Leadership Training Programs, Supervisor Training, & Leadership Development

Discipline for Sexual Harassment Not Good Enough to Reduce Risk

2012-01-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

If you are not referring employees to your company EAP after they have been reprimanded for sexual harassment, you don't have an expert to help you prevent a future occurrence of sexual harassment. So, good luck if you did not fire the employee or it was not serious enough. The disciplinary action may not stop an employee with a sexual addiction. You have no deterrence.

A firm management response often prevents a second offense of sexual harassment by an employee. But if an employee has difficulty with the control of impulsive behavior or a long history of personal issues that contribute to inappropriate behavior, something more may be needed. EAPs help employees examine any contributing factors to sexual harassment behavior. Sometimes the only factors are problematic social skills. In other situations, more complex issues may contribute to an employee’s inability to control behavior. For one employee, education and awareness may be the intervention of choice. For another, professional counseling or intensive treatment may be needed for a variety of treatable health issues that can lead to behavior problems in the workplace. EAPs discover that many employees are willing to accept such help with an incalculable cost-benefit to the organization.

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DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 10: “But we’re friends!”

2011-12-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
If you are friends with your employee, you will face a challenge in recommending a drug test.

If you socialize and drink with your employee, this challenge is made even more difficult—something to think about if you currently engaged in this behavior.

Consider this: Most supervisors will put their own job security ahead of such friendships when drinking or drug use facilitates a crisis at work.

Don’t accept guilt trips or appeals to loyalty. Testing will not hurt a true friendship, and it may prevent a crisis that forces you to make a choice.

The next time someone makes this kind of appeal to you, ask yourself what kind of example it sets to other employees if word gets out.

At the very least, you’ll be viewed as an unscrupulous supervisor who plays favorites.

If your employee persists in demanding special treatment, explain the negative repercussions you face by breaking the rules. A true friend will understand the terrible spot this puts you in and should be unwilling to put you at risk.

You don’t have to wait until this happens to head off an uncomfortable situation. Be clear with all subordinates that you only wear the “boss hat” while at work and that no special favors should be expected.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 9: “Let’s keep it between ourselves.”

2011-12-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
Don’t become your employee’s confidant. It’s an inappropriate mixing of roles, and it comes back you haunt you. If you’re the type of supervisor who seeks approval, you’re vulnerable to this sort of manipulation.

This excuse trap may be particularly difficult for the supervisor who perceives being a confidant as a way to be liked by an employee with significant influence

Once you assume the role of confidant, you it may be difficult to extricate yourself from it. You may find yourself being asked to keep more secrets, bend additional rules, or find yourself further entwined with your employee’s personal life and problems.

The leverage gained by keeping an employee’s secrets is largely an illusion. In reality, you’ve elevated your employee’s ability to defy your wishes. After all, you broke the rules, too, by helping him keep his infraction a secret.

Don’t put yourself in a position to be harmed by aiding a cover up. Be empathetic, but stay neutral and play it by the book.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 8: “Let’s wait and see.”

2011-11-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
Asking for a “wait and see” approach is usually an employee’s way of asking for a 2nd chance. It basically promises that the offending behavior won’t occur again if only you’ll overlook it just this once.

It seems reasonable. Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, right? What if it was one isolated screw up? You wouldn’t want to mess with someone’s job over a simple mistake, would you?

Well, there’s a problem with that. If you decide to “wait and see if it happens again” before acting on your drug testing policy, chances are you’re simply procrastinating. You’re also enabling. If injury or death on the job—or off the job—occurs, you’ll be sick with regret over why you didn’t act when you had the chance. And that may be the least of your problems. You may have also exposed you and your employer to severe legal consequences.

There’s no upside here for you. You have no guarantee from your employee that this won’t happen again. All you have are the panicked reassurances of someone who is right now very afraid of being punished. Now is not the time to put yourself in a bad spot. Right now your job is to determine whether your employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. That’s it. The issue of 2nd chances is one that can be decided upon later.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 7: “It’s okay, I’m back in treatment.”

2011-11-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors .
Employees with unmanaged or untreated alcohol or drug problems frequently know more about their problem than others around them. They know exactly what they should be doing to treat their illness—but don’t.

Motivational presentations and demonstrations of sudden insight are usually manipulative in nature. They can sway unwitting supervisors from acting on the drug testing policy. Be aware that anyone who has an untreated alcohol or drug problem is desperate to avoid confronting the problem. The need to use and the short term pain of withdrawal are so overwhelming that the substance abuser will resort to actions that seem far out of character.

It doesn’t matter whether a substance abuser has never had treatment or is currently relapsing. The behavioral patterns are the same. One unfortunate side effect of treatment is that it sometimes teaches relapsed substance abusers how to “fake it” by saying the right things to convince others that there isn’t a problem.

Being in treatment doesn’t give anyone a free pass. Most drug and alcohol treatments emphasize the substance abuser’s responsibility in regaining lost trust and credibility. If you suspect an employee is under the influence of drugs and alcohol, then document and test to confirm whether or not your observations are correct. It’s the only way to be sure.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 6: “Who me?! Do I look drunk to you?”

2011-11-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
Maybe you can’t walk straight when you’re intoxicated, but plenty of other people can. And one of them might be your employee. An employee may be “plastered” but not show it. The only indication of intoxication may be alcohol on the breath.

Alcoholics and drug addicts who drink, characteristically has high tolerance—the ability to consume large quantities of alcohol or drugs and not appear intoxicated. An alcoholic employee with alcohol on his breath could be two to three times over the “legal” limit, but could appear unaffected.

By letting yourself be talked out of documenting and testing for intoxication, you’re being manipulated.

If you’re worried about insufficient documentation, don’t forget that if you smell alcohol, then you have sufficient reasonable suspicion to refer to testing. You’re organization’s drug testing policy is written to protect you and the organization, even if there is a false test later. So don’t back off. Even if you turn out to be wrong, you were right. You made the right call.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 5: “You’ll ruin my career.”

2011-10-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
Manipulation is at hand, and ploy is “fear of lawsuit” and “guilt”.

Your employee can’t see the future and neither can you. Second, even if you could know all possible outcomes of documenting your suspicions and scheduling an alcohol test, you do your employee no favors by giving into manipulation. An employee knows they are manipulating in the “you’ll ruin my career” threat.

Allowing an employee to convince you that a drug test will be harmful to his or her career and life is called enabling. Enabling is behavior that appears compassionate on its face, but ultimately harms the substance abuser by allowing destructive behaviors to continue without consequence. “If you remove the pain, you are buying the next drink.”

Remember this: Whatever negative consequences follow, they are a direct result of your employee’s alcohol or drug affected decisions and actions. You are not the cause of his/her problems. In fact, your intervention to help solve problems makes the underlying problem worse.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be empathetic and compassionate. Most companies have policies that support employees getting treatment and remaining employed. Do everything in your power to make these policies work for your employee. Even if your company does not provide help with substance abuse and fires for one positive test, it still saves lives—the employee’s life and others.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 4: “I have used.”

2011-10-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
Occasionally employees will fully own up to their actions. Their honesty means “I need help” and frequently signals a substance abuse problem. Employees who admit to using drugs or alcohol should still be tested.

The goal of an employee who discloses use is sympathy. If you employee can garner sympathy from you, you might discuss the problem, and better yet accept the employee’s explanation, plans for treatment, and tale of whoa.

Manipulation is the goal. If your employee has a substance abuse problem, this may be the proverbial “rock bottom” moment. It is that incidental opportunity to get help. That starts with a drug test. Expect your employee to display distress, feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and remorse. But don’t feel guilty. Feel empowered.

Don’t make false promises out of sympathy. The main priority is getting the employee help through testing.”

After you’ve tested your employee, make sure that he has emotional support. If your organization provides employee assistance services, it is likely they are involved in the testing and assessment pathway. If not, encourage your employee to take advantage of services to which he or she may be referred.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 3: “It’s medicine!”

2011-09-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
This is a claim that requires you to be very careful about your approach. It might be medicine; it might be alcohol. Deal with your employee with the idea in mind that she might be telling you the truth. A false accusation can carry negative consequences for years. If an innocent employee believes you’ve impugned her integrity, your relationship may be permanently harmed.

This does NOT mean you should back off. Politely ask your employee for specifics about her medication—what it is, when it was prescribed, its side effects, and whether she can produce the medicine bottle or a prescription. You can also ask for contact information for the physician who prescribed the medicine. Carefully document each response.

Remember, if it smells like alcohol, then you can support your documentation even if you turn out to be wrong. What the employee claims that you smell is not part of the “screening out” process. This is about your observations, not someone else’s assertions.

Mixing alcohol with some medications can exaggerate their side effects. It’s possible that your employee is telling you the truth about her medication, but has also consumed alcohol. Or your employee may be abusing her medication by taking it in greater amounts than prescribed.

Don’t pressure yourself to figure everything out on the spot. Let your observations guide whether there’s reasonable suspicion and allow testing to make the final judgment.

DOT Training and Reasonable Suspicion Tip 2: “It’s mouthwash.”

2011-09-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Training for Supervisors.
This statement can put you in a tough spot because it seems plausible enough to introduce doubt. Don’t let this sway you from testing your employee.

If you can smell alcohol on your employee’s breath, then you can document it to support a test for reasonable suspicion. You’re also likely to have other supporting evidence like slurred speech, erratic behavior, trouble walking, etc. If your employee has been at work for awhile, you can ask him/her to show you the mouthwash, but don’t require it.

You’re focused on smell. It doesn’t make any difference whether the employee used mouthwash or not. Ethyl alcohol-based beverages and their metabolization have a common smell. The supervisor does not have to describe the smell of alcohol. “I smelled alcohol” is good enough. Document your observations and administer a test as quickly as reasonably possible.

Be careful not to accuse or rush to judgment. It might be mouthwash, or maybe not. Avoid getting into arguments with your employee. Your goal should be to keep your employee calm and allow your testing to determine whether there’s a significant amount of alcohol in his/her system. You don’t have to prove anything right now other than reasonable suspicion. Explain to your employee that the best way to clear up any confusion is take a required test.

Keep in mind that your employee may be telling you the truth and still be intoxicated. Some alcoholics in the later stages of the disease have consumed mouthwash in quantities large enough to induce intoxication—some mouthwashes are 50 proof or more. Alcohol rehabilitation facilities ban mouthwash based on their potential for abuse.

DOT Supervisor Training and Reasonable Suspicion Trap 1: “I haven’t had a drink since last night!”

2011-09-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here is another tip for you to consider in your DOT Supervisor Training.
In the heat of the moment, this excuse can seem quite reasonable, especially for those of us who have had a few late nights ourselves. Here’s something you probably won’t consider in the heat of the moment—just how long ago was “last night”?

Depending on when your employee stopped drinking, it can be as few as 3-4 of hours. Knocking off at 4am and catching a couple hours of sleep before work may fool your employee into thinking it’s a new day, but he can’t fool his body. Sleeping doesn’t metabolize alcohol and sober you up any faster than if you were awake.

But isn’t even 4 hours long enough to sober up? Not necessarily. Don’t make the mistake of projecting your own consumption habits onto your employee. He may have consumed an amount that far exceeds your own capacity. If your employee has a substance abuse problem, it’s far more likely that he’s been engaging in binge drinking. Having 10 or more drinks in one sitting is not unheard of.

Employees who have a high tolerance to alcohol could have their last drink late at night and still be under the influence well after sunrise. They don’t have to drink just before coming to work or first thing in the morning to be under the influence. Don’t let this statement convince you that a test is unnecessary.

Let me offer a little brain teaser

2011-08-26T11:45:00.001-07:00

An employee tests positive for marijuana is evaluated and referred to an addiction treatment program. Fine enough, but then this employee is in treatment getting more education about alcohol and marijuana. She calls you up and says, "get me out of here", they think I am an alcoholic.
What are you going to do?

I have seen supervisors fall prey to this game and give permission for their employee to leave! Assuming your employee is not alcoholic, several factors may explain her treatment. The most important is the nature of effective addiction treatment, which is founded on helping patients see the need to remain abstinent from all mood-altering substances, including alcohol. Because alcohol is legal and easily obtained, a strong emphasis on understanding alcoholism and on acquiring motivation for abstinence is needed. Your employee is being treated for addictive disease. Her drug of choice may be marijuana. The continued use of alcohol is a key predictor of eventual use of the primary drug of choice for any addict. Although understanding the harmful effects of marijuana is important, your employee will hear a lot about alcohol in any effective treatment program. The recovery principles are virtually the same no matter what the drug of choice.

Conduct Unbecoming is Powerful Leverage

2011-07-09T11:41:00.001-07:00

Last week your assistant manager got in a bar brawl and then was arrested, only to be in the local newspaper the next day, which clearly embarassed your company. Then a couple days later, one of your truck drivers lost his license due to a drunk driving conviction that occurred while he was not on duty. Yep, the public found out about that one too.

Your employees have behaved in a way that represents conduct unbecoming an employee of your organization. This doctrine -- conduct unbecoming -- was originally developed by the military to address problem behavior among military officers. So, it is a military term originally, but don't think for a minute that this is only a military term.

Many companies are now beginning to adopt this behavior standard to deal problems similiar to the ones with these two employees. Talk to your company attorney. See if you can get a policy concerning "conduct unbecoming an employee", but not necessarily to fire employees. Instead use it as a lever to motivate acceptance of help from the company employee assistance program. Frequently conduct unbecoming is related things like alcoholism, gambling, anger management issues, domestic violence issues, drug use and many more.

If so with violations of conduct unbecoming, you have a lot of leverage, not to fire your best and brightest, but to motivate them to accept help for personal problems that have brought disrepute. With this leverage, you can get the employee to the EAP by using job security as a proactive lever to gain compliance.

Be careful. Always coordinate discipline decisions with your human resource advisor. One issue that requires attorney opinion is how to act on such a policy and avoid being accused by the employee of defaming his or her character. If an employee can point to the employer and say it imputed incompetence, stupidity, unworthiness of continued employment, or dishonesty to the employee, then their is a case for a defamatory claim.

Conduct unbecoming -- is it in your employee handbook?

Supervisors with No Authority to Conduct Evaluation

2011-06-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

Have you experienced this problem: You supervise your employee’s work, but do not conduct her performance evaluations? This dynamic invites enormous and frequently conflicts that will prompt your employee to run to the next level supervisor for every one --the supervisor who conducts performance evaluations. Although most employees naturally accept delegated authority in supervision relationships, if you do not conduct your employee’s performance evaluation or have no role in its final outcome, your employee will not feel accountable to you. This dynamic contributes to conflicts. A troubled employee may take advantage of this situation, making it difficult to correct performance. Conflicts can increase if the manager at the next level (who does conduct performance evaluations) acts as an accessible arbitrator. This can cause the troubled employee to feel a safe harbor exists, reduce motivation for correcting performance, and reinforce the perception of non-accountability to the immediate supervisor. The interventions for this problem include reinforcing proper communication channels by requiring the employee to go through the supervisor first, making the immediate supervisor's contributions to the performance evaluation weigh heavily. Never ask your "assistant supervisor" to supervise an employee, but refuse to give this person evaluation authority in some small respect. A little is all it takes to completely change this destructive dynamic.

Reasonable Suspicion Excuse Trap #2: "Hey, It's Mouth Wash

2011-05-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tip 2: “It’s mouthwash.”

This statement can put you in a tough spot because it seems plausible enough to introduce doubt. Don’t let this sway you from testing your employee.

If you can smell alcohol on your employee’s breath, then you can document it to support a test for reasonable suspicion. You’re also likely to have other supporting evidence like slurred speech, erratic behavior, trouble walking, etc. If your employee has been at work for awhile, you can ask him/her to show you the mouthwash, but don’t require it.

You’re focused on smell. It doesn’t make any difference whether the employee used mouthwash or not. Ethyl alcohol-based beverages and their metabolization have a common smell. The supervisor does not have to describe the smell of alcohol. “I smelled alcohol” is good enough. Document your observations and administer a test as quickly as reasonably possible.

Be careful not to accuse or rush to judgment. It might be mouthwash, or maybe not. Avoid getting into arguments with your employee. Your goal should be to keep your employee calm and allow your testing to determine whether there’s a significant amount of alcohol in his/her system. You don’t have to prove anything right now other than reasonable suspicion. Explain to your employee that the best way to clear up any confusion is take a required test.

Keep in mind that your employee may be telling you the truth and still be intoxicated. Some alcoholics in the later stages of the disease have consumed mouthwash in quantities large enough to induce intoxication—some mouthwashes are 50 proof or more. Alcohol rehabilitation facilities ban mouthwash based on their potential for abuse. Alcohol and Drug Training Certification for Supervisors

Reasonable Suspicion Trap #1: "I haven't had a drink since last night!"

2011-04-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

In the heat of the moment, this excuse can seem quite reasonable, especially for those of us who have had a few late nights ourselves. Here's something you probably won't consider in the heat of the moment--just how long ago was "last night"? And, quite frankly, its irrelevant. Is the smell there? But, let's play along for a minute.

Depending on when your employee stopped drinking, it can be as few as 3-4 of hours.

Knocking off at 4am and catching a couple hours of sleep before work may fool your employee into thinking it's a new day, but he can't fool his body. Sleeping doesn't metabolize alcohol and sober you up any faster than if you were awake.

But isn't even 4 hours long enough to sober up? Not necessarily. Don't make the mistake of projecting your own consumption habits onto your employee. He may have consumed an amount that far exceeds your own capacity. An alcoholic with a high tolerance who drinks 12 beers, and then quits at midnight will still be drunk the next day at 8 a.m., and especially if there are any sort liver problems. And they're probably are.

Employees who have a high tolerance to alcohol could have their last drink late at night and still be under the influence well after sunrise. They don't have to drink just before coming to work or first thing in the morning to be under the influence. Don't let this statement convince you that a test is unnecessary.

Preview the Reasonable Suspicion Training Program for FREE! Our most popular version is the Web Course that allows remote training from your web site -- not ours! Other formats and instructors' support guides for live training also available.

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http://workexcel.info

Hey, what a great group of cool people we have in our office

2011-04-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Okay so you have nice informal work environment, no ties, everybody "high-fiving", no problems--even a softball team! So you make frequent "crude" and embarrassing sexual remarks to both men and women in your work group. Not one has ever complained, plus you're not talking and much less not targeting anyone. Hey, it like TV! You know, "that's what she said". You're pretty "rowdy" group and some of us even respond with approval at times. It can't be sexual harassment if no one person is the "target" of this behavior, right.

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That would be great, and just like TV, but unfortunately, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (one that many don't particularly enjoy hearing from) recently ruled that harassing, abusive, and crude remarks can constitute sexual harassment, even though a supervisor directed the comments to all employees. The important question to ask in all sexual harassment cases is this: Is the supervisor's conduct sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment and create a hostile or abusive working environment. If so, the issue turns to whether the employer, when informed of the abusive behavior, took prompt action to remedy the situation. If supervisors remember this description, much of the gray area of questionable behavior will become clear. Also, even if a supervisor's conduct is equally degrading to both men and women, it does not make the conduct immune from liability for sexual harassment.

Do Investigations Correctly So You Don't Investigated Later!

2011-04-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

Are there commonly used guidelines for investigating incidents in the workplace associated with disturbing employee conduct?

Well, Rule #1--talk to your human resource manager or other adviser to you don't blow this one. That being said, investigations follow a logical path to gather information about an event so that a reliable conclusion about what happened can be drawn. You must start of thinking that you are on a hopscotch. You're going to take it one square at a time.

Many organizations have specific procedures to follow concerning things like sexual harassment and other severe events, so inquire about how to conduct these types of investigations.

Generally speaking, consider these steps when investigating other conduct-related incidents: First, notify your supervisor about any incident you think needs investigating. Next, interview parties separately, and in private (ask for all details, and ask for the names of any witnesses). Create a written list of your questions so things stay consistent. Third, keep the information you collect confidential from others you interview - persons involved in an investigation are not entitled to the results of your interviews. Fourth, do not form opinions as you investigate - just write down exactly what is said and move quickly in your investigation; and fifth, arrive at a conclusion - do not disclose the nature of administrative or disciplinary actions, if any, to complainants or witnesses. With this information, discuss your findings with a confidentially approved party. That could be an attorney, but do not forget your employee assistance program professional. Lots of confidentiality there. This might be your final stop before a decision or taking the results to the next level of management.

Employee Complaints about Supervisors

2011-03-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Certainly you've wondered from time to time what the biggest complaints are about supervisors. There is an answer to this question that I will share. However, what you really should be asking is whether you have the guts to resolve personal issues you possess that contribute to one or more of these complaints if you perpetrate any of them.

If you're seeking online leadership development or training courses to help you interface with employees, consider the 14 Vital Skill Program

The following are the most common complaints employees have about their supervisors. A personal inventory of whether any of these issues come between you and those you supervise may help you determine whether your relationships with subordinates are functional.

1. My boss plays favorites with subordinates.

2. My boss doesn't listen to my problems.

3. I don't know what my boss thinks of my performance.

4. My boss doesn't possess the interpersonal skills needed to handle
people properly.

5. My boss lacks trust and confidence in me.

Nuff said!

The Employee Straightened Up, So Why Do I Not Want to Treat Him Like It

2011-03-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you confronted your long-term, problematic poor performer. You put the fear of God in him, and he went for some sort of help. What ever it was, it worked. Now he wants a different relationship with you, but you're still not over your anger about his irresponsibility for the past several years. You need to get over this attitude and fast.

This is not your spouse who suddenly decided to get sober. I have seen relapses happen over this sort of thing. The problem: You have a mindset and a well-honed "neurologic" pathway in your brain of seeing your employee as a loser. Now, you need the help. Not him.

This is the same syndrome that is experienced by family members when an alcohol or drug addict finally recovers--seriously recovers. Do you realize that you can, by your attitude, create a situation where your employee relapses into poor performance again. If this happens, you will of course blame the employee, but what you did was PROVOKE IT.

So, it is normal and natural to get mad at your employee for wasting years of time and along with it lost productivity. You won however. You salvaged your employee.

Often, supervisors feel that a troubled employee put the workplace through a long period of disruption before he or she finally sought help. Consider the following in order to acquire a more positive attitude and lessen the likelihood that you could act provocatively and jeopardize your employee’s progress: 1) Assume employees want to do a good job and feel good about their work. 2) Believe that some personal problems do not easily permit self-diagnosis or self-motivated decisions to seek help. Instead, some personal problems and diseases are naturally fought with denial until consequences nearly overwhelm the victim or others. 3) With this understanding, focus on the present and reinforce the changes made by your employee. This will increase productivity and help you develop a more supportive attitude.

Reduce Supervisor Stress: Max Out on Using Your Organization's EAP

2011-02-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Many of you looking to improve your supervisory skills have employee assistance programs available to you for consultation through your company. The problem is that I am the first one to tell you this.

It is likely that you have therefore not had an orientation with a representative from the managed care company that runs you organization's employee assistance program, correct? This is par for the course these days, but it did not used be this way. Decades ago, supervisor training was a must, and it paid off. If you had one of these orientations, the professional counselor would give you instructions about how to refer an employee who was having job problems. So, let me give you a few helpful hints righ now. Although there are many different styles of confronting employees and recommending use of the employee assistance program, some methods work better than others. One technique that reportedly works very well is reserving a prearranged appointment time for your employee when you initially consult with the EAP about the pending referral. If your company's employee assistance program does not have a provision that includes consulting with supervisors, it is flat out, a bogus program not worth a dang. Continuing on, when you meet with your employee and conduct your corrective interview, offer the prearranged appointment to the employee if he or she is willing to visit the EAP. Do not, however, require or strong-arm your employee into accepting the appointment time. Accept your employee's desire to make his or her own appointment if the prearranged appointment is refused. Your offer of the prearranged appointment should only be a convenience to facilitate follow-through in visiting the EAP upon your recommendation. (The sooner the appointment follows your corrective interview, the better.) Definitely always ask your employee to sign a release so you can verify attendance. Don't say that signing one is required unless you have "held in abeyance" the employee's termination in lieu of his or her choice to completely cooperate with the EAP. Most employees will sign a release. Then you will be able to communicate with the EAP, but not about details. Only verification of attendance and cooperation with the program's recommendation.

Supervisors: Tense and Nervous in Corrective Interviews

2011-02-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

When you meet with an employee to conduct a corrective interview, are you sometimes tense, nervous and forgetful, or feel a little overwhelmed by the process? Well you are not alone. Very few people in supervisory positions would say they look forward to such meetings, but nevertheless, these meetings go with the territory. Here is how to make the supervisor's role a little easier to swallow. First, plan your meeting with the employee ahead of time. Don't make the meetings off the cuff. Be sure to write a list of your concerns and use it as outline in your discussion. There is nothing wrong with this approach. Review these points however before your meeting. They way you will be staring at notes less. Get your supervisor's support and input prior to your meeting in writing this increases your feelings of security and gives more authority to quell a belligerent or non-receptive response from your employee. Meet with the employee in your office (on your turf). Discuss the listed concerns and allow the employee to respond. Do not argue with your employee. Try to remain emotionally detached by seeing the goal of your meeting as helping the employee understand the relationship between unacceptable behavior and its possible consequences. This the right attitude and keeps the feeling of "character attack" out of the interview. Good luck. Here is a super-awesome set of supervisor handouts, and if you happened to be a human resources manager, this "kit of materials" will help your supervisor improve their relationships with employees and boost their productivity. See the "Deluxe Supervisor Reproducible Fact Sheet Kit"
If the employee remains argumentative or will not listen, end your meeting with plans to meet again soon. For specific help on constructive confrontation or how to confront an employee, the 14 Vital Skills for Supervisors.

"Leave the Poor Attitude at Home" Folks

2011-02-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

As a supervisor, you have a job to do. So how much patience can you show toward employees who are struggle with personal issues, stress, or distress in their lives. Everybody has problems, but how should you respond so you don't fuel an Egyptian riot in your office?

First, lets get this straight. There is nothing wrong with expecting employees to have positive attitudes at work. Indeed, negative attitudes can be contagious, so your philosophy has merit. It’s possible that an employee with a negative attitude may be depressed, but you can't diagnose such a problem. You can, however, refer the employee to their doctor, an employee assistance professional, or ask them to contact a professional counselor if a negative attitude does not abate. Don’t dismiss it as a personality flaw or just the way your employees is. We are talking about risk management here. You want to act, not wait an see if the employee becomes violent someday. Consider whether the negative attitude of an employee points to needed changes or indicates a need to provide negative feedback to management. A negative attitude is different from whining, a behavior that grates on supervisors and generally has no problem-solving focus. Poor attitudes are valid performance concerns because they can be described in measurable terms based upon what is seen and heard. Their effect on others and their negative impact on morale can also be documented. Dealing with negative attitudes is part of a packet of workplace wellness tip sheets--all just for supervisors. Download these supervisor training skills handouts here.

Supervisor skills online training to help your management leadership team.

Methamphetamine and Drug Abuse in the Workplace

2011-01-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

Don't be fooled with all the talk about Methamphetamine like it is something new. It's not. This nightmare substance that will enslave a user after one hit and turn them into something akin to a rotting corpse within a year is not new. I wrote an article in 1997 when law enforcement and federal government control agencies first started really focusing on this illicit drug. It has only gotten worse. "Ice" is a drug that has received a lot of attention in the media and become a major problem in our area of the country in recent years. What is it? "Ice" (you don't hear the term ICE used much, but it is still used) is the street name for a crystallized form of an illicit drug call methamphetamine hydrochloride. This drug is part of a class of drugs collectively known as amphetamines, which became highly regulated in 1965 to inhibit a black market that emerged from their abuse. There are several different types of amphetamines, and their effects are similar. Just as "Crack" is smokeable cocaine, "Ice" is smoke-able methamphetamine. The chemical properties of this drug are similar to cocaine, but the onset of its effects are slower and the duration is longer. Like cocaine, it is highly toxic and addictive. In general, chronic abuse of "Ice" produces a psychosis that resembles schizophrenia and is characterized by paranoia, picking at one's skin, severe dental problems, anger and rage-focused behavior. preoccupation with one's own thoughts, and auditory and visual hallucinations. Violent and erratic behavior is frequently seen among chronic abusers of amphetamines.

Supervisory Training and New Supervisor Training Tips for Managers and Leadership: Work-Life Balance -- Boulogne & Attendance Problems

2011-01-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

Supervisory Training and New Supervisor Training Tips for Managers and Leadership: Work-Life Balance -- Boulogne & Attendance Problems

Work-Life Balance -- Boulogne & Attendance Problems

2011-01-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Is your employee late to work a lot? What about every day? So you don't want to fire the guy because he is a hard worker? Hmm. What to do, especially since he has told you his problem that he is having a hard time with work-family balance. So, what should you do? Believe him and refer him to the work-life coordinator over there in Building C, Room 0U812?

Absolutely not! That would be tantamount to accepting your employee diagnosis and signing off on the treatment plan. Here's the point. Encouraging use of the work-life program may be helpful, but it should not be an alternative or a substitute for a supervisor referral to the EAP which will be able to discover if the Work-Life program is appropriate. The expertise of the clinical professional associated with the EAP supercedes and takes priority over the skills of the work-life counselors. You are dealing with the attendance problem. Only a supervisor referral to the EAP is appropriate as an intervention for the attendance issue. From there, the EAP may suggest that the employee participate in the organization’s work-life program. It is possible that something beyond work-life balance issues contributes to your employee’s tardiness. Your employee may or may not be aware of these problems, their impact, or their cause. And it is likely that other problems would not be shared with you. It is therefore not good practice to accept on face value an employee’s personal explanation for performance problems by suggesting a source of help. Instead, let the EAP take this responsibility after completing an assessment. This will help ensure that the employee is referred to the best avenues of help.

My Female Employees Don't Mind Sexual Harassment

2010-12-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

A supervisor recently told me that his female employees love the attention that many other women in the workplace would consider sexual harassment. The women in the workplace are young, and they also dish it out themselves. So is it a problem? He thought the media was make too much out of the whole sexual harassment thing.

This supervisor is missing the point, I think. It's true that many workplace behaviors that constitute sexual harassment either by definition or perception by female employees goes unannounced and without formal complaint, but this doesn't mean a charge against the employer won't come tomorrow. There's the rub.

The attention given to this problem legitimatizes the lodging of complaints by employees who have not come forward. And there lies one of the most important reasons to have policy and a complaint procedure in place. There are reasons many employees don't complain. Here are just a few. Which one's do you think are being impacted by recent media and court actions?

The employee doesn't feel he or she will be believed.
They fear some subtle or overt punishment by the employer or supervisor.
They don't trust that management will take action or will listen with an eye toward objectivity.
They don't want to "cause problems."
They may be accused of "wanting it" or "bringing it on."
They cannot provide a accurate accounting of the incident(s).

Often a charge against the employer will not emerge until an employee is terminated for some reason, regardless of the legitimacy of the discharge action. In other words, once a job is lost, many of these reasons in the eye of the victim disappear as roadblocks to lodging complaints.

Okay so the employees aren't complaining. Let's go so far as to say they love it. Are you offended personally? What about the behavior and its affect on the corporate mission? It's values? Any problems there. Of course there is.

You don't need a female worker's complaint to take action. Sexual harassment is not based upon the victim's motivation to file a complaint.

What If My Supervisor Is the "Troubled Employee"

2010-11-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

If your company is of any appreciable size, you may have an employee assistance program. Regardless of what the insurance company's brochure says, the primary purpose of an EAP is a management tool to help the organization deal with at-risk troubled employees whose personal problems may affect job performance.

They get help by way of self-referral for their own reasons, or the supervisor makes a referral to the EAP based upon job performance. Your EAP is not an employee benefit like a free gym membership. It is much more profound than to call it a benefit. It is a programmatic approach for dealing with behavioral risk with an established "core technology" of elements that make an EAP an EAP. So, all of that said, what do you do in the situation where your boss is the troubled employee?

As a supervisor, you can't make a supervisor referral. So, now what?!

This question, often raised by supervisors during training, is not as difficult to answer as it may at first appear.

Assuming your supervisor is a troubled employee, it is likely that his or her performance, conduct, or attitude on the job is affecting you personally.

This means that contacting the EAP to help you resolve your problem with the supervisor's behavior is appropriate. The stress of a dysfunctional supervisor may be problem-solved many ways, depending on the circumstances.

This could include modifying the way you handle the stress to actually seeking organizational support in order to deal with a real problem. You may be able to discover creative solutions with the EAP counselor. Regardless, just as it would be appropriate to seek EAP assistance for ongoing conflicts with a co-worker, it is appropriate to seek assistance from the EAP if you are negatively affected by the behavior of a supervisor. This is always the best alternative to trying to "refer" your supervisor. So the surprise answer is that there is no one answer that fits all situation. However, the shortest route to discovering the most workable answer is to consult with the EAP expertyourself.

DOT Compliance Training: Functional Alcoholic

2010-11-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

Alcoholics in late stage addiction can still draw a paycheck, drive fork lifts, keep the books, and lead Boy Scout Troops. Until they have an accident or disturb your life in some way, you may be prone to using the term "functional alcoholic" to describe their drinking patterns. Stop using this enabling phrase. Have you heard anyone use the term "functional cancer". Of course not. That's because cancer is an "accepted" disease. We are still fooling around with alcoholism, but there are very understandable reasons for it. Centuries of misinformation dominate this problem, but in business and industry and in DOT drug and alcohol training we see supervisors and employees keeping these ill employees at risk for some of the worst calamities. From train wrecks to fender benders, enabling keeps alcoholics sick. The term functional alcoholic does have more precise meaning. It means "the drinking problem doesn't bother me." Actually, it really means the drinking doesn't bother you, "yet". If you do training with supervisors, this is a critical topic to include in DOT or Employee Assistance Compliance Training for Alcohol and Drug Education.

Reasonable Suspicion Training Didn't Help this Supervisor

2010-10-05T03:38:00.000-07:00

I understand from one of my readers that she has, what she describes as a dedicated employee who is seeing a psychiatrist for depression, she also says this employee has an alcohol problem. Not suprising, she also says he has unpredictable patterns of absenteeism. The company has an EAP and their is a reasonable suspicion training program for alcohol and drug education of supervisors, but the question is, why use it or make a referral if he is obviously is seeing psychiatrist?

I know many of you will not believe this, but for some supervisors I have met, this makes perfect sense -- not to make a referral to the EAP. They have not referred such employees, despite their DOT supervisor training for reasonable suspicion because they believed, even with alcohol on the breath that the employee was in good hands with Dr. Freddy Freud.

Straight up, please refer these employees to your EAP. Persistent job problems are the proper basis for a supervisory referral not the workplace alcohol problem!

In this case it is absenteeism and refer for reasonable suspicion, too in accordance with your organizations drug free workplace policy. Often, employees seek help for personal problems they have themselves improperly diagnosed, like depression. Did you know that alcohol is a depressant? So, wallah!

Do you know that many depressed employees hope to heaven that a psychiatrist will call their alcoholism "a symptom" of depression? And guess why this is such a wonderful thing to the alcoholic? It holds out the possibility that he or she can one day drink normally again.

Believe me, there are many psychiatrists who want the patient to believe exactly this. And can you can guess why? Precisely. Can you say "ongoing" paying patient? So employees will seek help from the wrong source, or one which inadequately treats their problem.

A psychiatrist, without recommending alcoholism treatment, will be unable to successfully treat the illness because much more is needed than what the physician can offer. It is likely that this employee believes you are a sympathetic supervisor willing to wait. Wow, I can smell the risk from here. This is why the employees is willing an trusting, and desireous of sharing the nature of his problems with you without correcting the absenteeism. If you have not tried the EAP yet, and the threat of termination, as a motivator, you are overdue and over-ripe like a banana for a supervisory referral.

I hope you consider more reasonable suspicion training and more effecive dot supervisor training in the near future.

Workplace Violence Prevention Training

2010-09-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

If you are suddenly focused on workplace violence prevention training for your supervisors or employees, let me give you a few tips that will maximize your loss prevention goals and increase the likelihood that your training will actually stop a worker from shooting up the place. Sorry to be so blunt, but this may be the most important and helpful blog note that I have ever made. I want more employers to stop missing the boat on this subject.

Most workplace violence prevention training provides adequate information to employees about signs and symptoms of workplace violence - what to look for, what to do, what not to do, how to escape, and more. Great stuff. Gotta have it. No arguments. However, here is where the "model" break down: A lack of education, training, and awareness about prevention, stopping, or intervening with behaviors on the job that provoke violence.

There are many things to discuss in this regard, but let me name only a few. In future posts, I will dive into workplace violence prevention training specifics so you can more clearly see my points.

The following workplace violence prevention and education training topics can reduce risk, increase morale, and help employees avoid conflict.

1. Training and Education in Maintaining a Respectful Workplace
2. Training and Education in Avoiding Workplace Harassment
3. Training and Education in Valuing Diversity in the Workplace
4. Training and Education in Resolving Coworker Conflicts
5. Training and Education in Improving Assertiveness Skills

I bet after reading the above, you see where I am heading. These topics relate to preventing workplace violence at many levels and they should be included in your workplace violence prevention training objectives. Remember, I will be back soon to discuss each one.

Good Faith and Fair Dealing

2010-09-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

Supervisors are vulnerable to becoming "wrapped up" in their contentious relationships with employees. Are you so prone? If so, someday you may take actions against your employee nemisis in a moment or two of lost awareness only to find yourself and your employer sued in part because your failure to participate in good faith and fair dealing with your employee. What is this doctrine of relationship management?

The "good faith and fair dealing obligation" of employers is an important concept to understand in preventing actions by employees that can lead to expensive lawsuits.

It is an obscure principle, but this obligation on the part of employers has a very wide range of interpretations. And it has become a more common foundation or element upon which employee lawsuits have been based.

Its underlying principles should be understood by supervisors, because they can be easy to violate, even unintentionally. Management activity that can elicit action from employees based on the good faith and fair dealing exception include:

Distorting, falsifying, altering, or destroying performance appraisal records.

Malicious supervision including harassment, abusive behavior, and inadequate training.

Arbitrary and capricious demotion or creation of excessive assignments in an attempt to provoke resignation.

Retalitory termination.

Any other malicious conduct on the part of the employer that tends to unnecessarily create an adverse effect upon the worker's right to reasonable employment conditions.

Now you have a clear rationale for staying on the "rational" side of the contest you have with your employee. Have a supervisor, HR, or management confidant to keep you unemotional and on the straight and narrow when managing a troubled employee or chronically unproductive worker.

Good documentation. Bad Documentation

2010-08-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, test your skills. Yes or no? The following is an example of useful and correctly written documentation: "Tom S. arrived twenty minutes late to work today and was witnessed, by several employees, damaging another vehicle while trying to park his car. He was heard yelling obscenities from within car. When I met with him immediately after the incident, I could smell alcohol on his breath." .... Yes. This is an example of documentation that is specific and clear. There are no subjective or opinionated comments or conclusions about the employee's condition. It is written in a factual, unemotional way, with attention to that which can be sensed--in this case what can be seen, heard, and smelled.

Okay, try this one: "Tom Smith arrived at work late with reports by others of being drunk. He scraped a car in the parking lot and when confronted by me, after the incident, became defensive and acted immature showing that he had something to hide and to get others to "back off". He denied he was drunk, but admitted he had been drinking before midnight, which is when he stated his last drink occurred."

This documentation lacks specific details and instead appears to be conjecture; it would be difficult to defend. It would not support a disciplinary action or a reasonable-suspicion drug test.

To really get a grip on performance documentation, have your supervisors able to quickly access instructions on this document by using your companies internal web site or a special section for supervisors where supervisory skills can be found and learned quickly. This is very easy to do with a product such as the 14 Vital Skll for Supervisors Training Online Flash course. The author lets you view it completely free.

Be Gingerly with Returning Troops from Overseas? - NO WAY!

2010-07-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

I had a supervisor ask me recently about the mental state of his employees who had returned from overseas and who had also been in action. He pondered about how lenient he should be with these employees. Oh, my! he asked, don’t they deserve a break because of their stress and more leniency from us supervisors when performance problems arise?

Folks, ask any returning troops this question, and they will freak out. Do think the doh boys of WWII got treated with kit gloves. Hell no. They came home and raised five kids and ran boy scout troops. Let's stop treating Vets like every one of them is about to shoot up the Post Office. Sure, absolutely, some have PTSD, but let them tell you that they need accommondations first. Listen, it's natural to weigh the circumstances of your employees and want to be lenient as a way of accommodating them. However, unless a specific request is made for a reasonable accommodation, it is generally better to treat employees equally and all as fully capable. Do not assume these employees require different standards for how their performance should be judged. Many employees experience performance problems attributable to traumas and personal issues. Although the stress of war and its toll on the psyche is extraordinary, your employees will benefit most by being held to the same performance evaluation standards and work rules as other employees. Most soldiers returning from overs as will tell you they want to be treated no differently than their peers. Remember not to make assumptions or diagnostic conclusions about your employees.

Program Evaluation--Not Rocket Science, but Rocket Fuel

2010-06-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Doing program evaluation to spot a specific positive outcome that results from your EAP activities can be a impressive way to keep managment focused on the value of your program. Doing simple program evalution so you can lay claim to the positive financial impact is not so complicated that you can't do it yourself. It's not rocket science, but it is rocket fuel if you can get yourself focused on it.

The simplest type of research that you might want to try is the "Before and After" Study. This is a legitimate area of program evaluation and it is a good type for EAPs to consider because of the intervention factor. One can measure the values of specific concerns before an intervention and then after the intervention, continue with the same measurement in an attempt to demonstrate, validate, and measure impact.

Here are some of the workplace areas where before and after studies can be applied. You may want to keep a list of these things, tally them with the help of your organization, and then consider which ones you might be able to positively influence with the EAP.

Absent Days Without Leave
Sick Days Recorded
Number of Employee Grievances
Turnover Rate
Number of Accidents on Job
Injuries Resulting in Lost Work Time
Amount of Workers' Compensation Claims Paid
Total Number of Disciplinary Actions Executed
Complaints From Female (Male) Staff About Sexual Harassment
Number of Terminations for Cause (Fired Employees)
Total Number of Employees Testing Positive for Drug Use
Attorney Bills for Consultations AboutTroubled Employees
Total Number of Wage Garnishments
Earlier Return to Work for Employees with Work Injurie

When You're Friends with Your Employee

2010-06-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

Let me ask if you are personal friends with your employee? Do you socialize on weekends and in off hours? If so, you are participating in what is commonly called a "dual relationship." This is hazardous territory, despite what you think is your unique ability to "handle it." If you are a new supervisor, you might want to consider now how to minimize the intimacy of the relationships you have with with those you must now supervise.

A personal relationship will always subordinate itself to the employment relationship when the "stuff" hits the fan. You'll give up that friendship before you let management snuff you for not taking action against a problematic employee. But there are many more problems associated with dual relationship. Employees know if you have a different type of relationship with one of their coworkers that looks more favorable. They'll smell it a mile away. This knowledge interferes with their belief that you are completely objective, and this will interfere with your ability to influence their productivity. What should you do about this conflict of interest? Wise supervisors who have answered this question the hard way say, "Avoid dual relationships!" Get your friendship needs met somewhere else. Getting your social needs met outside the work organization will reduce severe stress associated with the difficult decisions you must make with your employee when their performance goes south.

Supervisors, Employees, and Privacy Rights, Oh My!

2010-05-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

Avoid legal problems associated with privacy rights involving employee files and other paperwork. If you did not get new supervisor training on this subject, this post will help. Paperwork management related to employee files is an important area of concern that should not be ignored. You may wonder from time to time if you are in trouble with the way you are handling employee records. Right? Not right? Well, you should keep this issue in mind but don't panic. A few precautions, in addition to listening to your legal advisers, will keep you on the straight and narrow path avoiding 99% of litigation threats associated with the mishandling of privacy information. So, here are few tips for you. One time bomb for many companies is the potential for employment claims related to "negligent maintenance," or "failure to use due care" when it comes to handling file records. When employees file lawsuits for these employment practices problems, they generally fall into several categories. These include providing employment reference information which was untrue or damaging; improperly disclosing personal information about the employee; placing false information in a file; providing false information to others from a file; failing to keep accurate records or keeping inconsistent records among employees; and improperly disclosing information to those who do not have a right to know. So, these supervisor skills are critical. Good luck in your paper management, and if new supervisor training is in your future, be sure to get clarification on managing paperwork.

Supervisor Training: Death in the Workplace and Grief on the Job

2010-04-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

If you are a new supervisor, here's a small piece of advice: Learn now how to respond to a death of an employee on the job, at home, or suddenly without warning (automobile accident, etc.) Your employees will react with fright and confusion and they glance your direction as a leader to take cues on what they should do and how they should react.

This is the natural response to death of a coworker in the workplace. You will notice that some employees handle such an incident amazingly well, and others will struggle much more, particularly if they have other personal problems in their lives, and most especially if the death or event coincides with loss in their personal lives in some other respect, no matter how unrelated. The issue of loss and grief is at the heart of response.

Don't think that you can shove everyone back on to the tread mill as if they must be on a productivity routine that is more important that processing, talking out, and helping the family members of the deceased employees. In large measure, you will have to let things play out.

Your employees have experienced a dramatizing event and now must address the crisis of sudden loss and all the ramifications that go along with it. All employees want to return to their normal routines, family, and work-life as quickly as possible, but providing assistance to help them do this may be necessary, prudent, and wise. Denial of the emotional impacts of such an event can be compounded by an employer's unwillingness (often because of their own denial) to provide an opportunity to "process" or "talk out" the event.

Some employees may be reluctant to discuss the event and others are more willing. Much depends on an individual's past coping skills. Although you shouldn't force the issue, allowing time for employees to consider the event, their role in it, and feelings will speed their emotional recovery quicker. Set an example as a supervisor by being a role model for openness and willingness to talk about what happened. And pay attention to protracted responses that might indicate one of your employees could use additional counseling or assistance. To not respond invites stress claims, time off work, absenteeism, depression, and even increased likelihood of an accident due to problems concentration.

Empoyee Performance and Employee Documentation

2010-04-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Are you a supervisor who keeps struggling with employee documentation of employee performance? When an employee is slow, appears tired, and acts sad, do you call this “depressed”? It seems more to the point and descriptive doesn't it. It just feels right, right?

Well, unfortunately you are wrong. It's not right. It's trouble! Your documentation, at best, will be criticized, and at worst will jeopardize your employer if you make these kinds of notations. Not using labels is difficult, I know, but let's discuss it and then send you on your way.

You don't learn documentation overnight. There is a little bit of an art to it. Documentation can be tricky because you must convey what you see and hear but omit what you feel and conclude. This takes practice because it is tempting to focus on other factors that are subjective and emotional. The key is to avoid drawing conclusions about personal problems, stating how you feel about the employee’s behavior, conveying diagnostic impressions, or filling your documentation with drama. These things sabotage the usefulness of your documentation for administrative purposes. To improve your documentation, consider whether it describes what is measurable or observable. Depression (a medical term to avoid using in documentation) can’t be “seen” but slow talking, days missed, lack of work progress, crying, and sad looks are observable.

Reducing Tension During Verbal Warning Interviews

2010-03-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

As a new supervisor, when you meet with employees to do verbal warnings corrective interview, you are going to be tense, lose track of your points sometimes, or simply become overwhelmed with the fear associated with confrontation depending on its nature. It happens. You are not alone. Very few people in supervisory positions would say they look forward to such meetings. And what supervisory training for new supervisors ever includes such skill development? Indeed, these meetings go with the territory when it comes to the supervisor's role. Try these steps to make approaching such a task easier:

1. Plan your meeting with the employee ahead of time, if possible.

2. Write out a list of the concerns that you will address and review them in advance with your supervisor. Get your supervisor's support and input prior to your meeting.

3. Meet with the employee in your office (on your turf). Discuss the listed concerns and allow the employee to respond.

4. Do not argue with your employee. Try to remain emotionally detached by seeing the goal of your meeting as helping the employee understand the relationship between unacceptable behavior and its possible consequences.

5. If the employee remains argumentative or will not listen, end your meeting with plans to meet again soon.

6. Contract with the employee for desired changes.

Ten Excuses in Reasonable Suspicion Confrontation

2010-02-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

There are ten commonly heard excuses employees give when confronted with a request to take a drug test based upon reasonable suspicion of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Let's go through these "David Letterman" style.

#10: “I haven’t had a drink since last night!”

In the heat of the moment, this excuse can seem quite reasonable, especially for those of us who have had a few late nights ourselves. Here’s something you probably won’t consider in the heat of the moment—just how long ago was “last night”?

Depending on when your employee stopped drinking, it can be as few as 3-4 of hours. Knocking off at 4am and catching a couple hours of sleep before work may fool your employee into thinking it’s a new day, but he can’t fool his body. Sleeping doesn’t metabolize alcohol and sober you up any faster than if you were awake.

But isn’t even 4 hours long enough to sober up? Not necessarily. Don’t make the mistake of projecting your own consumption habits onto your employee. He may have consumed an amount that far exceeds your own capacity. If your employee has a substance abuse problem, it’s far more likely that he’s been engaging in binge drinking. Having 10 or more drinks in one sitting is not unheard of.

Employees who have a high tolerance to alcohol could have their last drink late at night and still be under the influence well after sunrise. They don’t have to drink just before coming to work or first thing in the morning to be under the influence. Don’t let this statement convince you that a test is unnecessary.

Manager Skills: Giving Feedback to Employees Is Hard for Me

2010-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Is it difficult for you to give feedback to employees about their work performance? Perhaps you think that they will take it personally? Maybe you are afraid of their defensiveness or perhaps ignore you and leave you in the difficult position of confronting them again or deciding to forget the whole matter.

Well, you're not alone in your concern about giving feedback. To make manager skills easier, try what is known as the "sandwiching technique." You won't find too manager supervisor training course modules that teach it.

This technique of providing constructive feedback or correction of an employee's performance allows the message your sending to be received more easily by "sandwiching" the unfavorable comments between favorable comments. For example, say: "Nancy, I've been pleased with the way you've stepped up the speed of assembling the monthly reports. You've made real improvement there. I am concerned, however, about the quality. There are frequently mistakes in the charts that need to be corrected. I hope you'll work to improve the quality as well as speed. I feel good about your attitude toward the schedule we are trying to keep, so I know you'll do fine." Notice how the message you wanted to communicate was placed between two true but positive statements. This technique reduces defensiveness and makes your feedback more acceptable, particularly with employees who are more sensitive toward constructive criticism. This manager skill will serve you well and reduce your stress

Granting or Zapping the "I-Want-A-Raise" Question

2010-01-13T04:32:00.000-08:00

You know how it is. Your employee comes to you and wants a raise. You say no, and the employee goes away mad. Your relationship is tarnished and both of you lose. You know there is no way for the employee to get a raise, but the employee is not seeing it your way.

Let's help the employee be a bit more effective and mature in their request, even if there is no chance of getting a raise. Then you can address the request in writing and call it a day.

No employee should be verbally requesting a raise. This is simply inappropriate. A raise is money. Nowhere do we ask for more money on this planet without putting it in writing and giving to the person who then decides whether to give it to us. Somehow along the way, many employees decided that this is a function of an oral request. So, ask the employee to do the following.

I guarantee that if the raise is not warranted, the employee will figure it out as they write up the request. A certain number of employees will never do it. And others will be much more likely to accept your rejection of the request. The bottom line is that you are going to reduce your stress and unwarranted requests by 85% with this approach.

In the end, you will get a better relationship.

Tell the employees, "There is no promise that I can get you a raise, but it is appropriate for such a request to be in writing. Here is the proper outline. Please submit it to me and I will review it:

1) Provide a statement of original duties and responsibilities for the position;

2) And than a statement of your present duties and responsibilities for the position;

and

3) identify each new duty and how it demonstrates increased responsibility, not workload. Responsibility means in this instance "liable for accountability to the work organization". Give this example to your employee orally,

"Imagine if your boss is director of the Sharpened Pencils Unit of the company and assigns you the task of sharpening 500 pencils. He or she is directing your work but is responsible for delivering the 500 pencils. The accountability for the work goal is the supervisor to the organization. You are the sharpener.

If your boss asks you to sharpen 600 pencils this is more work, but it does not increase your responsibility in the corporate sense anymore than being asked stay a half hour longer after work increases your responsibility for the work you accomplish during that half hour. Understand?"

Please provide me with this document whenever you like.

Note how your employee producing this document and giving it to you will permit a more logical discussion and make your life easier, teach the employee a valuable lesson, and more likely help you preserve an effective relationship. The employee may still be mad, but he or she will know down inside that you are teaching a lesson and managing his or her request fairly. Find a supervisor training course that gives you helpful and practical tips like this at www.supervisortools.com

Reducing the Risk of Violence with Better Relational Skills with Your Employees

2009-12-06T12:01:00.000-08:00

In the workplace drug and alcohol use is the primary cause of violence, from fistfights to rape. About 15 people are murdered on the job each week. Surprised? They aren't all as sensational as Fort Hood, but hundreds of murders occur in the workplace each year.

Only exceptional cases make it to the national news, and certainly every one makes the local press. As a supervisor or manager, you want to ensure that you do not become famous in this particular way, so here are a few tips with regard to the relationship that you have with your employees. The most important is to listen, detect, and pay attention to their complaints.

Come down hard on employees who bully others, tease an employee for the behavior, ethnic background, funny looks, or odd poorly-formed social skills. Listen more to employees who are airing complaints. Give positive comments to employees and deal with any personal issues you have that interfere with your ability to demonstrate warmth and positive regard to employees.

Follow up more after an employee is terminated. Of course, this is usually a human resource function, and even HR may have a hard time doing.

Resistance to dealing with the employee's anguish makes this a tough assignment, but you must figure out how to insert support into the larger picture and not simply decide that the employee needs to lump it. Well, you can, but there are certain profiles of employee that present extraordinary risk if you decide to go this route.

The bells should go off if your employees is male, an historically poor performer or loner, has any fascination with guns, has previously threatened to act violently, has been working for the company for about five years, or is an ostracized, socially awkward, or bullied employee.

You know right now which employees in your organization are picked on, teased, held up to ridicule, or otherwise abused. These are ticking time-bombs.

So what if you terminate an employee along with HR helping you do it. Phoning the employee ain't likely. After all, the employee may hate your guts. So what's the answer.

Use your company's employee assistance program or EAP, and DO NOT involve them in the terminations, less they become "contaminated". They will not be able to provide support in the form of a listening ear later if you force the EAP into doing this. It is also arguable, inappropriate and unethical to surprise an employee with the EAP sitting in the termination interview. (Why? It violates the doctrine of client self-determination of asking for help, and not have the helper go to the employee. This doctrine applies to all helping professions. This is why psychologist don't knock on your front door or phone you to ask whether you need services.)

Long before ever having to terminate employee, make liberal use of the program as a referral source for dealing with troubled employees. That includes the following: Those with poor performance, victims of accidents or incidents, recipients of disciplinary actions, coworkers in conflict, employees with garnished wages or who come to your attention by way of media incidents, legal problems, or other behaviors, employees who tell you first about a personal problem affecting the lives or performance.

A newsletter to help your supervisor develop better relational skills with subordinates is FrontLine Supervisor. You can get a free trial subscription here. There is lower rate for any company with fewer than 100 employees. Ask about it. Or you can learn all about this publication here.

How to Turn Away, Not Turn Off A Troubled Employee

2009-12-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

You don't want troubled employees lining up at your door to discuss all the personal problems they experience in their lives. Unfortunately, I have seen things get almost this bad with some supervisors play an almost mother hen role with subordinates.

The trick is getting your employee, who may be incline to process personal problems until the cows come home, to turn to other resources available to them that are more effective than you. (I hope that didn't sound insulting, but only like a rat tail snap in the butt!)

If you are good listener, you have a double-edged sword working for and against you. It's difficult to turn away an employee who approaches you to discuss a personal problem. However, if your employees do come to share, it may be difficult to ask them to go somewhere else.

Appearing as though you are disinterested or too busy to care may be your biggest concern. Still, a counselor, doctor, mental health pro, or EAP is the better choice. To make your referral task easier, while minimizing the likelihood that your employee will feel rejected and stomp off, try the following:

Appear interested and listen to the problem presented by your employee. (No problem with that.)
Demonstrate empathy by acknowledging your employee's stress or anxiety. This helps the employee feel accepted and increases motivation for further problem solving.
Tell the employee that you are glad he or she feels comfortable approaching you with an important personal problem.
State that although you are concerned, you believe a better source of help would be_______. Hopefully your company has provided service or recommended statement to use when employees bring personal problems. Even if a company does not have an EAP, there should be some policy that essentially offers an officially sanctioned statement of referral to some community resource.
Assist the employee in making contact with the recognized source of help by providing the phone number or inviting the employee to call from your office for an appointment. (Very effective.)

Is the Flu or Are You Being Scammed by the Employee Addict?

2009-11-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

So, how would you know if something like the flu is what's really keeping your employee out of work for three or four days if they just got out of the hospital after treatment for alcoholism? Good question! Employees who return to work after receiving alcoholism or drug addiction treatment can certainly get sick later on with the flu or other illnesses anyone else might get. It can be helpful to require that the employee obtain a letter from a physician to explain further absenteeism, but acquiring such a letter is not a difficult task for a determined employee who has recently relapsed. A better alternative is to have your company employee assistance counselor (Hey there fella! Do you have one that works?) receive follow-up information from the treatment provider and then with proper consent forms signed by your employee, act a contact to discuss employee problems you might later encounter. The key of course is the treatment program following up on patient's it treats, and also sharing appropriate information with your company's EAP. Employees do get sick my friend. But those that are following through with their post-treatment, self-care recommendations will be less likely to drink or use again, necessitating their lying about work absences. You have only to consider whether the absenteeism pattern you are observing is reasonable like any other employee. Appropriate feedback from the EAP counselor or human resource manager who has knowledge of the treatment provider's follow-up record for your employee will be the best way to feel good about welcoming your employee back to work after the flu.

Confronting Your Employee--and He's In a Blackout!

2009-11-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

Dealing with an employee you have previously reprimanded is difficult. Dealing with blackouts: when your employee doesn't remember being sent home drunk is even more complicated.

Disciplinary action is an unfortunate necessary responsibility of a supervisor. Well documented disciplinary action will focus on work performance and is the best way to make an uncomfortable situation bearable for both you and the employee.

Any employee who doesn’t remember being sent home drunk is likely going to try a variety of tactics to prove their innocence. They may make excuses; even provide possible scenarios that seem plausible to anyone who was not present at the time when they were sent home. Or they may try and relate the incident to another time they do remember, confusing the facts and diverting the situation. Diverting the issue is typical for someone who has blackouts and cannot remember specifics. You should be aware of and prepared for these behavior patterns. Make sure when you send an employee home drunk you have documented the event with a reliable witness and the employee’s signature. Even if the signature is difficult to read due to a loss of motor skills, there is no excuse to invalidate documentation. This will help prevent the feeling of being stranded in a Jerry Springer show entitled Blackouts: When Your Employee Doesn't Remember Being Sent Home Drunk.

In the case of blackouts: when your employee doesn't remember being sent home drunk you may find they will claim they didn’t know, or that “everyone is against them,” they may blame others or try gaining your pity for their personal situation. If they do no remember being sent home drunk they may try playing on your sympathy. Your best defense against this is a calm approach, keeping to the issues of work performance and conduct. A level head on your part will do more to diffuse the issue than anything. Even if the employee begins to get angry or breaks down into tears, you need to keep your focus on the matter of work. Do not try and moralize their situation or diagnose their problem. If the employee was sent home drunk, than the action taken was deemed appropriate at the time and your only course is to stand behind that decision.

The key to dealing with blackouts: when your employee doesn't remember being sent home drunk is to keep level headed and stick to the documentation.

A Web course for training supervisors in DOT Alcohol and Drug Training can be previewed free and without obligation by completing the form at DOT TRAINING OF SUPERVISORS. The web course is offered by WorkExcel.com and published by Daniel Feerst, LISW-CP. Dan Feerst, MSW, LISW. He began his employee assistance career in 1978 as a Social Science Officer for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Occupational Alcoholism Program in Langley, VA. Since then, he has served as a staff member or director for some of America's most well-known Employee Assistance and Counseling Programs, including the Kennecott Copper INSIGHT Employee Assistance Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture 22 Agency EAP Consortium, and Arlington County Government and Public Schools EAP in Arlington, VA. He has consulted with hundreds of small businesses on helping employees, intervening with substance addicted workers, and how to develop effective alcohol and drug-policies.

Obtain and view a DOT Alcohol and Drug Education web course with the features discussed above at WorkExcel.info. The company permits a full full review of the course on a CD that plays on your computer just like it would on you your web site.

Overcoming Supervisor Fear in Reasonable Suspicion Confrontations

2009-11-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

The specter of supervisor fear in reasonable suspicion confrontations can create a disproportionate sense of dread when dealing with this issue. No-one ever wants to be the ‘heavy’ or to have to be the one to tell an employee they are no longer performing effectively in their job. When there are the complications of drug or alcohol abuse coloring the situation there is the added worry of the blame/denial cycle, or of heated exchange and recriminations turning to ugly confrontation. The best way to guard against ugliness is with education. If you are well educated on how to approach the situation and communicate well to the employee then things will go much smoother than you expect.

A supervisor can feel fear for many reasons – the most common are the fear of the unknown (not knowing how the employee will react) and the fear of being inadequate – of not knowing what to say. A good training program can help overcome these fears by giving you a complete understanding of the process from both the supervisor’s role and responsibilities, and through representational examples of possible employee reactions. When you have been fully trained then it is possible to control, and even eliminate supervisor fear in reasonable suspicion confrontations.

Another key to conquering supervisor fear in reasonable suspicion confrontations is to remember that your employee’s problems are not going to go away by themselves. In fact, it is quite the opposite, in the vast majority of cases the problem will only get worse until the employee spirals so deep in the grip of drugs or alcohol that they lose everything. In many ways, by calling their attention to the problem now you are doing them a favor. Of course, the employee will not see it that way for a long time. This is where proper training can help you effectively deal with the situation and avoid personalizing it, or taking anything cruel that is said to heart.

It is natural to feel some trepidation when dealing with a difficult employee or situation, but when you are properly prepared and trained, the nervousness can be kept to a minimum and will not distract you from the proper steps that you need to take. Because there is so much riding on the proper treatment of the employee it is natural to feel some supervisor fear in reasonable suspicion confrontations, but there is no need for that fear to cripple you.

Online or Web Based Reasonable Suspicion Training for Drug Free Workplace DOT Supervisor Training

2009-11-07T05:24:00.000-08:00

It's difficult to find an adequate web-based, or online Reasonable Suspicion Training Course to reach all of those branch offices you can't easily travel to.

But there are a couple solutions.

First, a few precautions: 1) Get one without the usual infinite online per-user fees. That just eliminated 95% of the choices. Instead, get a program that you own, you buy, you keep, you upload easily to your company web site, and completely control for emailing the start link to supervisors and managers needing DOT Training for a Drug Free Workplace.

Next, ensure that the author is from "the trenches". Woops. There goes another 98%. Don't panic. Solutions are below. You need a little interesting information, so understand the following:

Myths and misconceptions are so strongly held by supervisors and managers that any reasonable suspicion training program that does not spend time addressing and confronting them, essentially becomes nothing more than entertaiment. Seriously, you don't want that. An author of such a program from the trenches who has it all in the way of "excuses and explanations" from suspected employees using on the job, will give your training some life. Your training must help supervisors not fall for the creative excuses and explanations employees deliver on the spot.

And, do not simply do the minimum required training with supervisors mandated by the DOT for supervisor alcohol and drug education. Go a little further and kill these myths and misconceptions in your DOT Training or Alcohol in the Workplace Training program. Your drug free workplace efforts will pay off big time.

Drug free workplaces are made possible not by education alone, but energy of awareness given to supervisors in the training directly caused by successfully dispelling myths. If you do this, supervisor become strong believers and change agents, cover up less, and promote a drug-free workplace.

If you do not have an effective program, they are only hestitant trainees who slept through DOT training.

Alcohol workplace issues especially face the above issues. Alcohol in the Workplace related problems are associated with the most most myths of all. Here's why:

Seventy percent of the adult population drinks alcohol. This is a conservative estimate. Alcoholism affects 10% of them. The most important thing for an alcoholic employee to believe that the cessation of alcohol use is not necessary in order to resolve any personal problems in his or her life that directly or indirectly result from alcohol use. As a result, enormous inertia exists in society in the form of myths, misconceptions, false beliefs about alcoholism and addiction.

The most precious of these myths is the psychological origin of addiction myth. Why is this so value in its absolute falsehood? There are TWO reasons: 25-50% of psychologically treated persons have alcohol and drug problems and don't need the level of psychological care they receive at great expense.

The economic cost of giving these patients up to simple education, disease management, motivational counseling, AA, and self-disease management for abstinence is enormous. It would cause the collapse of the mental health field. And 2) if a person with alcoholism can be effectively treated for their psychological problems (in theory) WOW!, then drinking normally again becomes a possiblity.

Now imagine a reasonable suspicion training program that discusses these issues and a whole lot more? Not in the depth I just discussed, but enough to ZAP the myth. One out of four people has an alcoholic in their family, and if you are one of them - you're resisting what you just read. (Am I right?)

Try these super online training programs no one will sleep through:

WORKEXCEL.COM Reasonable Suspicion Training

BEHAVIORALRISK.COM Reasonable Suspicion Training

WorkExcel.info Reasonable Suspicion Training

Preventing Unnecessary Compensable Stress Claims

2009-10-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

A lot is said about helping to prevent compensable stress claims with employees -- a medical problem that has severely impacted workers' compensation premiums in recent years.

Well, according to National Underwriter, the largest circulating property casualty news magazine, the most important factor in compensable stress claims is the involvement of an attorney who works on the behalf of a client (your employee) who may have been injured, experienced a traumatic event, or had another experience that could later manifest itself as a "stress reaction." Dealing with crazy supervisors and stopping inappropriate behavior is a large piece of this risk reduction puzzle.

Once an attorney is involved, separating those employees who may be malingering from real stress reactions may be extremely difficult.

Events that follow attorney involvement may include sexual harassment, being forced to participate in illegal activity, or negative effects of a dysfunctional supervisor.

This is still a very controversial area of workers' compensation. Many states disallow reimbursement for stress claims because of the potential for and history of abuse by employees. (California not one of them. Very progessive thinkers--those California folks. Not sure if their financial reforms include reducing the allowance of compensable stress claims.) By the way, I do support compensable stress claims for PTSD, or even acute stress reactions to a point.

According to research, responding quickly to real employee complaints, offering true empathy, and speeding assistance to injured employees may be the best way to prevent the involvement of an attorney and then a compensable stress claim. Please -- begging you to hear this -- the best way to do this is to employ the services of an employee assistance professional who gets to know your employees very, very well, and who by way of promotion gets to be regarded as the "go-to" person to address personal problems.

Give this individual strong confidentiality protection of his or her employee records and make that match the CFR 42 Part II. What that!? These are the federal confidentiality guidelines that are considered the strictest in existence. They are more strict than the medical confidentiality laws that govern primary care physicians and your personal medical records -- even the deepest, darkest, medical issues at your doctor's office. You didn't know about these laws?

CFR 42 Part II was passed into law in 1970 by the Hughe Act that started the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. They protect alcohol and drug addiction treatment records but any counseling issue will fall into their provision when a counseling program address substance abuse and receives federal funding. In fact, it's mandatory. But your program or counseling services can adopt these counseling guidelines voluntarily, and I would suggest strongly that you do. Make it corporate policy.

Simply state officially that your employee assistance professional confidentiality and records conform to these laws and you will have a solid promotional tool to get employees calling for help. Promote it continuously.

Now you will a professional counselor working on your behalf to help employees and spinning down concerns, anger, crises, and complaints where appropriate. Recommend any injured employee get help from the EAP. Allow the EAP to do presentation on recovery from injury and stress.

The EAP will encourage employees in sessions to sign a release so it can help resolve issues that can lead to lawsuits and better get the employee's needs met.

EAPs are the underplayed, underutilized, and have been screwed up by managed care companies, most of which have exploited them for their own purposes of limiting access to mental health benefits in exchange for financial performance bonuses paid to top management for their success in doing so.

If the above was not the case, you would already know what I just described above and it would be "household knowledge" because EAPs are so powerful and effective in resolving enormous personal problems that cause companies huge financial losses each year.

Frankly, if you are paying high premiums for Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL) or Director and Officer's Liability Coverage, argue for a discount if you use an EAP that is onsite, integrated, tenured, and that has low staff turnover. You're at less risk. They insurance company only needs to do a survey of existing customers to discover this reality.

The mechanism I just described reduces lawsuits related to employment claims, plain and simple.

Using Your Company's EAP as a Management Tool

2009-10-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

The best kept secret in the world is the art and science of managers making use of the company Employee Assistance Program to help employees improve performance, reduce absenteeism, and resolve personal problems that may lead to extraordinary behavioral risk, including risk of violence.

In 1969 a revolution took place in the America with the advent of "Employee Assistance Programs" (EAPs) and the establishment of a new profession entitled the "Employee Assistance Professional".

EAPs flurished and solved an age only problem for managers wresting with problem employees. EAPs gave them a third alternative or avenue of management that was completely new. Beyond the role of tolerating an employee problems until they were eventually fired or badgering employees until they had some crisis, there were not alternatives to fire or ignore. Along came employee assistance programming.

EAPs are all about salvaging employees and getting them back to work healthier, more happy, and more productive than they were before.

I will offer effective tips to help supervisors manage people better. And we will be spending a lot of time together helping you acquire skills to reduce stress and help managers be all they can be.

Magic in Non-Disciplinary Letters

2009-10-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have always been amazed at how supervisors chase employees to improve performance, stomp their feet to get them to work on time, or scold workers to curtail their inappropriate behavior. When none of the usual, emotional wrangling to to correct employee performance works, and a major incident occurs, out come the big guns - disciplinary action. What happened to the art and science of managing employees with an effective non-disciplinary corrective letter?

The missing piece of armament that very few supervisors seem to ever master well is the non-disciplinary corrective letter. A non-disciplinary corrective letter is a management tool and supportive measure to call an employee's attention unsatisfactory job performance and motivate him or her to make corrections to satisfy standards.

Effective corrective letters utilize potential reward and fear of loss to match the motivational psyche of the employee. (Some employees become motivated by reward. Other by fear of loss. It is the equivalent of being either left handed or right handed. And, of course some employees are both -- call it "motivation-ally ambidextrous."

Here is a "classic" non-disciplinary corrective letter. Print this model, because it can be a good one for you to consider.

=============================

To: Sally Smith, Machinist
From: John Doe, Supervisor
Subj: Attendance and Performance Problems
Date: 1-1-2006

Last week I reviewed the sick leave records and discovered that you have taken nine days of sick leave in the past year. Each of these days occurred on a Tuesday following a holiday weekend, or on a Friday preceding a three-day holiday weekend. I discussed my concern about this pattern with you last August 12, 2005. Since then, I have grown increasingly concerned. Your last such absence was on Dec. 27, 2005.

As you know, sick leave is a benefit to be used when necessary. The frequency of your sick leave is too high and affects your ability to perform essential functions. On February 15, several overdue widget projects caused a loss of their sale the day you were out. This cost the company $50,000. Your absences also negatively affect clerical staff. I would like to see your performance improve and your absences reduce.

You have excellent skills, and are a valued worker on the assembly line. But, if your use of sick leave remains high I will take additional steps to intervene, which could include administrative or disciplinary action.

Please provide verification of any future illness in which you lose work time. Please see me if you have any questions with regard to this request or the contents in this memo.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. As you know, the EAP is always available to assist you in the event a personal problem is contributing to your attendance problem. You can reach the EAP confidentially at 555-1234. I will review your use of sick leave in one month on Tuesday, February 1, 2006. Please plan to meet with me at 3:00 PM on that day.

cc: next level supervisor

Employee Violence and Problematic Relationships with Supervisors

2009-10-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

I wanted to talk with you about workplace violence and supervisor relationships.

EAPs routinely help resolve problematic relationships that employees have with their supervisors. If you haven't worked with this type of issue yet, you will.

I believe this intervention activity that HR managers, EAPs, and even OD people sometimes tackle has the most potential to improve productivity, reduce risk of violence, and help insulate the company from lawsuits -- big ones. The role EAPs play in helping resolve employee-supervisor conflict should get more attention in the literature.

I have always believed that effective EAP models reduce the number of potentially violent acts that, as a result, never happen. The question is, do companies appreciate this enormous benefit that can't be easily proven?

Many of these cases begin with employees who have problems with supervisors. These problems don't just create conflict and distraction. They can lead to death by a violent act. The subject of violence and improving relationships with supervisors is so critical to safety that I always include articles about it during the year when writing WorkExcel.com\'s newsletters. I so badly want to produce 7-9 minute Flash movie on "Best Tips for Reducing Supervisory Conflict with Subordinates" I think this would prevent violent acts more than the usual "know the nearest exit to your office if your employee explodes."

Employees love tips for improving their relationships with supervisors. There are huge payoffs for providing them, and top management will love you for doing so. That's because management can't rally employees to improve their relationships with their supervisors. The dynamics of paycheck-driven relationships simply makes it impossible. Your newsletter is a perfect medium for doing it.

Here are a few topics to consider for your next newsletter and those down the road. Chase after your newsletter company to write about these topics. If you are in a pinch, have them send me an e-mail and I will reply with my thoughts. They shouldn't have any problem if the writers possess an EAP background, of course.

Topic ideas

* Improving channels of communication and increasing frequency of
communicationSpeaking with your boss freely about concerns early on, before
problems arise
* Asking for advice about problems that you are experiencing on the job
* Writing down your concerns and sharing them; helping plan your evaluation goals
* Asking for feedback -- going to the boss and not waiting for it
* Considering your boss's perspective -- not just your own; how to do it and why
* Using tact when discussing differences
* Figuring out what your boss really wants from you, without asking
* Understanding that your supervisor is probably not "out to get you"

Don't just make a newsletter entertaining for employees. Make it a loss-prevention tool for the company. These tips will reduce conflict, improve program utilization, and increase top management's awareness for your true value.

Employee Newsletters for EAPs and Workforce Productivity

Supervisor Training Tips in Reasonable Suspicion

2009-09-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

Supervisor training tips in reasonable suspicion practice can be invaluable if you must deal with an employee whose job performance has become affected by drug or alcohol use.

There are few processes that you will undertake as a manager or supervisor that are as fraught with difficulty as confronting an employee for reasonable suspicion. There are many training courses available to help you learn how to deal with these situations but it may typically be months or longer after the training before you have to deal with a reasonable suspicion case at your workplace.

Training tips that summarize the course and remind you of specific information points are invaluable in helping you recall the training and put techniques to use.

Many of the best supervisor training tips in reasonable suspicion practice can come in the form of a list of Don’ts. Don’t discuss your suspicions of drug or alcohol use with others (except the appropriate line manager). Don’t play Doctor – you do not need to diagnose the problem. Don’t cover up for the employee.

Don’t moralize –at the workplace you are only concerned about conduct and job performance. Don’t be ‘suckered in’ by the play for sympathy. Don’t make statements (threats) that you have no intention of carrying out. Don't use you own recovery from alcoholism as a blow-away attempt to have the employee "fess" up. Don't take your employee to you Wednesday, AA meeting.

Dealing well with a reasonable suspicion case also involves on-going work with the employee if they maintain the job. In this case, supervisor training tips in reasonable suspicion practice can give you reminders of how to move forward. Do keep an open door policy to encourage good communication and do have respect for the employee’s privacy. Do allow time for the employee to adjust to the new situation. Do hold regular performance appraisal meetings. Do encourage the employees personal efforts (support groups, counselling etc). Do give regular and supportive feedback for both performance and behaviour. Do give immediate feedback and correction if you notice the old pattern re-emerging.

Supervisor training tips in reasonable suspicion can serve as bullet point reminders of the deeper lessons you received in reasonable suspicion training. They will help you recall the steps to take, and the things to expect. Most good quality training courses will provide you with a great list of hints and tips. If however, the course you are taking does not provide you with a readymade list, make your own as you go through the training. This ‘short list’ of the salient points can help you remember the critical details of the training when the pressure is on.

If you are in search of excellent supervisor training tips, try firstgov.gov and do a key word search under reasonable suspicion. You will discover thousands of ideas and choices.

Yep, that is Sexual Harassment!

2009-06-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

Q. We have a supervisor who frequently makes "crude" and embarrassing sexual remarks to both men and women in our work group, but no one specifically. We're a pretty "rowdy" group and some of us even respond with approval at times. It can't be sexual harassment if no one person is the "target" of this behavior, right?

A. Wrong. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that harassing, abusive, and crude remarks can constitute sexual harassment, even though a supervisor directed the comments to all employees. The important question to ask in all sexual harassment cases is this: Is the supervisor's conduct sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment and create a hostile or abusive working environment. If so, the issue turns to whether the employer, when informed of the abusive behavior, took prompt action to remedy the situation. If supervisors remember this description, much of the gray area of questionable behavior will become clear. Also, even if a supervisor's conduct is equally degrading to both men and women, it does not make the conduct immune from liability for sexual harassment.

Supervisor Confusion about Substance Abuse

2008-07-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

I understand that alcohol and drug problems are costly problems for business and industry, but why is it so difficult for managers to identify poor job performance and refer such employees?

A. Employees with chemical dependency problems are unable to consistently control the time, place, and amount of alcohol or drug use. Behavior will eventually interfere with job performance, attendance, or quality of work. It can occur quickly in the case of some drug problems, but could take 15 to 20 years to become apparent for some alcoholic employees. This is frustrating for employers and also for the chemically dependent worker, who may do whatever is necessary to make up for job performance shortcomings. This explains the up-and-down performance pattern, improved performance that follows a corrective interview, or extra assignments that might be gladly accepted or requested. In response supervisors tend to grade on a performance curve, real or imagined, that is higher than actually deserved. In effect, the troubled employee's coping strategy to avoid confrontation works. Combine this pattern with well-practiced defenses used to explain other performance discrepancies, and you can easily see how difficult it can be to manage this type of employee.

Due to inaccurate in formation and mistaken beliefs about alcoholism or addictive disease, people who are close to the addict (alcoholic) "enable." This behavior pattern occurs in personal relationships with addicts, both at home and at work. There are usually persons in relationships with addicts who are considered primary enablers.

Enabling at work is behavior exhibited by coworkers or supervisors that helps the addict not realize or face the consequences of his/or her problem behavior resulting directly or indirectly from the alcohol or drug use. Enabling typically appears as the "right" thing to do in response to the problem behavior but helps the alcoholic or addict escape responsibility for actions or problematic events. The ability of the addict to deny, rationalize, externalize, and minimize problems while having others accept excuses and explanations

Enabling may be so well accomplished that the alcoholic or addict may appear as a person with no problems. In the earliest stages of addictive disease, this person could be perceived as the most competent, well-liked, and socially accepted worker in the organization. As addictive disease grows worse, problems follow --- and enabling increases. The alcoholic's past history of job success without problems may span decades. This keeps managers unsuspecting of an alcohol or drug problem. They easily believe some other problem explains job performance issues. These problems are often symptoms of the primary addiction. Supervisors or coworkers are easily led or manipulated to excuse, help, make up for shortcomings, or in other ways support and protect the addicted worker. These enabling patterns can continue in the face of late-stage addiction, such as alcohol on the breath, erratic and disturbing mood swings, and obvious withdrawal symptoms.

Eventually the enabling behavior becomes so automatic and institutionalized in the company, that only a crisis will break the pattern. Often this crisis is one that causes extreme embarrassment, financial loss, or other cost to the organization. Unfortunately, the response to such crises is often termination or transfer at great expense to the organization. The loss of a potentially valuable employee is the real tragedy. Sometimes medical retirements are arranged for workers who have become too ill to function. When this happens, the life span of such employees is often shortened, due to uncontrolled drinking supported by a fixed income. An ensuing decrease in the alcoholic’s interest in treatment and an increase in medical and social dysfunction accompany this financial independence.

When You Need to Be "De-Slobbed"

2008-06-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Q. I am not an organized person. I forget things, lose things, and keep a sloppy desk. I am good at what I do, however, and I have climbed the organization ladder rapidly. Now I need to hire an assistant. How do I hire someone who I won’t drive crazy with my behavior?

A. It sounds like you are a creative spirit, but could use some skills and coaching in the how to organize yourself and delegate properly. After hiring your assistant, you at risk for leaping between the extremes of refusing to delegate tasks to delegating wildly, sloppily, and hastily. The employee you hire will be the most important person in your business life. Assuming you don’t make dramatic changes, he or she will have to be very good at running behind, scooping up the pieces, and making sure initiatives get implemented. This key person has to cheerfully accept all this responsibility and, often, may have to practically read your mind. This is okay if the employee you hire loves this role. Some do. Other’s love it, but become controlling and manipulative because the supervisor cedes too much authority without accountability. Making some key changes now will set the stage for a gratifying relationship with your new hire.

Supervisors: Job Strain versus Job Stress

2008-06-03T15:50:00.001-07:00

Q. One of my employees has returned to work following a heart attack. Is there anything I can do to help him not have another one? This is a pretty high stress environment. Should I talk him into reducing his hours? I don’t want to him to collapse here.

A. Your employee should let you know if he needs any help from the organization to support his recovery, but you can also ask how best to support him. Almost all jobs include stress. Beyond stress, is something called "job strain." Job strain is high psychological demand from work pressure combined with little ability to control it. (Feeling trapped like a rat is a good way to describe it.) Some research has shown job strain as a factor in the recurrence of heart attacks. In Japan, the word "karoshi" means "death from work." It is a widely studied social concern. To reduce job strain on employees, try reducing psychological pressure of work demands. If possible, increase the employee's control and decision making over those work demands. What about the long hours? In some studies, long work hours alone were not associated with recurrent cardiovascular events, only job strain. (Journal of Occupational Health, No. 45, 2005.)

Be Careful What You Promise

2008-05-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Q. My employee came to me and I promised her confidentiality in exchange for her telling me about her troubles at home. I should have referred her to the EAP, but now I feel I have information about her life at home that I should not keep confidential. What should I do.

A. Talk to the EAP about your difficult situation. Depending on the type of information that has been shared, the EAP will advise you on what to do. Some things learned in discourse with others should not be kept secret. For example, you should not promise to keep secret information you have about an intended suicide or a child being abused. But there are other examples, as well. You are not a professional counselor, so you’re stuck with the problem of making a judgment call. Privileged information, information governed by privacy laws, and confidentiality laws that prohibit or require disclosure are linked to who we are and what we do. Your experience demonstrates the importance of remaining in the role of a supervisor versus counselor. The EAP is better equipped with its experience, skills, and the confidentiality laws that govern it, to manage confidential information, just as you are better equipped at correcting of performance.

Who's More Important--the Employer or Employee?

2008-05-20T08:39:00.001-07:00

Q. I have discovered since being a supervisor that it’s sometimes difficult to meet my employee’s needs and my employer’s equally. I try to draw a balance, but it is clearly not always possible. How do I straddling the fence of loyalty between these two groups better?

A. Being a good supervisor should not an issue of straddling the fence between competing groups. Every great supervisor knows that their first responsibility is to develop a productive relationship with employees so they can get the work done. A productive relationship means fairness, clear and good communication, recognition, and reward. This is how the needs of the employer are put first. The workplace must not be a “them versus us” game. Some supervisors do not understand this point. Because their employees are directly in front of them all the time, and their need to please is great, it’s easy hear employee complaints, be sympathetic, feel as though they are the “main thing.” Some managers may view themselves as “champions for the people.” This is role fraught with stress. There is nothing wrong with looking out for your employees, but if the needs of the organization are pushed to secondary place in the process, you will not serve either.

Supervisors and Job Strain

2008-05-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

Q. One of my employees has returned to work following a heart attack. Is there anything I can do to help him not have another one? This is a pretty high-stress environment. Should I talk him into reducing his hours?

A. Your employee should let you know if he needs any help from the organization to support his recovery, but you can also ask how best to support him. Almost all jobs include stress. Beyond stress, is something called "job strain." Job strain is high psychological demand from work pressure combined with little ability to control it. (Feeling trapped like a rat is a good way to describe it.) Some research as shown job strain as a factor in the recurrence of heart attacks. In Japan, the word "karoshi" means "death from work." And it is a widely studied social concern. To reduce job strain on employees, try reducing psychological pressure of work demands. If possible, increase the employee's control and decision making over those work demands. What about the long hours? In some studies, long work hours alone were not associated with recurrent cardiovascular events, only job strain. (Journal of Occupational Health, No. 45, 2005.)

Why Employees "Peter Out" After Hire

2008-05-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Q. I have hired many employees, and most are enthusiastic go-getters in the beginning, but after several months their energy diminishes and they become just so-so in their productivity. What causes this, and should I refer them to our company employee assistance program when I see this happen?

A. When someone is fresh and new on the job, energy abounds. It’s like starting a new weight-loss program—nothing could be more exciting. But then things change. To understand diminishing enthusiasm after hiring, look at what is happening between the employee and management at the time of hire. In the beginning, especially the first couple of months, new employees are treated like celebrities. They may receive higher compensation than they had at their previous job. They are made to feel excited about the future, with anticipated achievements. And they experience camaraderie. Along with just compensation, achievement and camaraderie have been identified in many studies as essential to maintaining employee enthusiasm. It appears that in the beginning, much of what drives enthusiasm is naturally in place. Learn how to keep this motivating atmosphere thriving and you will impact enthusiasm favorably. If your attempts to fire up enthusiasm are not successful and productivity standards are not satisfactory, a referral to your organization's employee assistance program is a good idea.

Disorganized Supervisor: What to Do? Try this!

2008-05-01T03:59:00.000-07:00

Q. I am not an organized person. I forget things, lose things, and keep a sloppy desk. I admit it, already! However, I am good at what I do. I have climbed the organization’s ladder rapidly. Now I need to hire an assistant. How do I hire someone whom I won’t drive crazy? I need someone organized, but let's put it this way, I won't be a good model of OCD illness to put it lightly.

A. It sounds like you are a creative spirit but could use some skills and coaching in how to organize yourself and delegate properly. After hiring an assistant, you are at risk for leaping between the extremes of refusing to delegate tasks to delegating wildly, sloppily, and hastily. Plan now to talk to consider a coach who specializes in organizational skills. There are such people. In fact, there are OCD-inclined individuals who actually have adapted to this dysfunction and created businesses ouf of it. (I am certain, someday, that some television program will be produced about this topic.) Go to Craigslist.com. You will certainly find such a person there. They are awesome. Then you will be prepared to hire someone and perhaps will have more organizational skills when they arrive. Try taking a look at 14 Vital Skills for Supervisors at the web site EAPtools.com to see if may contain helpful information for you. The employee you hire will be the most important person in your business life. Assuming you don’t make dramatic changes, he or she will have to be very good at running behind, scooping up the pieces, and making sure initiatives get implemented. This key person has to cheerfully accept all this responsibility and, often, may have to practically read your mind. This is okay if the employee you hire loves this role. Some do. Others love it but become controlling and manipulative because the supervisor has ceded too much authority without accountability. Making some key changes now will set the stage for a gratifying relationship with your new hire.

When the Supervisor Is Holding the Hot Potato

2008-04-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

Q. One of my employees came to me and I promised her confidentiality in exchange for her telling me about her troubles at home. I should have referred her to our organization's counseling office, but now I feel I have information about her life at home that I should not keep confidential. What should I do?

A. Talk to the EAP about your difficult situation. Depending on the type of information that has been shared, the EAP will advise you on what to do. Some things learned in discourse with others should not be kept secret. For example, you should not promise to keep secret information you have about an intended suicide or a child being abused. There are other examples as well. You are not a professional counselor, so you’re stuck with the problem of making a judgment call. Privileged information, and information governed by privacy laws or confidentiality laws that prohibit or require disclosure, are linked to who we are and what we do. Your experience demonstrates the importance of remaining in the role of supervisor versus counselor. The EAP is better equipped, with its experience and skills, and the confidentiality laws that govern it, to manage confidential information, just as you are better equipped to correct performance.

Which comes first, employees or the company?

2008-04-28T04:59:00.000-07:00

Q. Dan, I have discovered since being a supervisor that it’s sometimes difficult to meet my employees’ and my employer’s needs equally. I try to draw a balance, but it is clearly not always possible. How do I straddle the fence of loyalty between these two groups better?

A. This is a question many managers ask. I will try to be short and sweat about it. Being a good supervisor should not be an issue of straddling the fence between competing groups. Every great supervisor knows that the first responsibility is to develop a productive relationship with employees so they can get the work done. A productive relationship means fairness, clear and good communication, recognition, and reward for productivity. This is how the needs of the employer are best met. The workplace must not be a "them versus us" game. Some supervisors do not understand this point. Because their employees are directly in front of them all the time, and their need to please is great, it's easy to hear employee complaints, be sympathetic, and feel as though they are the "main thing." Some managers may view themselves as "champions for the people." This is a role fraught with stress. There is nothing wrong with looking out for your employees, but if the needs of the organization are pushed to second place in the process, you will not serve either.

Welcome to Supervisor Skills and Tips

2008-04-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Q. Don't employees with alcoholism or drug problems have to want treatment before it will work?

A. Most troubled employees with alcoholism or a drug addiction avoid the awareness of their health problem by avoiding responsibility for the indirect or direct consequences of the drug's use. Therefore, few will want treatment before treatment actually begins. Willingness to enter treatment by whatever means is considered far more important than wanting treatment. Treatment, which includes intensive education, helps alcoholics or drug addicts self-diagnose their illness. This means they come to acknowledge the existence of the illness and can identify their symptoms. Motivation to maintain abstinence and achieve sobriety in recovery follows, never beforehand. This is why it is considered a myth to think that alcoholics and drug addicts have to "want" treatment before it can work. Most alcoholics or drug addicts enter treatment under some sort of duress. Family pressure, medical problems, and pressure from employers are the most common reasons for admissions.

Since 1994, we have written nearly 800 questions and answers on the supervisor’s role in managing people using the FrontLine Supervisor newsletter. My goal has been to help supervisors feel better about what they do and enjoy their jobs more by supporting a pro-people, pro-organization workplace. FrontLine Supervisor newsletter one of the most widely read monthly publications on supervision in history. Thousands of companies get it, and in turn re-distribute the newsletter internally. My guess is over 200,000 supervisors read it. You can get a free trial subscription at http://eaptools.com/fsorderpage.html