Hello and welcome to the Employee Orientation for your Employee Assistance Program, provided by Business Health Services.
Who is Business Health Services? We are a national Employee Assistance Program, headquartered in Baltimore. BHS specializes in offering workplace wellness solutions which are not limited to Employee Assistance Programs. We offer Employee Assistance, Employee Wellness, Workplace Trainings, Organizational Development and Crisis management.We are contracted by employers to provide first-rate services to their employees and management teams on a variety of issues that affect employees and employers in the workplace or impact work performance.
The employee assistance program is a resource to help people who are dealing with difficult situations. Since we all hit rough patches just by living our lives, the EAP can help. If you are married, you probably have had some marital conflict at one time or anther. If you have children, they can often have challenging phases. You may have financial responsibilities that become overwhelming.The EAP is focused on addressing the everyday “bumps in the road”. When personal or work problems get overly stressful they may cause work performance to decline. Your company offers the EAP as a free resources to alleviate this stress and get you back on track.
Now you might be wondering why your employer would be willing to offer this benefit free to you? Well the benefits are not only felt by the employee using the EAP but also the employer.When employees are healthy and focused, they are more productive. This, in turn, means the company overall is more productive. On one hand, employees are offered 24/7 access to qualified professionals who can assist them in problem identification and resolution. On the other, employers have employees who are able to do their jobs at the height of their ability. By providing a resource to address stress, employers are able to reduce some healthcare costs and the cost associated with absenteeism. Additionally, when you have a fully functioning team, morale is boosted.Overall, it is a win-win benefit!
When you call, you will be connected with a Care Coordinator who will serve as your guide throughout the EAP process. This person is a Master’s level clinician. Your Care Coordinator will conduct an assessment to determine which EAP services will best meet your needs. They will then work with you to link you to these services and services beyond the scope of EAP if deemed necessary. Your Care Coordinator will follow-up through out the duration of your case to ensure you continue to feel supported and are provided new information as your case evolves.Open communication throughout the duration of your case is essential to ensure your optimal satisfaction with the EAP process. Please let the care coordinator know if you have any questions or concerns.
If you have never used the EAP before, you may be wondering what happens when at the initial session. You will go to the office of the clinician that the care coordinator has helped you to obtain an appointment. During the first session, an in-depth assessment will be completed by the EAP Professional. With the help of the EAP Professional, you will create a plan to resolve or improve the stressful situation. The resolution may include short-term consultation through the EAP, a combination of EAP benefits or referral to alternative resources in the community.Despite the steps, you will have your Care Coordinator and clinician to help you carry out your plan of resolution.
Privacy and Confidentiality are HIGHLY valued. Your personal information will never be released to ANYONE without your written consent or requirement by law. This applies to any benefit you access through the EAP including personal consultation, work-life benefits or management consultation. All of BHS professionals are bound by state and federal laws prohibiting breeches in confidentiality. However, professionals are required by law to report if a person is a danger to themselves or others, instances of child or elder abuse and any threats to national security. These are situations where the professional must disclose the concerns to ensure the safety of people involved. This is why we have clinical professional s answering the phones so that they can determine the true intent of what the caller is saying.
You can also reach us on the web at www.bhsonline.com. You will need to log in using the company name listed in your Premier Newsletter. User names are not case sensitive. If you forget your username, simply call the toll-free number and a care coordinator will be happy to offer you this information again.
The enhanced website offers a wide variety of informational articles, online videos, resources and assessment tools. This website is a great place to begin gathering information and researching some of life’s toughest challenges. There are tips and articles on Adoption, Gambling, Smoking Cessation, Weight loss, Buying a new car or home, etc…
Moving forward, we will focus specifically on the resources and tools available to you as a supervisor.A supervisor can expect to spend up to 4 or 5 times more energy managing a troubled employee than that of a non-troubled employee. This, in turn, can cause frustration and loss of productivity. Our goal is to educate the audience of supervisors about how to use the EAP as a management tool when these situations occur. Dealing with these situations is not easy, however, with the right approach and intervention, employees have the opportunity to return to previous levels of performance.
Use this activity to promote discussion on how EAP can be resourceful in skill building for supervisors.Review info covered in this training (ie do’s/don’t, coaching elements, etc). Think of a supervisor that was a positive influence on you. What about them made you think they were a “great supervisor”. What are negative aspectsNow that we have positive’s and negatives, what are you doing? Are you micromanaging? Do you have an open door policy?For last 2 boxes: Think about that, how have your past experiences shaped how you supervisor others. Now how can you make changes your management style to enhance morale?
Now you might be wondering why your employer would be willing to offer this benefit free to you? Well the benefits are not only felt by the employee using the EAP but also the employer.When employees are healthy and focused, they are more productive. This, in turn, means the company overall is more productive. On one hand, employees are offered 24/7 access to qualified professionals who can assist them in problem identification and resolution. On the other, employers have employees who are able to do their jobs at the height of their ability. By providing a resource to address stress, employers are able to reduce some healthcare costs and the cost associated with absenteeism. Additionally, when you have a fully functioning team, morale is boosted.Overall, it is a win-win benefit!
If you find that you would like to refer the employee to the EAP for a performance issues there are 4 different types of referrals and each will be reviewed.
The first is a self-referral. Most of the calls BHS receives falls into this category. This is when an employee knows the EAP is an available resource, recognizes they may need some support and calls in on their own.This process is completely private and confidential. As a supervisor, you will not be informed that an employee accessed the EAP.
An informal supervisory referral is used when a supervisor notices a change in an employee’s performance or attitude and encourages the employee to consult the EAP for help. The supervisor does this by: (read the bullets)
A formal referral is used when it is clear the an employee’s performance is deteriorating and you have already attempted to make an informal referral.Appropriate reasons for a formal referral would include attendance, decline in performance and behaviors that are disruptive to the work environment.In this process it would be made clear to the employee that the EAP is being offered as a resource to assist them in improving the identified issue. In a formal referral, the employee will be asked to sign a release of information so that the EAP can provide compliance reporting back to the supervisor including dates/times of appointments and verification of employee’s attendance. No personal information will be shared with the supervisor. Additionally, the EAP will be seeking work performance feedback from the supervisor to monitor progress.All issues believed to be a formal referral must be reviewed by the Human Resources department before the actual referral occurs.Examples:Absenteeism/tardiness/extended breaksDecline in work performance – missed deadlines, increased errors in work, incomplete tasks Behaviors that disrupt the workplace– inappropriate office etiquette, hygiene concerns, inappropriate attitude, challenged communication
A mandatory referral is typically only used when the alternative is termination. This would include serious breeches of workplace policies such as drug-free workplace, sexual harassment or violence in the workplace. An additional reason an employee may receive a mandatory referral is for a chronic work performance issue that has not improved with interventions. A mandatory referral also seeks a release of information for the EAP to communicate with the supervisor.One of the major deciding factors of using a mandatory referral is determining if the employee’s job status will change if the employee fails to use the EAP or follow the recommendations. If the answer to that question is that the employee will be terminated/demoted than a mandatory referral is appropriate.The use of the word “mandatory” does not give management additional power by using this referral. Any participation in the EAP by an employee is voluntary as it is a tool for performance improvement. Mandatory referrals are not appropriate if the employee is not at a point where their job is imminently at risk. However, if an employee does not comply, after consultation with Human Resource, it may be appropriate to continue with the next step of disciplinary action up to an including termination. All issues believed to be a mandatory referral must be reviewed by the Human Resources department before the actual referral occurs.
A few points that are important to reiterate are: EAP referrals are a resource (even mandatory referrals) for employees and supervisors. Referrals to the EAP are a way for the company to intervene before initial or continued disciplinary action occurs.The choice to utilize the EAP is completely up to the employee. However, failure to utilize this valuable resource may result in the employee moving to the next step in the disciplinary process.Both Formal and Mandatory referrals require a release of information to report compliance/treatment recommendations to the employer. The information provided is meant to assist the supervisor/manager in continuing to manage work performance. This means that, no in-depth clinical information is provided.
By using this 5-step process, every referral you make to the EAP will be productive. Observe: When you are thinking about the observations you make of your employees, the key word is “pattern.” Everyone may have an off day which is neither a concern or a pattern. It is when for example, an employee starts showing up late every Monday over the course of a several weeks.Document: Documenting your observations may be the most important step throughout this entire process. There are multiple reasons why. First, our memories do not serve us as well as we like to believe. By documenting your observations, it is much easier to identify an issue and begin to address the concern before it evolves into a much larger issue. Second, it makes any conversations with an employee easier. With concrete information, it is more difficult for your employee to argue and sway you from discussing the issue at hand. Clear and concise documentation is essential if additional. action needs to be taken by your Human Resources Dept.:Addressing work performance issues and making a referral to the EAP can create some anxiety. If you are making a referral for the first time it is important to be prepared with all the necessary information. Additionally, it is helpful to prepare yourself for the employee’s response.Have all of your documentation available, reviewing the concern with your Human Resources Department and ensuring you understand the policy that is being breached can make the difference between a productive meeting and miscommunication. Be prepared to respond to the employee’s reaction whether it be anger, tears or attempting to deter your attention from their performance. Be prepared with instructions to provide the employee regarding accessing the EAP, The EAP works in conjunction with your HR Dept and DOES NOT dictate or override your organization’s HR policies.Preparation
Now you might be wondering why your employer would be willing to offer this benefit free to you? Well the benefits are not only felt by the employee using the EAP but also the employer.When employees are healthy and focused, they are more productive. This, in turn, means the company overall is more productive. On one hand, employees are offered 24/7 access to qualified professionals who can assist them in problem identification and resolution. On the other, employers have employees who are able to do their jobs at the height of their ability. By providing a resource to address stress, employers are able to reduce some healthcare costs and the cost associated with absenteeism. Additionally, when you have a fully functioning team, morale is boosted.Overall, it is a win-win benefit!
Now you might be wondering why your employer would be willing to offer this benefit free to you? Well the benefits are not only felt by the employee using the EAP but also the employer.When employees are healthy and focused, they are more productive. This, in turn, means the company overall is more productive. On one hand, employees are offered 24/7 access to qualified professionals who can assist them in problem identification and resolution. On the other, employers have employees who are able to do their jobs at the height of their ability. By providing a resource to address stress, employers are able to reduce some healthcare costs and the cost associated with absenteeism. Additionally, when you have a fully functioning team, morale is boosted.Overall, it is a win-win benefit!