Employee Couns

Employee Counseling Services
Chapter 11
HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

Doty Ed.D. Clemson Univ. 1
The Need for Employee
Counseling
Have you ever seen people:
 Struggling due to high levels of
anxiety?
 Refusing treatment for a treatable
condition?
 Experiencing job burnout?
 Involved in efforts to promote good
health?
The Need for Employee
Counseling – 2
 Personal problems are a part of life.
 Personal problems affect job performance.
 Healthcare costs continue to rise.
 Reducing tardiness, absenteeism, lost time
and worker’s compensation saves money.
 Reducing turnover can improve productivity
and the bottom line.

Addressing Employee Well-
Being
 Promotes employee morale.
 Reduces the impact of external
factors on work.
 Promotes productivity.
 Cheaper to train, treat, and retain
existing workers than to hire new ones.

Employee Counseling as an
HRD Function
 Counseling serves the same goal as
other HRD activities.
 Improving/maintaining worker
performance
 Same techniques are used, especially
coaching.
 Same kinds of analysis and planning
needed.

Overview of Counseling
Programs
 Problem Identification
 Education
 Counseling
 Referral
 Treatment
 Follow-up

Problem Identification
 Screening device
 Absenteeism records
 Supervisor’s observations
 Referral
 Voluntary participation

Education
 Pamphlets
 Videos
 Lectures
 Unsolicited
 Television
 Radio
 Other media
Counseling
 Needs a non-threatening person with
whom the worker can discuss
problems and seek help. Options
include:
 Supervisor/coach
 Ombudsman
 HRD Counselor
 Professional Counselor

Referral
 Directing employee to appropriate
resources for assistance, e.g.,
 Physician
 Substance abuse treatment center
 Marriage counselor
 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
 Other options (clergy)

Treatment
 The actual intervention to solve the
problem, e.g.,
 Group therapy
 Medications
 Individual therapy
 Psychological therapy

Follow-up
 Needed to:
 Ensure the employee is indeed carrying
out the treatment.
 Obtain information on employee
progress.
 Ensure that referrals and treatment are
effective.

A Caution About Employee
Counseling
 All six approaches are not always
needed.
 The following issues drive which
approach is taken:
 Type of problem identified
 Appropriate response
 Available resources

Who Provides Employee
Counseling?
 Depends on the organization and
organizational culture.
 Can be done using:
 Corporate resources (In-house).
 Outside resources (Out-of-house).

In-House Efforts
Advantages: Disadvantages:
 Internal control  Confidentiality
 Familiarity with  Lack of needed
organization resources
 Better coordination
of efforts
 Employee reluctance
to use services
 Sense of ownership
 Greater internal
 Limitations in staff
credibility skill and expertise

Contracting Externally (Out-of-
House)
Advantages: Disadvantages:
 Subject matter  Lack of on-site
experts services
 Confidentiality easier
 Possible
communications
to maintain problems
 Better identification  Lack of
and use of resources organizational
knowledge

Characteristics of Effective
Programs
 Top management support.
 Clear policies and procedures.
 Cooperation with unions and employee
groups.

Characteristics of Effective
Programs
 Policy of guaranteed confidentiality.
 Maintenance of records for program
evaluation.
 Health insurance benefit coverage for
services.
 Family education.

Employee Assistance
Programs (EAPs)
 Job-based programs operating within
an organization that:
 Identify troubled employees.
 Motivate them to resolve their
problems.
 Provide access to counseling and
treatment, as appropriate.

General Topics that EAPs
Might Address
 Alcoholism  Compulsive
 Drug abuse gambling
 Anxiety  Marital problems
 Depression  Financial problems
 Eating disorders  Personal problems

Issues/Outcomes Affected by
EAPs
 Productivity  Accidents
 Absenteeism  Training
 Turnover  Replacement costs
 Unemployment costs  Insurance benefits
 Substance abuse  Etc.
treatment

Who Offers EAPs?
 62% of medium- and large-sized
companies.
 33% of companies with 50+
employees.
 Estimated 82% of large firm
employees have access to an
employee assistance program.

Items of Importance
 Extent of substance abuse and
mental health problems faced by
companies.
 Approaches to employee assistance.
 Effectiveness of EAPs in treating
substance abuse and mental health
problems.
Substance Abuse - 1
 Abuse of alcohol and drugs is prevalent.
 Estimates are:
 18 million Americans have a serious
drinking problem.
 Alcohol is involved in 47% of industrial
accidents.
 10 million employed Americans use illegal
drugs.
Substance Abuse – 2
 6.5 % - 8.5% of employees report
heavy use of alcohol.
 75% of drug users are employed.
 24% of workers reported drinking at
work.
 10% - 12% of prospective Postal
employees tested positive for drug use.
Substance Abuse – 3
 6.5% of workers reported going to work
while under the influence of drugs or
alcohol.
 5% - 8% reported being under the
influence of marijuana at work.
 Companies lose over $7000/year for
each abuser of alcohol or drugs.

Reasons for Immediate
Concern
 Drug and alcohol users are more prone to
accidents, injuries, disciplinary problems,
and “involuntary” turnover.
 Would you want to fly in a plane with a
drunken pilot?
 Do you want to drive a car put together by
someone abusing marijuana or cocaine?

Drug-Free Workplace Act of
1988
 Promotes drug-free awareness
among Federal contractors and grant
recipients.
 Tells employees about:
 Availability of drug counseling
 Availability of rehabilitation programs
 Employee Assistance Programs

Mental Health
It is estimated that:
 17.5 million Americans suffer from
depression every year.

 23% of the American population has
some sort of mental disorder.

 5.4 % have a serious mental illness.

Results of Serious Mental
Health Problems
 Mental health problems can interfere
with major life functions such as:
 Eating
 Managing money
 Functioning in family groups
 Functioning at work
 Functioning in society
 Functioning in educational settings

Why Care About Mental and
Emotional Problems?
 Problems can cause:
 Absenteeism
 Poor performance and work habits
 Low job satisfaction
 Indecisiveness
 Interpersonal conflicts
 Violence and aggressive behaviors at work

Three Federal Regulatory
Actions
 American Disabilities Act of 1990
 Mental Health Parity Act of 1996
 Executive Directive by President Clinton
(effective January 1, 2001)

American Disabilities Act
(ADA) of 1990
 Who is covered by the ADA? An employee who:
 Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life activities,
 Has a record of such impairment, or
 Is regarded as having such an impairment, i.e., an
employer’s perception of a disability would be covered.
 Guarantees equal access to jobs for those with
disabilities.
 Includes mental and emotional disabilities, along
with physical disabilities.
 How to deal with individuals with such disabilities
(EEOC Guidelines, May, 1997).
Mental Health Parity Act of
1996
 Employers with 50+ employees must
provide mental health coverage equal
to physical coverage.
 Does NOT include coverage for
substance abuse or chemical
dependency.
 Note: This law lapsed after
September, 2001.
Why These Three Federal
Actions?
 To require employers to pay
attention to mental health issues.
 To urge/force employers to carefully
manage and address such problems.

EAP Approach to Resolving
Employee Personal Problems
Basis of the EAP approach:
 Work is very important to people.
 Work performance can help identify
an employee’s personal problems.

 Employees can be motivated to seek
help.

Characteristics of the EAP
Approach
 Problem is defined in terms of job
performance, rather than in clinical
terms.
 Supervisors monitor employees to
identify changes in workplace
behavior that indicate potential
problems.

Behavior Problems Indicating
Possible Substance Abuse
 Absenteeism
 On-the-job absences
 High accident rate
 Poor job performance
 Changes in personal habits
 Poor relationships with co-workers

Constructive Confrontation
 In this approach, a supervisor:
 monitors performance.
 confronts employee on poor
performance.
 coaches to improve performance.
 urges use of EAP’s counseling service.
 Emphasizes the consequences of
continued poor performance.
The Typical EAP
 Clear policies, procedures, and
responsibilities concerning health and
personal problems on the job.
 Employee education campaigns.
 Supervisory training program.
 Clinical services (In- or out-of-house).
 Follow-up monitoring.
Stress Management
Interventions
 “Any activity, program, or
opportunity initiated by an
organization, which focuses on
reducing work-related stressors….”

What is Stress?
 Some environmental force affecting
the individual (a stressor).
 Individual’s response to the stressor.
 Interaction between individual and
the stressor.
 Individuals react in different ways to
stress.
Organizational Stressors
 Factors intrinsic to the job
 Organizational structure and control
 Rewards systems
 Human resource systems
 Leadership

Stress Management
Interventions
 Educationally-Oriented Interventions
 Sources or stress, how it feels, how to
avoid it, how to cope with it.
 Skill-Acquisition Interventions
 Provides new ways to manage stress
such as:
 Time management training
 Assertiveness training

Employee Wellness and Health
Promotion
 Wellness is more than the absence of
disease.
 Promotes physical fitness and other
non-stress issues:
 Obesity
 Smoking
 Helps control healthcare costs.

Three Levels of Fitness and
Wellness Programs
 Level 1: Primarily educational without
interventions.
 Level 2: Seeks to bring about direct
change:
 Supervised exercise, fitness centers,
etc.
 Level 3: Institutionalized wellness.
Ethical Issues
• Confidentiality:
• Records should be held in strictest
confidence, and kept separate from the
employee’s regular personnel file.
• Release only with specific employee
permission.
• Nature of Participation:
• Mandatory versus voluntary

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Employee Counseling Services

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

 Involved in efforts to promote good

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

depression every year.

some sort of mental disorder.

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

 Work performance can help identify

an employee’s personal problems.

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

HRD3eCH11 Contributed by Wells

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