverse workplace, and I sometimes correct employees when I see them
demonstrating poor tolerance of co-worker’s differences. I am not an
expert on tolerance and bias, so can you offer some language, tips, or
“phrases” helpful in educating employees? |
Education does
help
alter bias, but the bottom line is that employee behavior must conform
to what is civil and supportive of your organization’s work goals. Let
employees know that the goal of tolerance is a respectful workplace and
that without it; the interests of the work organization are not served.
When correcting employee behavior in the context of supervisory
meetings, your goal should be to educate, not counsel or investigate the
psychological influences of employee bias. Given that, the following
can help your discussions be more effective. Key tolerance principles:
1) Look past differences of opinion, orientation, ethnic, or racial
backgrounds and instead, focus on understanding a colleague’s views and
perspective. 2) Avoid the trap of tuning out simply because someone
talks or looks different. 3) Avoid labels. Monitor your speech
patterns—and thinking style—to check whether you label others. 4) If
you disagree with someone’s views, react with curiosity rather than
defensiveness. Ask at least one earnest, non-threatening question to
dig for more information. Be willing to change your mind and withhold
judgment to expand your frame of reference. 5) Speak up when hurtful
comments are overheard. 6) Reject intolerance when you see it
demonstrated. |
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