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Edited by ArtFul, Maluniu

Sometimes when personal lives cross over into our professional lives, the results can range from depression to distraction to even harm for the person upset or his co-workers. Knowing how to counsel a troubled employee can help you get through those tough times in order for you both to come out unscathed and for everyone's professional reputation to remain intact.

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EditSteps

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    Make the decision if it is even appropriate for you to step in and address the issue. Only try and counsel an employee if you feel competent to do so, and if not, refer the employee to someone who is professionally trained to do so.
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    Decide if you want to take a direct or indirect approach.
    • In direct counseling, you as the supervisor take the lead and ask about the problem. After discussing and understanding the issue better, you as the supervisor make suggestions for your employee to try and overcome the issue.
    • Indirect counseling would be if an employee comes to you, and you simply lend an ear to listen. If this is the route taken, you can encourage the employee to analyze what is causing the issue to help him come up with solutions to the problem.
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    Speak to your employee about a general approach to working on the issue.
    • Using as unthreatening of a manner as possible, discuss your observation of his work behavior that has been affected by the issue.
    • Ask for feedback on the observations.
    • If you have met before on the issue, briefly discuss any progress.
    • With the help of the employee, have a dialogue about problem-solving techniques that can be implemented.
    • Review action steps that could or should be taken.
    • Arrange a time for follow-up.
    • Document the discussion for your own professional well-being. These records may become necessary should an unforseen issue arise.
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    Determine if your employee's performance is being extremely hindered by the issue, and refer that employee to counseling or outside assistance if so. Once the program has been completed, it is up to you to re-evaluate the situation pertaining to job performance.
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    Find out if your place of employment offers an employee assistance program (EAP). These can be appropriate to assist with diagnosis or referral of an employee who is dealing with issues.
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    Discuss with management the company's legal requirements regarding the troubled employee. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 extends certain rights to employees who work for federal contractors or subcontractors, but your company as the employer does not have an obligation to hire someone whose drug or alcohol use would affect job performance or could cause harm to the safety or property of others.
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    Make sure that the employee understands the role in his career counseling. You can help him evaluate needs, but your role is not to make plans or decisions for that person.
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    Look into what your company's insurance covers in terms of counseling. Some employee benefits include mental health evaluation and treatment.
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EditTips

  • Alert human resources and/or upper management to any issues and/or discussions. You will want to confer with them to make sure how you are handling the situation complies with company policy and/or covers you professionally in the off-chance that the employee does something drastic.
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Article Info

Categories: Leadership and Mentoring | Management Skills

Recent edits by: ArtFul

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