Supervisor Referrals for Behaviors of Concern
The EAP can be a valuable resource for you when employees are having personal problems, whether or not those problems are affecting their work performance. There are times when you know an employee is having a difficult time at home because he is just 'not himself.' He may be coming in late, leaving early, becoming increasingly irritable with coworkers and you may be getting some complaints about productivity. When personal problems become personnel problems, you may want to consider making a 'formal' referral to EAP. Below are the three types of referrals to the EAP:
Self-Referrals (70 to 80 percent of referrals)
- The employee or household member calls the EAP phone number on the brochure or wallet card (1-800-280-3782).
- An EAP Customer Care Representative obtains routine information and assigns the most appropriate counselor.
- There is no observable pattern of performance decline.
- Self-referrals emphasize the preventive, proactive nature of the EAP services.
- No one knows whether an employee or family member used the services
Informal Supervisor Referral (10 to 15 percent of referrals)
- Occurs when the program is offered to a productive employee who is obviously experiencing a personal problem.
- It is treated as a self referral (i.e., no reporting back to company).
- The employee's work performance is within acceptable standards.
- To make a 'personal concern' referral, you may simply want to remind the employee about the EAP and suggest the employee call the EAP at 1-800-280-3782.
- You may want to give the employee a card or brochure with the phone number and explain how the program works, stressing that the program is voluntary and confidential.
- If you as a manager/supervisor are not sure about what to say or how to say it, or whether the employee's behavior warrants a referral, call the EAP management line at 1-800-559-9749 to have a plan in place before speaking with the employee.
Formal/Mandatory Supervisor Referral (5 to 10 percent of referrals)
- A referral made by the supervisor/manager when an employee shows a decline in job performance and does not respond to the usual supervisor coaching/input/feedback.
- This type of referral is used when you have documented a pattern of repeated performance decline (click here).
- This type of referral is also used when you conduct drug testing, the employee tests positive and your policy allows for treatment before return to work.
- You may want to consult with human resources or employee relations and/or EAP before talking with the employee.
- At the time the recommendation is made, have the employee sign the appropriate Release of Information forms (click here).
- Call the EAP management line at 1-800-559-9749 for a copy of the forms, or you may use your company's own form for supervisor referrals.
- Our confidential supervisor referral fax number is 702-242-5864.
- Give the employee a deadline by which he/she will need to call the EAP. Give the employee the EAP phone number (1-800-280-3782).
- It is helpful to us if you also call the EAP separately, describing the performance problems and any disciplinary actions pending.
- Our management consultants will let you will know whether your employee is using the program. The information that will be released back to you is attendance and compliance (diagnosis or specific content of sessions is between the employee and the EAP counselor).
- Emphasize that the final decision to use the program is the employee's choice (i.e. voluntary).
Alcohol/Drug Testing Referrals
The Employee Assistance Program covers the evaluation and referral to treatment of individuals who have a problem with drugs or alcohol. If you conduct drug testing or have employees who fall under the Federal and State drug testing regulations for: Pre-employment, Post Accident, Reasonable Suspicion, or Random Urine Screens, we are able to provide both the initial and the return to duty substance abuse evaluations. This type of situation falls under the Formal/ Mandatory Referral category.