Employee Assistance

If you are a manager concerned about drug abuse in the work place… you do have a choice

Managers and supervisors can make a difference in preventing drug abuse in the work place. They have a choice of either preventing or enabling drug abuse.

These guidelines have been developed by Rimrock Foundation to assist managers who wish to become part of the solution to the drug abuse epidemic in the work place.

Learn About Current Drugs of Abuse

Cocaine, for example, is a mood-altering drug that is surrounded by the myth that it can enhance one’s performance. In fact, it is highly addictive and has a negative effect upon job performance.

Alcohol and marijuana are still the most common drugs of abuse — each with differing effects on job performance.

Understand Your Role

The role of managers and supervisors is:

1. To be aware of the warning signs of drug use or behavioral problems.
2. To enforce job performance and safety standards. It is essential to know your company’s policies and standards and then observe your employees, document performance and safety, and take action when performance or safety becomes a problem.

In order to help supervisors and managers perform their role, Rimrock Foundation provides training and consultation in the following areas:

Company Policies & Procedures

Training is provided to managers and supervisors in observing behavioral signs and documenting performance problems. We utilize some simple checklists to help supervisors assess employees whose work habits or attitudes appear problematic. Supervisors who have used our performance appraisal approach tell us it has increased their effectiveness with all employees, not just the problem people!

Effective Referrals

Training supervisors to take action with employees whose job performance is substandard is the most important component of an employee assistance program. We focus our training on helping supervisors deal sensitively and effectively with troubled employees by following these guidelines:

• Focus on Performance Safety. Supervisors need to follow company policy in taking action and limit their attention to work place issues.
• Don’t Attempt to Diagnose. Supervisors can leave diagnosis to the professional referral resource. Our decision tree and behavioral checklist are tools for supervisors to use to assure appropriate referrals at the optimum time.
• Objectivity. If supervisors get emotionally involved with employee problems, they become vulnerable to manipulation by an employee who really needs to take responsibility for his/her performance problems.
• Corrective Action. In taking action, supervisors should specify exactly the improvement necessary, set a deadline, and specify what the consequences are for failure. The agreement should be written and signed by both supervisor and the employee.

Establishing a Referral Network

With solid facts, documentation, and a willingness to take action, supervisors need access to resources for those employees who need a referral. We help train supervisors in making effective referrals and we help companies establish an appropriate referral network. Some companies have their own internal resources; others need help in establishing an external resource network. Company needs and size should be considered when establishing the most appropriate means of providing help for employees whose work performance problems appear unrelated to training or work place issues.

Refer for Help

Be prepared to refer the troubled employee whose work performance does not respond to normal supervisory intervention — here’s where the decision tree and checklist training really pays off!

Finally, we can’t say often enough, that when employers are willing to take sensitive and effective action with troubled employees, it is the most humane and professional thing to do. Recovering rates are highest when interventions are initiated at the work place. You can rest assured you are preventing, not enabling, employee problems.

Feel free to utilize our affordable services to assist your managers and supervisors. Our Employee Assistance Coordinator is available for you and to serve the needs in your work place. Call Rimrock Foundation today. We can help. We can be reached at either (406) 248-3175 or toll free at (800) 227-3953.