Chapter 13 – Counseling and Supporting Employees
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CHAPTER 13
Counseling and Supporting Employees
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Determine when it is appropriate for the supervisor to counsel employees.
2. Differentiate between directive and nondirective counseling.
3. Present a general approach for counseling employees.
4. Define a “troubled employee.”
5. Discuss ways to effectively supervise troubled employees.
6. Explain what employee assistance programs (EAPs) are.
7. Describe wellness programs.
8. Summarize the legal requirements for dealing with troubled employees.
9. Explain the difference between a “troubled employee” and a “problem employee.”
10. Explain the supervisor’s role in career counseling.
SUGGESTIONS FOR PRESENTATION
Role Playing
Part of effective counseling is being able to read between the lines, listening to what’s being said
and not said. The following role play gives a chance to do that.
The instructor may want to run the role-play in either of two ways:
The purpose of the role-plays is to practice the skills of communication, trying to get the “whole
story.” Give a copy of the role to each player, and a copy of both roles to the observer. Substitute
gender pronouns, if appropriate. (His/Hers, etc.)
1. Supervisor Role:
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He’s a person with ambition. In fact, he may want your job. One way to protect yourself may be
to transfer him to an opening in the sales department. You’re not sure what his reaction would
be, but you intend to encourage this move. Sales will mean that he’ll be out of the office—in fact,
out of town—two to four days a week.
His work is good enough that you can honestly recommend him for the position. You’ve called
him in to discuss it.
2. Subordinate Role:
Your boss has called you into his office. At this point you’re not sure why. He usually talks to
you out on the floor, so this must be important. As far as you know, your work is up to the
required standards, you’ve been getting along well with everyone, and there don’t appear to be
any problems. You like the social interaction on this job.
1. Did the employee agree to the new job? If so, did he ask enough to find out he can’t go to
college?
2. Did the supervisor find out why the subordinate has been taking notes? Is he still
concerned about being “reported” to his superiors?
3. What suggestions could you make to either that would have helped them find out each
other’s hidden agendas?
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LECTURE OUTLINE
Supervision Dilemma
Jane suspects that one of her employees has a drinking problem, although she has never caught
him drinking during work hours.
I. When and Why to Counsel
• A supervisor should never counsel an employee if the employee’s problem appears to be
beyond the supervisor’s ability.
o In such cases, the supervisor should refer the employee to a person professionally
trained to deal with that problem.
• The overwhelming majority of situations appropriate for supervisory counseling involve
employee performance issues, not employee personal problems.
• From the employee’s viewpoint, the positive effects of counseling may include
o Reassurance
o Release of emotional tensions
o Clarification of his or her thinking.
• From the viewpoints of both parties, a positive effect of counseling may be improvement
of the employee’s performance.
• However, in order for supervisory counseling to be effective the supervisor must
be properly trained.
II. Counseling Techniques
• The supervisor must establish the proper climate for counseling.
A. Directive versus Nondirective Counseling
• In directive counseling, the supervisor takes the initiative and asks the employee
pointed questions about a problem.
o When the supervisor feels that he or she has a good grasp of what is causing
the problem, he or she suggests several steps that the employee might take to
overcome the problem.
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• In nondirective counseling, the employee assumes most of the initiative and the
supervisor serves primarily as a listener.
o This method is recommended for most situations because it tends to create an
environment in which the employee is encouraged to come up with solutions
and to focus on what he or she needs to change.
B. Steps in the Counseling Interview
• The general approach outlined below for supervisors is a variation of the
nondirective approach that should prove effective in most situations.
o In a nonthreatening manner, describe what you have observed.
o Ask the employee to comment on your observations.
III. Supervising Troubled Employees
• When the job performance of an employee is affected by personal problems that normal
counseling or disciplinary measures cannot correct, the employee is usually diagnosed as a
troubled employee.
• The types of problems that may be serious enough to cause significant work problems for
the employee are: Health, family, legal, and financial problems.
o Family problems can lead to mental or emotional problems, which in turn can lead to
substance abuse, illness, and financial and legal problems.
o Alcoholism, mental or emotional instability, drug dependence, and other illnesses are
some of the common causes that create troubled employees.
A. How the Troubled Employee Affects the Organization
• The troubled employee affects productivity and the work environment in many ways.
o A primary result of bringing personal problems to the workplace is reduced
productivity
o Absenteeism and tardiness tend to increase, and efficiency is reduced.
o Bringing personal problems to the workplace also increases the costs of
insurance programs
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B. Help from the Organization
• Organizations have come to realize that it is often in their best interest to help
rehabilitate troubled employees.
o At a minimum, salvaging the troubled employee saves cost of hiring and
training another.
o Most organizations have estimated the cost of hiring and training a new
employee is significantly greater than the cost of rehabilitating a troubled one.
o The increased productivity of an employee after treatment can be significant.
• Many large organizations and a growing number of small organizations have
implemented a variety of programs to help troubled employees.
o The supervisor plays a key role in these programs because it is the supervisor
who is responsible for identifying and confronting the troubled employee.
C. Detecting the Troubled Employee
• Only when personal problems interfere with the employee’s work performance
should they become a concern to the supervisor.
• From the standpoint of both the troubled employee and the organization, overlooking
rule violations and reduced productivity because the employee has personal problems
may be the worst thing the supervisor can do.
• Through proper documentation, the supervisor can usually detect deterioration in an
employee’s performance.
D. Confronting the Troubled Employee (Figure 13.2)
• The confrontation between a supervisor and a troubled employee should consist
primarily of three steps:
o Performance review
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• Supervisors should first confront an employee with specific evidence of poor
performance.
• The second step in the confrontation is referral of the troubled employee to
professional counseling and assistance.
o Supervisors must remain firm but supportive.
• During the third step of the confrontation, supervisors should discuss the need for
performance improvement.
o If an employee does not accept help, he or she should be informed of the
consequences.
E. Aiding and Evaluating Recovery
• The supervisor bears the primary responsibility for evaluating the extent of
rehabilitation.
o The evaluation must be based on job performance.
IV. Employee Assistance Programs
• Experts estimate that as many as 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer employee
assistance programs (EAPs).
o Originally, EAPs were primarily designed to deal with alcohol and drug problems.
o Today, EAPs are dealing with issues such as domestic violence, care for sick
children and elderly parents, financial problems, depression, divorce, and the like.
• There are several types of EAPs.
o In the rarest type, diagnosis and treatment of the employee’s problem are provided by
the organization.
o In a second type, the organization hires a qualified person to diagnose the employee’s
problem.
• Basically, there are three ways employees can end up using the services of an EAP:
o Self-referral
o Recommended referral
o Mandatory referral
• For an EAP to be successful, it must be accepted by the, it must first be accepted by the
employees; they must not be afraid to use it.
• Table 13.1summarizes 10 of the most important characteristics of an EAP
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A. Wellness Programs
• In addition to the EAPs, many companies have installed programs designed to
prevent illness and enhance employee well-being.
o These programs are referred to as wellness or work/life programs and include
such things as:
▪ Periodic medical exams
▪ Stop-smoking clinics
▪ Education on improved dietary practices
▪ Hypertension detection and control
▪ Immunizations
▪ Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training
• Potential benefits are “one–stop” options for employees and reduced costs from
running the programs separately.
V. Legal and Union Demands
• The Comprehensive Rehabilitation Service Amendments of 1978 state that the term
handicapped individual does not include any individual who is an alcoholic or drug abuser
whose current use of alcohol or drugs prevents the individual from performing his or her
job duties or constitutes a direct threat to property or the safety of others.
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VI. Problem Employees
• There are other categories of employees that can have a negative impact on the
department’s performance. Some examples are:
o The “flirter”
o The “evangelist”
• When a problem employee of this type is detected, the supervisor should immediately
counsel the employee.
o If counseling is ineffective, the supervisor may be forced to invoke some type of
disciplinary action.
VII. Career Counseling
• Every so often a supervisor is asked by employees for some type of career counseling.
• The supervisor’s role is to assist the employee and to help the employee evaluate his or her
ideas, not to plan or make decisions for the employee.
o Some additional specific suggestions for helping supervisors become effective career
counselors are:
▪ Recognize the limits of career counseling.
▪ Respect confidentiality.
▪ Establish a relationship.
Solution to the Supervision Dilemma
Jane can approach Ken Hall for counseling as there has been an indication of decline in
performance.
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Supervision Illustrations
13-1: EAP Niche for New Avenues
13-2: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut Makes EAP Resources Available
Online and Over the Phone
13-3: Michelin North America Wins Award for its EAP and Wellness Programs
13-4: Incentives for Reaching Wellness Goals
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are the differences between directive and nondirective counseling?
2. Outline the seven steps in a counseling interview.
The steps in a counseling interview are:
• In a nonthreatening manner, describe what you have observed.
3. Outline several suggestions for helping supervisors become effective career counselors.
The suggestions for helping supervisors become effective career counselors are:
• Recognize the limits of career counseling.
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4. Define a “troubled employee.”
5. How do troubled employees affect the workplace environment?
6. What are some rules that the supervisor should observe when identifying troubled
employees?
7. What are the three steps in the confrontation between the supervisor and the troubled
employee?
The three steps in confrontation between the supervisor and the troubled employee are:
8. What points should the supervisor emphasize when referring an employee to professional
help?
A supervisor should emphasize the following when referring an employee to professional
help:
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9. What are some rules that the supervisor should follow to aid the troubled employee in the
rehabilitation process?
10. What is an employee assistance program (EAP)
11. What are four general types of employee assistance programs?
The four general types of employee assistance programs are:
12. Explain wellness programs.
Wellness programs are designed to prevent illness and enhance employee well-being.
13. How do the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its amendments affect the supervisor’s
relationships with alcohol and drug abusers?
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14. In addition to troubled employees, what other kinds of employees can have a negative
impact on the work unit’s performance?
15. Why are some supervisors reluctant to engage in a form of career counseling?
SKILL-BUILDING QUESTIONS
1. “Employees with personal problems that affect their work performance are basically weak
people.” Discuss your views on this statement.
2. Should a supervisor try to give an employee advice on how to solve a personal problem?
Why or why not?
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3. “In order to help a troubled employee, the supervisor must get to the root of the employee’s
problem.” Discuss your views on this statement.
4. Many supervisors believe that troubled employees deserve whatever they get. How do you
feel about this?
REFERENCES
ADDITIONAL READINGS
SKILL-BUILDING APPLICATIONS
Incident 13-1: Changes in an Employee’s Behavior
This case describes a situation in which a supervisor thinks he may have an employee drinking
on the job.
1. What should Mel do at this time?
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2. How should Mel handle the overall problem?
Incident 13-2: Smoking in the Stockroom
This case describes a female supervisor who suspects one of her employees is smoking pot at the
workplace.
1. Would you confront the two people right now?
2. Should Elena walk away and discuss the problem with her boss?
3. How well did Elena handle the situation with Boyd before this incident?
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Exercise 13-1: What Is the Problem?
The purpose of this exercise is to get students involved in discussing possible approaches to
counseling employees.
Comments and score for each alternative:
1. You are partially right in that personal frustrations should not be taken out on coworkers,
4. Unless you’re an ordained minister or certified marriage counselor, you should not be
giving advice in this area. You’re not qualified. Score: zero.
5. In mentioning the irritable behavior, you’re dealing with the problems that concern you
Exercise 13-2: How Do You Rate as a Career Counselor?
Exercise 13-3: Who Is Right?
1. Does George fit the definition of a “troubled employee”?
2. Do you think George should have been offered the “last chance” agreement? Why or why
not?
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3. How would you have handled the situation if you had been George’s supervisor?
Students’ responses may vary and should generate an interesting discussion.
SUPERVISORY ANECDOTES
An examination is made of the direct and indirect effects of organizational policies and practices
that are supportive of family responsibilities on work-family conflict and psychological,
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. has taken a leadership position in the war on drugs. It suggests that
companies develop a task force representing all pertinent sectors of the company to devise a plan
for a drug-free workplace. The essential elements are:
1. Gain the support of top management.
The policy must clearly spell out each functional unit’s responsibilities. The written drug policy
should address:
1. The company’s overall position
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RELATED VIDEOS
1. Coaching and Counseling, Coronet or Crisp Publications, 25 mins. Revised in 1993, this
video is based on the book by Marianne Minor and uses real world interviews with experts.
2. Feedback: Giving Constructive Criticism, American Management Associations, 19 mins.
This video demonstrates how constructive criticism can build better working relationships.