The FrontLine Supervisor

Your organization has approved the EAP as a source of help for employees. This means you can safely recommend it and feel confident that you are acting as your organization expects. You do not have to fear that you are recommending an unreliable or inappropriate source of help. If you refer employees to unapproved sources of help, you could be accepting unnecessary risks for yourself or your employer if the source of help is inappropriate, unqualified, or even harmful. Once you adopt the role of a referral agent in addition to your role as a supervisor, you establish a dual relationship. This compels you to examine the nature of the personal problem, the effectiveness of treatment you recommended, and other issues that interfere with your supervisor role.

Although politics is a force to reckon with in your organization (as in most organizations), you must identify performance problems in order to justify a supervisor referral to the EAP (complaints from others outside the work unit, failure to plan effectively, etc.). Help your employee act with greater political sensitivity by having her learn more about the political environment. The best way to do this is by observing others and asking coworkers questions to discover how the organization operates formally and informally. Until she becomes more politically savvy, ask your employee to consult with you or peers for input on effective ways of accomplishing tasks that involve other departments in the organization. Keep track of the types of problems your employee continues to experience. Consult with the EAP to examine other ways of managing your employee.

I know delegating is an important supervisor skill. I must admit it's difficult because I fear "letting go." How can supervisors get more excited about delegating?

Delegating is a powerful tool to multiply the amount of work you can produce. Accepting this principle and the reality that things you delegate may not always be accomplished successfully is the key to getting more excited about delegation. Delegating is a skill and an art because you must follow up at the right time, and in the right amounts, to be successful at delegation. Paying attention to the lessons you learn during follow-up will improve your delegating skill and abilities. Managers who are particularly hard on themselves when they make mistakes have a harder time delegating. They need to remember that a successful manager is not a perfect manager. If the fear of making a mistake inhibits your willingness to delegate, consider talking to the EAP about it. Overcome this fear to experience the power and satisfaction of the delegation process.

When should I expect improvements in my employee's performance after I have made a referral to the EAP?

You should expect satisfactory performance immediately after a corrective interview with your employee. It is the employee's responsibility to inform you about whether there will be a delay in meeting performance standards. The organization decides if any delays can be permitted. Typically, EAPs coordinate with sources of help in the community and assist employees in communicating such delays. If the employee is off work for treatment, a return to the job may include a discussion of any such accommodations. The EAP will not ask, or expect, the organization to tolerate unsatisfactory job performance. Consider asking your employee if there are any reasons he or she can't perform the essential job functions or meet standards. Although rare, employees treated for certain health conditions may have a need to adjust their work schedules or request special accommodations to participate in health programs or treatment recommendations.

I strongly suggested my employee use the EAP in regard to his ongoing performance problems. As far as I know, he didn't go. I considered that discussion a supervisor referral, but looking back, I'm not sure he took it that way. Could I have been more direct?

Not being formal and direct when making a supervisor referral is a common misstep in the referral process. This contributes to employees not perceiving the seriousness of a recommendation by the supervisor to use the EAP. A supervisor referral is an official act supported by the organization's EAP policy. Suggesting that your employee consider using the EAP because of performance problems is not the same as clearly stating that you are making a formal supervisor referral for performance problems. The first approach minimizes the importance of the recommendation. The second approach is more direct and creates a greater sense of urgency that can motivate the employee more effectively. Concern about the employee's negative reaction to an EAP referral often underlies a supervisor's tendency to be less than direct when making a supervisor referral. Unfortunately, sometimes disciplinary actions follow for employees who might have accepted help had the supervisor used a more direct approach in the corrective interview.

If you have questions you would like answered in FrontLine Supervisor, contact the EAP Office at (615) 741-1925.

Information contained in The FrontLine Supervisor is for general information purposes only and is not intended to be specific guidance for any particular supervisor or human resource management concern. For specific guidance on handling individual employee problems, consult with your Employee Assistance Professional. Copyright ©2000 by The FrontLine Supervisor.

***ETSU NOTE: Referrals/concerns by supervisors should be made to the Office of Human Resources at ETSU, extension 5890.

Permission to post newsletter has been granted by Tennessee State Employee Assistance Program.


Back to ETSU Home	Back to ETSU Human Resources Page

Mailing Address: Office of Human Resources
ETSU Box 70564
Johnson City, TN 37614-1707
Telephone: 423-439-4457
Fax: 423-439-8354
TDD: 423-439-4710

Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. E.S.T. Monday - Friday
Office Location: Rooms 307 and 311, Dossett Hall