Q.  My employee has a hard time paying attention and listening. He loses things, is easily distracted and restless, and worst of all, he interrupts people when they are talking. I am referring him to the EAP, but will they be able to diagnose this behavior? Maybe it is ADHD.

A.  Make a formal referral to the EAP and request that a release be signed. The EAP may not be the final point of contact that identifies the nature of the problem. Depending on the assessment and after a referral, a doctor or other licensed clinician will make that determination. The EAP will consider issues that explain the behaviors you are seeing. Speak with the EAP prior to referring to the program. Discuss your observations and documentation. Too often supervisors miss this critical step, wherein details examined in a discussion could improve the outcome of an assessment later. Good communication will be important to help your employee maintain appropriate conduct and follow through with any counseling or treatment. Could this be adult ADHD? Possibly, but keep your focus on the issues that led to this referral when following up in the future.

Q. When supervisors inquire about complaints regarding harassment in a work unit, what are some of the classic mistakes they make that cause bigger problems later for organizations? It feels accusatory or at least somewhat awkward to mention the EAP as a source of support for a complainant. 

A.  A common mistake of supervisors investigating complaints of harassment is not working closely with their HR advisors or following instructions provided to them. Beyond these missteps, allowing one’s misconceptions about harassment to interfere with or influence an investigation can contribute to larger problems. An example includes suggesting, even slightly, that some responsibility lies with the victim of the harassment. Another is deciding or suggesting that the complaint is not that serious if a long delay exists between the date of the incident and its first report. Another is making a judgment that the incident is not serious, or making a statement about how serious it appears. Showing a lack of empathy or not appreciating that victims of harassment may feel powerless and traumatized are common blunders. Remember that victimized employees of any trauma can benefit from a confidential and empathetic listener. This role belongs to your EAP, so a supervisor’s suggestion to use the EAP is completely appropriate.

Q.  My employee has been coming to work late. I finally sat down to con-front him. He opened up about the problems he is facing at home. He wants leave without pay (LWOP) for a week to deal with these problems. I don’t mind authorizing the leave, but should I ask him to visit the EAP first?

A.  The seriousness of the attendance problems makes a formal referral to the EAP appropriate. Consider this as the first step. Discuss the attendance pat-tern with the EAP or share documentation to allow a more thorough assessment. The assessment could discover that the problems he has shared with you are not primary, but symptoms of larger issues that should be resolved before attendance issues will stop. Taking time off might be a needed accommodation recommended by the EAP, but maybe not. (Note that the EAP cannot tell you to approve or disapprove LWOP.) A release will allow the EAP to share essential basic information, without details, necessary for you to manage your employee’s productivity and attendance issues. On a side note, this scenario with your employee is a good example of how easy it can be to accept what you are hearing at face value from a troubled

Q.  My employee entered treatment after a positive drug test for an opioid. Things have been going well, but lately his attendance has been slipping. How many chances should we give someone like this if in fact he has relapsed? Nothing is spelled out in the policy.

A.  Those in recovery for addictive diseases are prone to relapse like other illnesses. Still, most people react emotionally to drug relapse, including employers. There are important issues to consider with relapse—impact on your organization, risk, productivity, and the value of your worker. Employers often fire workers who relapse because they fear they are enabling them, or are angry or feel taken advantage of. These reactions may not best serve the organization. Referring the employee back to the EAP is often the best choice. Some employers have referred a worker who relapses back to treatment numerous times, but with each incident have made the decision in the best interest of the organization. Most employees do not want to lose their job. Therefore, strong leverage exists to maintain close communication with the EAP and create a firm agreement with the employee so he or she can follow through with its recommendations. It is this close communication between all parties that helps relapse be less likely.

Q.   My employee has mood swings that range from pleasant to very grumpy and argumentative. Everyone complains about it, but I have not gotten to the point of taking some job action. After all, we all have some personality quirks. How do I decide that it is time to make a referral?

A.  Although no one’s perfect, be cautious about slowly adapting to dysfunctional communication and thereby promoting a poor work climate that interferes with productivity, adversely affects morale, causes turnover, and enables this behavior to grow worse. You aren’t ready for a formal referral to the EAP until you sit down with this person to give feedback, ask for changes, describe those changes clearly, and get a commitment from the employee. You should meet with the EAP and formulate an approach to this issue. Are you afraid of confronting this employee? Discuss that possibility with the employee assistance program because it could serve as a roadblock to what appears to be necessary change that would benefit everyone.

^{Information contained in “The Frontline Supervisor” is for general information purposes only and is not intended to be specific guidance for any particular supervisor or human resource management concern. For specific guidance on handling individual employee problems, consult with your Employee Assistance Professional.   ©2019 DFA Publishing & Consulting, LLC.}

                                                                                                                                                                              

Q.  Poor job performance or unsatisfactory quality of work is obviously the number one issue with troubled employees. Beyond this, what is the most common problem among troubled employees, and how should supervisors respond?

A.  The management research firm Center for Creative Leadership surveyed over 200 supervisors and discovered that the most common employee problem (other than poor job performance) is “inability to get along with others.” Conflict and friction between two employees are not uncommon, but beware of employees who (1) blame others for their problems, (2) make others feel guilty for not living up to their expectations, (3) show an inability to own “their half” of problems, (4) have little insight into their behavior, (5) view discussions about their behavior as personal attacks, and (6) are overly adept at making excuses. These behaviors in combination are unlikely to respond to a corrective interview with you. Making an early referral to the EAP along with well-written documentation is recommended. (If you need help with constructing effective documentation, consult with the EAP.)

Q.  Can I refer an employee to the EAP to help him or her deal with boredom? One of my best workers expressed loss of interest in the work and labeled it boredom. I know this is not a psychological problem, but can the EAP help address it?

A.  Work with your employee to examine how the job can be structured in a way that rekindles interest. If you don’t see an immediate rally, suggest help from the EAP. Your employee’s boredom could be linked to depression. Depression costs business and industry about $44 billion a year, according to the American Psychiatric Association. There are other symptoms of depression visible to others in the workplace. Do you see any? They include withdrawing from the team, isolating oneself, being indifferent, putting things off, missing deadlines, seeming absent-minded, procrastinating, being late to work, and more. All are quantifiable performance measures. Your employee may not go to the EAP, so be prepared down the road to consider a formal referral as needed. Note that the problem of boredom is a good example of how something that appears minor could be a symptom of a serious condition.

Q.   I referred my employee to the EAP this morning because of his attendance issues. When he comes back to the office this afternoon, should I meet with him again? Or should I assume everything is fine, wait for the EAP to confirm his attendance, or discuss with him the expectations going forward?

A.  If your employee went to the EAP and you previously had contact with the program in arranging the referral, you should get confirmation of participation if a release was signed. Regardless, meet with your employee and discuss the essential duties of his position, the reasons for the referral, and your expectations for his attendance. Doing so will increase the likelihood of having fewer or no more attendance problems. Then meet a few times over the ensuing  fewer or no more attendance problems. Then meet a few times over the ensuing weeks and months. This will further reinforce his need to follow through both with the EAP’s recommendations and with his commitment to a predictable attendance schedule. Lack of accountability and supervisor follow-up demotivates employees, causing their commitment to change to erode. The time you invest in reminding him and praising his return to proper performance standards will be well worth it.

Q.   Can I direct an employee to stop complaining about problems to coworkers, which damages morale, and instead bring these complaints directly to me? And [can I] then hold [him] accountable?

A.  If complaining adversely affects the work climate and productivity, then it is reasonable to ask your employee to come to you instead of complaining openly. You’ll discover in your career that there are employees who like to “stir the pot,” or, more accurately, they enjoy having others listen to their analysis and diagnosis of the work unit’s problems. Ditto with the organization’s or supervisor’s competence. Much complaining is motivated simply by a desire to engage and socialize with coworkers. These complaints tend to act as icebreakers in conversations. It is easier to discuss a complaint or issue or open with a common concern than it is to offer an observation about the nice weather. This then becomes a habit of communication among employees. If needed, encourage the employee to visit the EAP, where he or she will find listening ears, and you can count on the discussion being one that helps the employee and supports the organization.

Q.   I may be old school in my thinking, but I think an employee’s mental health is none of the employer’s business. Still, I see a lot of articles in recent years about mental wellness in the workplace. What is the business case for so much attention to this subject? What can one supervisor do?

A.   Employers pay high costs for mental health problems. On the low side, it’s about $70 billion a year. Absenteeism, reduced productivity, and increased health care are the three big cost areas. If employers can influence mental wellness in ways that reduce these exposures, they can improve productivity and have a healthier bottom line. So mental wellness is not about intrusiveness in employees’ lives but about creating work environments that have a positive impact on wellness. As a supervisor, you have significant influence on promoting mental wellness. Here are three examples. (1) Don’t praise the employee who comes in early and stays late. This practice eventually erodes productivity and leads to burnout. (2) Encourage or insist that employees take regular vacations to recharge and refresh. (3) Don’t expect employees to answer the phone, email, or engage in work around the clock. (4) Be a model for these behaviors yourself.

^{FrontLine Supervisor is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be specific guidance for any particular supervisor or human resource management concern. URLs are case-sensitive. For specific guidance on handling individual employee problems, consult with your EA professional. © 2019 DFA Publishing & Consulting, LLC}