The Supervisor's Toolbox: Ways to Assess the EAP

There are essentially 5 ways the EAP can be accessed:

Self/Voluntary Referral

The Self/Voluntary Referral process provides employees, their partners, and their immediate family members with an outlet for personal difficulties. The employee or family member can seek confidential help by calling the EAP on an "800" toll-free phone number.

Back to Top

Informal Referral

Managers and Supervisors may encourage an employee to contact the EAP for confidential assistance. In such cases, job performance is not an issue. Employees who make their difficulties known to management are reminded that the EAP is a benefit they may wish to access.

Back to Top

Management Consultation

This process provides managers and supervisors with an opportunity to consult with the EAP about a decline in an employee's performance. The manager and the EAP will discuss the situation and explore options to resolve the problem. One potential option is for the employee to contact the EAP. In other cases, the EAP will help management define clear and measurable performance standards and will suggest ways to communicate these to the employee using constructive confrontation. The EAP counselor may also direct the supervisor to the appropriate Human Resources representative for specific guidance with troublesome situations.

Back to Top

Co-worker/Colleague Consultation

An employee may be concerned about a co-worker or colleague and unsure what s/he can do. An employee can call the EAP and speak with an EAP counselor. The counselor will assist the employee in determining whether a referral to the EAP is appropriate. If so, the EAP counselor will make recommendations to the employee about ways to talk with their co-worker about their concerns and contacting the EAP.

Back to Top

Job Performance Referral (JPR)

When standard supervisory attention fails to correct performance problems, an employee can be referred to the EAP as a "Job Performance Referral" (JPR). JPR's are most successful when they are communicated to the employee in a concerned, supportive fashion. The EAP will meet with the employee to explore work-related difficulties and to evaluate the extent to which personal problems are involved. Employees will be linked with appropriate resources as needed. Read a step-by-step description on how to make a JPR.

Back to Top