Operations Newsletter Regarding Mandatory Referrals
Excerpts taken from the Operations Newsletter, May 1999. Written by Mike Mott, EAP Director, and Michael Zylstra, Associate General Counsel:
There has been some confusion over the process of making recommendations to the EAP. When you, as a manager, make a performance based recommendation to the EAP, please be aware of the following guidelines:
Document
the specific performance problems and communicate them to the employee;
Encourage
the employee to call the EAP, telling them this may be helpful in improving
the performance problems, especially if personal or family issues are
influencing workplace performance;
Prior to
the employee contacting the EAP, you need to contact the EAP (1-800-688-6330)
and provide information regarding the performance problems;
Advise
the employee to contact the EAP within 3 - 5 working days;
The
EAP counselor will contact the manager to advise them whether the employee
has contacted the EAP. Confidential information will not be divulged,
only whether contact has been made and whether the employee is willing
to follow recommendations;
If the performance
problems continue, normal disciplinary procedures should be followed;
No form
of disciplinary action should be taken if the employee does not call
the EAP. Disciplinary action is taken for performance problems only.
If you have any questions regarding formal referrals, please feel free to contact Mike Mott, Director, Employee Assistance Program (ext. 2250) or Michael Zylstra, VP and Associate General Counsel (ext. 7391).
