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GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH SPECIFIC PROBLEMS

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GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH SPECIFIC PROBLEMS

There are certain types of employee distress that faculty and staff commonly en­counter.  The following section provides a brief description of each type of problem and some suggestions for what to do and what to avoid.

THE ANXIOUS EMPLOYEE

Anxiety is often the result of feeling either out of control or that life is unpredict­able, or both.  Two primary causes of anxiety: 1) not knowing what to expect and 2) conflict. Unknown and unfamiliar situations raise anxiety, as do high, un­reasonable self-expectations.  Anxiety may be situational or life-long.  It may arise out of workplace stress, or be an ongoing part of an employee’s life.  These employees often have trouble making decisions.

DO:

• Let her/him discuss feelings and thoughts. Often this relieves a great deal of pressure.
• Reassure, when appropriate.
• Remain calm.
• Be clear and explicit.

DON'T:

• Make things more complicated.
• Take responsibility for her/his anxious state.
• Overwhelm her/him with information or ideas.

Some employees experience anxiety or panic attacks in specific situations.  Some may begin to limit actions or behaviors in an attempt to avoid situations that raise anxiety.  As a department chair, supervisor, director or team leader your best recourse is to help the employee obtain help to address the underlying anxiety problem before work performance is affected and so the employee can get treatment before the anxiety gets worse.

THE DEMANDING EMPLOYEE

Some employees require more time and some demand more time and energy.  In some instances, your efforts may exceed your expectations of what you can rea­sonably offer while at the same time such effort seems unsatisfactory to the em­ployee.  The employee may seek to control your time, holding the underlying belief that the amount of time received is a reflection of their worth.

DO:

• Let her/him, as much as possible, make her/his own decisions.
• Acknowledge your time commitments and set limits e.g., "Excuse me, I need to attend to other things".

DON'T:

• Let her/him use you as her/his only source of support.
• Get trapped into giving advice e.g., "Why don't you . . . ?".

THE DEPRESSED EMPLOYEE

De­pressed individuals show a multitude of symptoms, e.g., guilt, low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy, as well as physical symptoms such as decreased or increased appetite, difficulty staying asleep or awake, early awak­ening, and low interest in daily activities.  They show low activity levels because everything is an effort and they have little energy.

DO:

• Let the employee know you are aware of the change in her/his behavior and you would like to help.
• Reach out more than halfway and normalize the occurrence of low mood in today’s society.  Encourage interaction with others. 
• Tell the employee of your concern, using specific examples e.g., "I was concerned when you fell asleep on the job today".
• Ask the employee directly if you suspect that she/he is suicidal. (See section: Danger Signals for Severe Depression or Potential Suicidal Be­havior.)  

DON'T:

• Say, "Don't worry," "Crying won't help," or "Everything will be better to­morrow."
• Be afraid to ask whether the employee is suicidal if you think she/he may be.

THE GRIEVING EMPLOYEE

At some point in everyone’s life someone close will die e.g., sibling, parent, grandparent, close friend, partner, wife/husband, pet. Given the frequency of life-threatening and chronic diseases in our soci­ety today, the employee could also be dealing with severe health concerns or death. Each person will cope and grieve in slightly different ways.

DO:

• Ask the employee if she/he would like to talk about the person who has died.  You might ask: "Would you like to tell me about your friend?".
• Ask the employee if she/he would like to talk about how their health concerns are affecting him/her.  You might ask: "Would you like to tell me about your friend?".
• Listen carefully and compassionately. You might say:  "I am so sorry you have lost your grandmother” or “I feel sad as I listen to you talk about your concerns".
• Have a box of tissue available.
• Consider the option of allowing employees some leeway in their job re­sponsibilities; however, clearly designate the parameters, including the duration.
• Share similar experiences you have had so the employee doesn't feel alone or "crazy".  You might say: "When my mother passed away, I couldn't concentrate on anything either."
• Be on the alert for signs that the employee is feeling a need to harm her/himself as a way to cope with the pain. (See section on "The Suicidal Employee.")
• Refer the employee to EAP to locate community support groups that address grief and bereavement.
• In the event of a death that effects a segment of the university community, the Employee Assistance Program is available to provide individual or group support and intervention.  The university also has a Critical Incident Stress Management (link) team in the event of a traumatic situation.

DON'T:

• Be afraid of tears. Tears are a natural, healthy way to release very intense emotions.
• Avoid discussing the deceased person or health concerns with the employee if they have shared this information with you directly. She/He is often grateful to find someone who will listen.
• Say, "It's not that bad," "Things will get better," "Crying won't help," or "I know exactly what you are feeling."

 

THE EMPLOYEE IN POOR CONTACT WITH REALITY

These employees have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality, the dream from the waking state. Their thinking is typically illogical, confused, and/or disturbed. They may coin new words, see or hear things which no one else can, have irrational beliefs, or exhibit bizarre or inappropriate behavior. Generally, these employees are not dangerous but they are very frightened and overwhelmed.

DO:

• Respond with warmth and kindness, but with firm reasoning.
• Remove extra stimulation from the environment and see the employee in a quiet/private atmosphere (if you are comfortable doing so).
• Acknowledge your concerns and state that you can see she/he needs help.  You might say:  "It seems very hard for you to integrate all these things that are happening and I am concerned about you. I would like to help."
• Acknowledge her/his feelings or fears without supporting the misconceptions.  You may want to say: "I understand you think they are trying to hurt you, and I know how real it seems to you. But I don't hear the voices."

DON'T:

• Argue or try to convince her/him of the irrationality of her/his thinking. This will generally make her/him defend her/his position (false perceptions) more.
• Play along e.g., "Oh yeah, I hear the voices/see the devil".
• Encourage further revelations.
• Demand, command, or order.
• Expect customary emotional responses.

THE SUBSTANCE ABUSING EMPLOYEE

Given the stresses of balancing work and personal responsibilities and our culture's messages linking alcohol use with pleasure, relaxation, athletic prowess and sophistication, employees are especially susceptible to drug abuse. A variety of substances are available that provide escape from pressing demands.  However, drugs soon create their own set of problems in the form of addiction, accident proneness, and declining work performance.  The most abused substance -- so commonplace we often forget that it is a drug -- is alcohol.  Alcohol and other drug-related accidents remain the cause of many preventable deaths.

DO:

• Be on the alert for signs of drug abuse: 1) preoccupation with drugs and reduced ability to participate in work-related activities, and 2) deteriorating performance, and/or periods of memory loss (blackouts).
• Share your honest concern for the person and discuss your concern behaviorally.  You may want to say:  "Your performance is dropping…”  and specify how.  "You do not participate as much," "You arrive late to work and have been absent three out of five days this week".
• Encourage the employee to seek help or referral information at the Employee Assistance Program.
• Get help from University Police in instances of out-of-control and/or intoxicated behavior.

DON'T:

• Ignore the problem.
• Chastise or lecture.
• Enable the behavior by giving undeserved "breaks."
• Accuse the employee of drug/alcohol problem.

THE SUICIDAL EMPLOYEE

The suicidal employee may be very ambivalent about killing himself/herself and typically responds to help.  These feelings are usually time limited, and most people who commit suicide are neither crazy nor psychotic.  High risk indicators include feelings of hopelessness and futility; a severe loss or threat of loss; a detailed suicidal plan; history of a previous attempt; history of alcohol or drug abuse; and feelings of alienation and isolation.  Suicidal employees usually want to communicate their feelings; any opportunity to do so should be encouraged.  Suicide lethality can be determined by using SLAP.

• Specificity of the plan (more details = higher lethality).
• Lethality of method (e.g., gun = more lethal than aspirin). 
• Availability of method (more available = higher lethality).
• Proximity of social support (farther away = higher lethality)

DO:

• Take the employee seriously (80 percent of suicides give warning of their intent).
• Acknowledge that a threat of or attempt at suicide is a plea for help.
• Be available to listen, to talk, and to be concerned, but refer the employee to the Employee Assistance Program, or other appropriate agency.  Offer to escort the employee to the EAP Office. 
• Take care of yourself. Helping someone who is suicidal is hard, demanding, and draining work.  Consult with EAP.  
• Problem solve only if the employee appears interested in generating solutions.

DON'T:

• Minimize the situation or the depth of her/his feelings by saying: "Oh, it will be much better tomorrow."
• Say, "But you have everything to live for."
• Be afraid to ask the person if they are so depressed or sad that they want to hurt themselves.  You may want to say: "You seem so upset and discouraged that I'm wondering if you are considering suicide".
• Over commit yourself and, therefore, not be able to deliver on what you promise.
• Ignore your limitations.  Seek assistance.
• Agree to be bound by confidentiality.  You are not.

THE SUSPICIOUS EMPLOYEE

Suspicious employees habitually focus on something other than their psychological difficulties.  They may be tense, anxious, mistrustful, and often are loners with few friends.  They tend to interpret minor oversights as significant personal rejection and often overreact to insignificant occurrences. They see themselves as the focal point of everyone's behavior, and everything that happens has special meaning to them.  They are overly concerned with fairness and being treated equally.  Feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy underline most of their behavior.

DO:

• Express compassion without offering intimate friendship. Remember, suspicious employees have trouble with closeness and warmth.
• Be firm, steady, punctual and consistent.
• Be specific and clear regarding the standards of behavior you expect.
• Acknowledge her/his anxiety.  You may want to say:  "I understand how frustrated/confused/anxious you are".

 

DON'T:

• Assure the employee that you are a friend, since you are not.  Agree instead that you are a work colleague, but even acquaintances can be concerned.
• Flatter or participate in their games; you don't know the rules.
• Be cute or humorous.
• Challenge or agree with any mistaken or illogical beliefs.
• Be ambiguous.

THE VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE EMPLOYEE

These employees become verbally abusive in frustrating situations that they see as being beyond their control.  Anger and frustration can become redirected from those situations to you, and it helps to remember that the anger is not directed at you personally.

DO:

• Acknowledge her/his anger and frustration. You may want to comment: "I can see that you are angry".
• Rephrase what she/he is saying and identify her/his emotion.  You may want to say:  "I can see how upset you are because you feel your rights are being violated and nobody will listen". If you feel comfortable doing so, allow her/him to ventilate and tell you what is upsetting her/him.
• Reduce stimulation. Invite the person to your office or other quiet place (if you are comfortable doing so). Speak calmly and quietly.
• If you become alarmed:
  • Tell her/him that you are not willing to accept her/his verbally abusive behavior.  Say:  "When you yell at me I find it hard/impossible to listen” or “ We need to find another time to talk when you can do so without yelling.”. 
  • If the person is too close, tell her/him to please move back.
  • Help the person problem-solve and deal with the real issues when she/he becomes calmer.

DON'T:

• Get into an argument or shouting match.
• Become hostile or punitive yourself.  Don’t say: "You can't talk to me that way!"
• Press for explanations or reasons for her/his behavior.  Don’t say: "I'd like you to tell me exactly why you are being so obnoxious".
• Look away and not deal with the situation.
• Sacrifice your own rights as a person.

If you believe that a verbally aggressive employee could become violent or destructive, you may want to alert University Police for back-up or request they be in the vicinity. 

THE VIOLENT OR PHYSICALLY DESTRUCTIVE EMPLOYEE

Violence due to emotional distress is very rare.  It typically occurs only when the employee is completely frustrated and feels unable to do anything about it and such frustration often builds up over a very long period of time.  The adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," best applies here.

DO:

• Explain clearly and directly what behaviors are acceptable.  You may want to say: "You certainly have the right to be angry, but hitting [breaking things] is not O.K."
• Stay in an open, public area.
• When all else fails, divert attention.
• Request necessary help such as other staff, University Police, Employee Assistance Program, University Counseling Center.  Ask University Police to be on-call or in the vicinity.  
• Remember that employee discipline is implemented by the Human Resource Office.

DON'T:

• Ignore warning signs that the person is about to explode such as yelling, screaming, clenched fists, and statements like, "You're leaving me no choice . . ."
• Threaten, dare, taunt, or "push into a corner."
• Touch.
• Block the door.

THE TRAUMATIZED EMPLOYEE

Trauma is an individual response to a severe, startling, situation where emotional or physical well being is in jeopardy.  A crisis results when an individual, or group of individuals, find they can not cope with a given situation.  In some instances trauma may be recurrent.  The employee who has been traumatized may be preoccupied, seem distant and/or be irritable, and experience flashbacks, nightmares, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.  Trauma is a normal and protective reaction to a life-threatening situation that has impaired the individual’s ability to cope.  

DO:

• Respond with warmth and understanding.
• Listen if the employee wants to tell you about what occurred.
• Expect emotional intensity such as tears, anger when the employee tells what happened.
• Recognize that response to trauma is expected and normal.
• Recommend the employee seek counseling at EAP or elsewhere.
• Advise that long-term effects of trauma are minimized by early intervention.

DON’T: 

• Minimize the impact that the trauma has on a person.  Don’t say: “That’s not a big deal you should see what happened to me.”
• Avoid discussing the situation with the employee.
• Touch or console the employee physically as in certain instances touch could retraumatize the employee.
• Assume the employee will get better only with time. 

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