Managing Sensitive Employee Issues. Workbook

Transcription

1 Managing Sensitive Employee Issues Workbook

2 I. Do You Need This Course? Note: Make the examples as real as possible for you, and try to remember that learning these skills, and putting them into practice, are two entirely different things. The best advice is to work slowly, think carefully about what you re learning, do all of the exercises, and apply the skills as soon as possible in your actual work context. Exercise: Identify the issue 1. Think of a problem employee situation. What is the issue or problem? 2. Who is involved? 3. Is there a history to this issue (e.g. how long has this been occurring, what have you tried to do previously)? 4. What are your ideas about what you should do? 5. Why is this situation hard for you to address (e.g. workload, fear, uncertainty, lack of authority, lack of confidence, not my problem, problems will work themselves out, I don t have the necessary skills)? 6. In what way(s) is the problem impacting the individual s work performance, the work performance of others, your own work performance, customers, or the company? 7. List acceptable outcomes for this situation. The next few questions focus on factors in this situation that are owned by different elements of it. For example, you own certain things that you bring to this situation (e.g. impatience, frustration, a belief that problems will go away on their own). In similar fashion, the other person (e.g. employee) owns part of this situation (e.g. they may react defensively whenever their behaviour is under scrutiny). Finally, there may be circumstances that own something that contributes to the problem (e.g. unclear reporting structures following a merger or downsizing). When you break a situation down into different parts that are owned by you, by the other person(s) and by circumstances, you reveal places to focus your problem-resolution efforts. 2

3 Answer the following questions and consider creating a picture or map of the different contributing parts using the diagram that follows. 1. What do you bring to the situation that makes it challenging to deal with (e.g. my insecurities, my concern about causing another person more distress)? 2. What is the other person bringing to the situation that makes it challenging to deal with (e.g. they are argumentative, they blame others for their mistakes)? 3. What do circumstances bring to the situation that make it challenging to deal with (e.g. lack of a clear company process, too many competing commitments on my time)? 4. Is there anything else that is complicating the issue that you haven t noted? Repeat these steps until you are certain that you have a clear and complete grasp of the issue, to the best of your ability. 3

4 My contribution to the issue The other person s contribution to the issue Issue Circumstances contributing to the issue Does this analysis reveal potential new actions to you? What does it tell you about what you need to do to begin making a change in the situation? 4

5 II. Identify Problem Behaviours Exercise: What problem behaviours might occur? Read the following scenarios. In the space provided, list all of the problem behaviours that you can think of that may occur as a result of the situation. A hint for the first scenario is provided at the end of the exercise. For each scenario, try to identify at least 10 problem behaviours that could emerge. Refer to the Problem Behaviours Checklist that follows for ideas. Scenario 1. Lily and her husband are the primary caregivers of Lilly s critically-ill mother. Lily s mother is suffering from the earliest stages of Alzheimer s dementia and has been living at home but requires frequent trips to the doctor and only receives weekly visits from homecare support workers. Her mother takes a variety of medications, which Lilly has to ensure that she takes correctly, and she needs an increasing amount of help with toileting and eating. Scenario 2. Andrea is involved in a difficult divorce. Andrea has two school-aged children. Scenario 3. John has undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Scenario 4. Roman has an addiction to online gambling. Hint (Scenario 1): tiredness during workday reluctance to take on new and challenging tasks frequent absences on short notice (to care for her mother s needs) presenteeism (Lilly may be present at work, but not focused on her responsibilities) signs of stress (e.g. impatience and frustration with coworkers, withdrawal from others) etc. 5

6 Problem Behaviours Checklist To assess if personal problems are affecting job performance, look for patterns of repeated behaviours in these areas. Always keep in mind how does the problem issue manifest behaviourally?, what problem does this behaviour cause for the individual s work performance, coworkers, myself, customers, the company?. Absenteeism and presenteeism (note: an employee s absenteeism may be legitimate but it can still be a problem) Unauthorized leave Frequent Monday and/or Friday absences Leaving work early when inappropriate Peculiar and increasingly improbable excuses for being absent Repeatedly arriving late or leaving early Patterns of calling in sick, excessive use of sick days Decreased productivity/lowered job efficiency Being at work but not completing tasks Unexplained disappearances from the work area Long lunch breaks Decline in quality or quantity of work completed Inconsistent work pace Erratic work patterns Errors in judgement Missed deadlines Communication problems Sensitivity to feedback or suggestions Less communicative than in the past Unclear or imprecise communication Argumentative with coworkers and supervisors Change in attitude or appearance or conduct Radical weight loss or gain Decreased morale Decreased interest in hygiene or appearance Increased irritability or agitation Unexplained crying Unusual behaviour Unreasonable resentments Strained relations with others Avoidance of others Excessive socializing Complaints from coworkers regarding behaviour Interpersonal conflict Manipulating coworkers to take over assigned responsibilities Safety/risk potential Indications of violent behaviour or threats Lack of safety concern for self or others Inattentiveness to safety procedures Covers up accidents/near misses rather than accepting responsibility Careless handling and maintenance of equipment High accident rate or many close calls 6

7 Concentration problems Work requires greater effort to get done Jobs and projects take longer, more time Frequent daydreaming Undependable Difficulty in recalling instructions correctly Difficulty recalling own mistakes Easily distracted Erratic work pattern Extremes of high or low productivity Extremes in quality of work Having to put in extra hours to finish work Errors in judgement which are inconsistent with past standards of good judgement Needs constant supervision or extra help Unusual behaviour Indications of alcohol or drug use Avoids supervisor or manager especially after lunch breaks Emotional outbursts Appearing withdrawn or overly preoccupied Wide mood swings during the day for no apparent reason Deteriorating hygiene or appearance Complaints by coworkers about employee s erratic behaviour or lack of work cooperation Emotional problems Outbursts of anger, irritability Outbursts of crying Mood swings Fearful, anxious, suspicious Difficulty adjusting to changes Note: Write down incidents as they happen. Be factual, with date, time and specifics clearly noted. Record actual incidents, not impressions or gossip. Be fair. Don t cite something as problematic if it is a workplace norm (e.g., long coffee breaks). Keep documentation confidential. Stay relevant to job performance. 7

8 III. Strengthen Your Confidence Exercise: Why is it your responsibility to take action? Review the problem situation you identified in Section 1. Answer the following questions in relation to that issue or any other problem employee issue that comes to mind. Step 1. On a scale of 1 (not at all) to 10 (completely) to what degree do you believe you have a responsibility to take some kind of action in this situation to move it towards something that is acceptable to you and your company? Step 2. If you rated your responsibility to take action (Step 1) at any less than 6 7, answer the following: Why is it your responsibility to take action? What will happen if you ignore or delay taking some kind of action? What will be the impact on you? What will be the impact on other workers, your workgroup or team? What will be the impact on customers? Other impact? Step 3. Rate yourself again. If you score less than 6 7 you need to continue to explore reasons why you need to take responsibility. The more you accept your responsibility the greater the likelihood you will put effort into finding the appropriate action to take. 8

9 Exercise: Recognize your strengths This exercise is about developing your conviction that you can take action. It is about uncovering your strongest qualities and strengths as they relate to managing others. Remember that it is critical you have a strong and clear conviction about your strengths and your ability to manage these challenging employee situations. These exercises can help make those strengths more obvious to you, but they can be quickly forgotten in the heat of the moment. Thus, work through this exercise carefully, and take any opportunity you can to remind yourself of these strengths before you actually have to deal with a sensitive employee issue. The more opportunities you find to reinforce these strengths, the more readily available they will be when you need them most. Think of three situations in the past 6 months in which you faced a challenging work-related situation and the outcome was acceptable to you. Write a brief description in the space provided. This does not have to be a situation involving problem employee behaviours. Think of three situations in the past 6 months (or longer if necessary) in which you faced a challenging non-work (e.g. family) situation and the outcome was acceptable to you. Write a brief description in the space provided. Review these situations. What are the qualities or strengths that you brought to these situations that had a part to play in determining the outcome? Write a brief description in the space provided. Which of these qualities can you bring to bear on the situation you are now facing? How would you apply each strength/quality? Use the space provided. Exercise: Examine fears and/or insecurities Fear can undermine the degree to which you believe that you can deal with a problem situation. fear of being criticized by upper management for taking or not taking action fear of an employee filing a complaint fear of hurting another person s feelings fear that you don t know what to do fear of overstepping your bounds fear that you will lose control of a discussion if an employee begins crying or gets angry List any fears or concerns in the space below. 9

10 Ask yourself: What does this situation call for me to do despite temporary feelings of discomfort? (e.g. despite fear, despite feelings of uncertainty) or what action would I take if I was not feeling any fear or uncertainty or doubt? Ask yourself: What are the requirements of the job that this employee must perform? Are those requirements being met? What do you think it takes to be an effective manager in your job? If you do not have these qualities, is there some way to learn them? Note: Sensitive employee issues are never easy or comfortable to deal with. They will always have some element of discomfort or unpleasantness for you or the other person. Therefore, if you are avoiding confronting an employee about a sensitive issue because you want to make it as pleasant as possible, you are mistaken. You can, however, take responsibility and constructive steps toward dealing with the situation regardless of how comfortable you feel and still be supportive of the other person. 10

11 Exercise: Learn the proper procedures Speak with your Human Resources department or representative to ensure you have all of the information you need that pertains to dealing with the problem situation. In doing so, consider the following: 1. Are you the right person to deal with the issue? In most cases, the right person is the immediate supervisor/manager. However, in some cases (e.g. a safety sensitive position in which an employee is reported to have driven a company car dangerously), you may need to involve a more senior manager, HR person, or even company executive. If you are not the right person to deal with the issue, who is? If you are unsure, how can you find out? 2. Gather and review relevant information. What manuals or guides or forms are available to you and relevant to this situation? What are some important phone numbers and people to contact about this issue? Is there anyone you should consult, or anything you should do, before proceeding any further? 3. Talk to colleagues. Consider exploring what your colleagues/coworkers have to say about the actions you are planning to take and the issue you are dealing with. Do they have suggestions? Do they have information about procedures? Note: Be certain to respect issues of privacy and confidentiality. Do not discuss personal information about an employee with anyone. Keep your focus on work performance issues (observable and factual). 11

12 IV. Take Action Exercise: Review these do s and dont s Summary of the steps to encourage behaviour change Collect any relevant information, facts, documentation. State your reasons for meeting and state the value of the employee. Review what has been observed and relate the problem behaviour(s) to expected standards. Clearly state expectations for change and required standards of performance. Give examples. Outline consequences and actions that will be taken if the situation is not resolved within a certain period of time. Ask if you can be of any help. Agree upon a date and time when you will meet again to assess progress made. Document your conversation including dates, times for follow-up, expectations. Follow-up at the prescribed date/time. 12

13 Conversation examples Supervisor: Julia, I d like to talk with you about what I ve been observing recently with regard to your work. You ve been a great employee in the past, but I ve been noticing some changes in your work lately. I d like to make you aware of my concerns and hear from you as well, because it s important that we correct any problems as soon as possible. Note: The supervisor invited the conversation with the employee (e.g. I d like to talk with you about... The supervisor reminds the employee that she is valued (e.g. You ve been a great employee in the past... ). This helps minimize defensiveness. Supervisor: Jonathan, you ve been late 10 times in the last month, your productivity is down about 30% and you ve called in sick 3 times in 3 weeks. Has anything about your job changed that could explain these problems? Note: The supervisor stays focused on observed facts. The supervisor is not labeling or diagnosing. He stays focused on the employee s job (e.g. Has anything about your job... ) Supervisor: It s important that I see improvement in your work performance. I will give you two weeks to correct the behaviours that we ve discussed, and if nothing changes I ll have to take disciplinary action. In the meantime I want to remind you that the employee assistance program is available if you think it might help, and I can give you more information about if you need. Let s meet again two weeks from today and review your work performance again then. Note: The supervisor has outlined his expectations and a timeline for improvement in work performance. The supervisor has told the employee about additional support (e.g. employee assistance). 13

14 Do: 1. Detail work performance. Explain how work performance has deteriorated or is not up to expected standards. Point out the difference between present performance and agreed upon expectations. 2. Allow time for employee response. Allowing an employee to react to what you have told them will counteract feelings of being railroaded. Get the employee s view of the situation. 3. Clarify standards. Be sure the employee understands the requirements of his/her job. Ask the employee for input on how the situation can be corrected. 4. Actively listen. If the employee acknowledges the problem and wants to talk, take the time to listen without interrupting. Express understanding and concern but do not forget the purpose of the meeting. 5. State action plan/discipline steps. Clearly state and describe what will happen. Explain any steps you plan to take and why. 6. Indicate how performance will be monitored. In order to avoid mistrust/confusion, an employee should know, up front, how you plan to review his/her work. Agree on an action plan. 7. Establish follow-up meeting date(s). Agree on a specific time to meet to review job performance. 8. Encourage the employee. Conclude the meeting with some positive encouraging remarks if possible. Express confidence that the employee can correct the situation. 9. Encourage and/or refer to employee assistance. Remind the employee that any problems he/she may be having are confidentially handled through the the employee assistance program. 10. Document. Make a written record of what occurred in the meeting, what was agreed upon and next steps. Forward a copy to HR for the employee s file. 11. Keep one key question in mind. Remember the key question What is the behaviour? Whether a person is angry, impatient, anxious, or easily upset, the main thing you need to remember is to keep the focus of your conversation on behaviour. For example, ask the employee: What needs to happen to stop this situation from occurring again?, In your opinion, what exactly needs to happen to help this situation change for the better? 12. Keep the focus on the present and the future. Don t get caught up in explanations or excuses about past behaviour. For example, to move things forward, ask: What needs to happen next for you to make that change?, What possible barriers or problems do you foresee that could come up as you move forward with making some positive changes?, How probable do you consider each of these possibilities to be, given our current situation, not past situations 13. Keep a professional relationship with employees. You must set boundaries. You can still acknowledge the employee s feelings, but be clear that they need to find some way to move the situation forward by changing their behaviour. 14. Be sure you stay in your area of competence. Don t play the part of counsellor or therapist. You may suspect that you are dealing with an issue that has deep roots (e.g. clinical depression). The best help you can give is to consult with an expert and encourage the person to get the appropriate professional help. Unless it s relevant to their performance at work, it s not normally appropriate or desirable to pry or interfere. 15. Discourage over-apologizing. If someone is over-apologizing to you (e.g. I m soooo sorry ) then change the subject and take steps to move them towards future actions. For example Let me stop you there. I accept your apology, thanks. Now let s talk about next steps and our new agenda ). 16. Create a culture of responsibility-without-blame. If an employee blames other people or circumstances ensure they understand that you are trying to get the situation to change, not place blame. Keep the focus on the future (e.g. Regardless of why this happened, what exactly needs to happen to make this change? ). 14

15 17. Make sure you are in control of the discussion. Always take control of your discussion. The employee must understand that you are serious about requiring a change of behaviour otherwise serious (appropriate, relevant) consequences will ensue. 18. Be supportive and sincere. There s a big difference between following a step-by-step procedure and truly attempting to help an employee find a way to resolve a problem situation. Be supportive and sincere because it s the right thing to do. Or simply do it because it is good business. Hopefully, you will do it for reasons stemming from some combination of both. 19. Start by inviting conversation and validating the relationship. Put the person at ease at the start of your meeting (e.g. Jennifer, there s something that s concerning me and I need to talk to you about it or Jim, I want to ask your permission to have a conversation about some concerns I have about you. This could be somewhat personal, I d like to help ). 20. Be respectful. Respect is an attitude conveyed by specific behaviours the way you listen, look, tone of voice, your selection of words, the type of reasoning you use all either communicate respect or disrespect. For example: In the past few weeks I ve been quite certain that I can smell alcohol on your breath when you arrive for work in the morning and after your lunch breaks. I m not saying you re consuming alcohol but it is my impression that you may be. Don t: Do not label. Labelling an employee (e.g. calling them an alcoholic) may result in further conflict. It is wrong to label a person when in truth it is just one aspect of their behaviour that we find challenging. Instead, think in terms of how employees do difficult (what is their verbal and nonverbal behaviour that you find challenging?) This will naturally lead you to ask questions that focus on the behavioural, not personal, level ( So what do we need to do now?, What have you learned that will be useful in the future?, What needs to happen next?). Do not express anger. Anger in a confrontation situation between manager and employee will greatly reduce the manager s ability to influence a change in the employee s willingness to cooperate. Do not confront on rumour. A rumour may be inaccurate and a confrontation based on rumour can lead to negative relations and poor morale. 15

16 Exercise: Be Supportive Before talking to an employee about a sensitive issue, consider the following in the context of the problem issue or situation you recorded in the very first exercise, Section 1. Stay in Control How can you be clear and upfront about why you re having a meeting? Problem Situation: Remember that no matter how hard it is for you to initiate the conversation, it may be even harder for the employee to hear what you have to say. How can you keep control and direct the conversation? Keep the meeting focused. Have an agenda if necessary and make an effort to keep control of the conversation. Avoid discussing other issues or projects during the meeting. How can you keep your own emotions under control? Avoid arguing with the employee. Keep your calm. Be respectful How can you minimize the likelihood of defensiveness/denial when you confront an employee about a work issue? Try to be objective. It s important to focus on the facts and not on emotions. How can you check for understanding? Avoid asking close-ended questions during the discussion or when summarizing. Ask the person to summarize their understanding of the situation and steps that should be implemented while moving forward. What specific behaviours convey to the employee that you regard them with respect? 16

17 Be supportive and sincere What can you say to validate the relationship? Note past positive contributions, the value of the individual to the organization, length of service, etc. (e.g. you re an important part of the team ). How can you show the employee that you care about them as a person? Approach the situation as how can I help and how can we work together on this problem. Focus on the employee s actions, not the employee. How can you work with the employee to identify the cause of the problem? Encourage the person to talk and allow them to express their frustrations. Listen to their concerns and be supportive. Let them know that you want to understand the situation and work together to find a solution. What can you say to offer encouragement? Offer encouragement to the employee that you believe performance can improve. The tone is one of working with the employee to support change, but the employee must be responsible for rectifying the performance problem. How can you be helpful? Pay close attention to the person s mental and emotional state. If they are too emotional or too pre-occupied with solving the problem, you won t get anywhere. Wait until they ve calmed down and can think about what has happened. 17

18 V. Refer To Employee Assistance NOTE: The following is general information about employee assistance. The details of the program that is available to you and your employees may vary slightly from this description. Be sure to consult your HR for any manuals, guides or brochures that describe your employee assistance program. Introducing the EFAP When you advise the employee about employee assistance, describe it as a professional assistance for any personal problem. Assure them it is completely confidential and strongly encourage them to let you arrange an appointment with a counsellor. Tell them the final decision to use the program is their own, but emphasize its importance. Details Employee assistance is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week service, which provides assistance to employees and their families. The program offers complete confidentiality, access to a local clinician, and assistance for a wide range of personal problems. Any employee or eligible dependant is able to receive the required professional counselling at no cost. This includes the option of receiving up to two hours of certain financial or legal counselling or consultation. Employee assistance is designed to aid staff members in seeking professional assistance to resolve employee problems. Early intervention prevents the problem from having a permanent impact on the employee s job performance. Employee assistance is also a resource for managers, supervisors, and leaders to help retain valued employees, who with proper help can regain full productivity. Counselling options While most counselling is provided face to face, employees also have the option of receiving their counselling either over the telephone or over the internet. Voluntary and confidential Employee assistance is intended to be a predominantly voluntary program. As such any employee experiencing a problem simply contacts employee assistance directly and receives assistance. Accessing the program in this way makes their participation totally voluntary. Sometimes an employee will also access the program because a family member, a friend, a coworker or even a supervisor or manager will recommend employee assistance to the employee. This type or entry is considered an Assisted Referral. It is still completely voluntary, but it has been recommended by someone other than the employee because they are concerned for the employee and have suggested that the employee seeks assistance. Experience shows that 99.5% of employees who use employee assistance programs do so in either of these two ways. In both instances use of the program has been completely voluntary. Cost There are no costs to employees and their immediate families when they receive this service. Occasionally, one of the employee assistance clinicians may refer the individual to an outside service or agency if an extended counselling program is required or if some specialized treatment is warranted. In these instances, the employee assistance clinician will stay in touch with the employee until the problem is resolved and the outside service is no longer required. An attempt is made to refer to outside services where provincial health plans and government services will cover the cost. Range of service The employee assistance program is based on a continuum of care. This means that the services are designed to: Prevent problems before they occur (prevention), Resolve problems that are already occurring (intervention), and Assist in the recovery from troubling events while ensuring continued quality of life (rehabilitation). 18

19 The cornerstone of employee assistance is counselling for a wide range of personal, family, and work-related issues that include but are not limited to these areas: addiction aging parents anger management career development depression employee group conflict family problems and family illnesses financial and legal concerns grief and bereavement harassment (including sexual) health and fitness issues job-related stress marriage difficulties/communication problems/relationship problems personal adjustment problems physical and sexual abuse retirement adjustment separation/divorce/custody single parenting special needs of children psychological/emotional disorders referrals to specialized services work/life issues In addition to counselling, employee assistance offers: Legal advice by telephone or through face-to-face consultation with contracted lawyers. Financial counseling services as an introduction to resolving issues relating to debt management, workforce transition and job loss, and early or planned retirement. An online resource database of Eldercare and Childcare Services. Personal health planning tools including personal health improvement plans, and a library of medically accurate information concerning symptoms, diseases, medications, and procedures. Online learning courses and articles. Note: Entitlement to employee assistance services may vary depending on the particular arrangement your company has with Homewood Human Solutions. Be sure to confirm coverage with your Human Resources department or refer to any employee assistance brochures that have been provided to you. 19

20 Types of referral There are basically three types of referral to employee assistance. One doesn t involve you (self-initiated) and two types do involve you (assisted and formal). About voluntary (self-initiated) referral This is the most common type of referral. It means that a person recognizes they are having difficulties and they contact employee assistance directly for help. This person could be yourself, an employee or a family member. About assisted referral This type of referral involves you as a manager or supervisor. You may recommend employee assistance to an employee when you notice they are experiencing difficulty with work performance and you want to suggest they consider employee assistance as a way to help them solve this difficulty. Note: It is always the employee s choice as to whether or not they will attend, and they may or may not inform you that they have made a contact with employee assistance. About formal referrals This type of referral involves you as a manager or supervisor. A formal referral occurs when you recognize that an employee is experiencing difficulties that interfere with work performance, they refuse or ignore suggestions for help, and their work performance continues to be unacceptable. In this scenario, you can make a formal referral on behalf of the organization and the employee to employee assistance. However, your first step before taking any other action is to contact your HR to discuss the situation. This consultation is mandatory, not optional. If you have questions about this process or whether this type of referral should even be considered, call the Key Person Advice Line. It is important to note that all referrals to employee assistance, whether self-initiated, assisted, or formal, are voluntary. In other words, it is not mandatory that an employee accept an employee assistance referral. But, of course, it is mandatory that employees maintain acceptable standards of performance. To assist you in your decision as to whether a Formal Referral is warranted, you are required to discuss the situation and employee with the Human Resources Department before you make your decision to initiate the Formal Referral. They will consult with Homewood Human Solutions as a mandatory requirement in the Formal Referral process. If a Formal Referral is initiated, it will be handled by, and through, the Human Resources department and Homewood Human Solutions. Important! Any initiation of a Formal Referral process must be facilitated through your Human Resources Department and approved by a Homewood Human Solutions clinician. This has been made a required part of the Formal Referral process because of the recognition of the complex and serious nature of this process. No Formal Referral will be initiated unless the situation has already been discussed with your Human Resources Department and approved by a Homewood Human Solutions psychologist. About privacy and confidentiality A critical component to the success of employee assistance is confidentiality. Any employee who takes part in the program can expect their involvement to be held in absolute confidentiality and anonymity. No information will be shared with anyone unless written consent has been given by the employee, if the information is subpoenaed by a court of a law, if a child or older person is in danger of abuse, or if there is a specific and reasonable suspicion that harm may come to the person or to others. 20

21 Always remember that: A. Any information about the individual obtained as result of an employee s involvement with any treatment program is strictly confidential. B. There are two categories of information about an individual in treatment: 1. Content. This is personal information usually obtained during treatment and a counselling session. 2. Status. This is information about participation in a treatment program. Such as: has the employee kept the treatment appointment, is the employee active in treatment has the employee accepted or refused treatment No information regarding content will be disclosed back to the company. Information regarding status will only be disclosed if an Agreement of Participation and Release of Information Form has been signed. C. The onus is on the supervisor not to disclose any information about an employee s involvement in treatment to anyone without the employee s written consent. Remember, the right to privacy and confidentiality is a human issue and a legal issue. If you have any uncertainty about this call the Key Person Advice Line. 21