Monitoring your employee after making a referral to the EAP reinforces progress in improving performance. It also helps your employee remain motivated and participate in treatment or counseling recommended by the EAP.
Consider the following steps in monitoring your employee's progress after making a referral to the EAP:
Decide upon a date and time to meet and discuss progress in improving performance. Do not discuss the employee's personal issues. Arranging several follow-up dates and times in the future provides a constructive sense of urgency for your employee to follow through with the EAP's recommendations and improve performance.
- Expect the EAP to call you if your employee misses follow-up appointments or stops following through with its recommendations. Missing EAP appointments and failing to follow treatment recommendations usually precedes a return to job performance problems.
- If performance problems return, notify the EAP. Consider what disciplinary or administrative actions are appropriate in response to a return to unsatisfactory performance. Is the general trend toward improvement? Consider the answer to this question in your decision.
- Praise your employee for improving performance, but be mindful of any return of performance problems.
It's True! If your employee was treated for alcoholism or an addictive disease, you may be aware of it. Remember that a relapse (a return to drinking or using drugs) is possible. Relapse does not mean failure, but intervention must be quick and certain. Few persons with long-term sobriety achieved it without a relapse along the way. A referral back to the EAP is necessary in the event of relapse or a return to performance problems.Refer to your organization's policies or agreement with your employee, if one was produced at the time of referral to the EAP or treatment. If in doubt about what to do, note the general trend in improvement of your employee's performance. Don't forget to ask for help, either from the EAP, or your HR representative. |