Workplace Civility; It’s Not Just a Legal Issue

I was recently in a physician’s office reading in the waiting room and minding my own business when suddenly I heard some very loud and angry voices.  When I looked up, I noticed a physician yelling at one of the receptionists about some kind of billing error.  Bad enough that he was yelling at her but doing it in public where patients and other staff could hear further crossed a line.  This is but one example of incivility or bullying in the workplace. 

In my work I often hear about situations that can be categorized as workplace incivility.  What exactly does that mean?  Well, it encompasses a number of actions like the  one I mentioned above, that create a negative atmosphere.  Things like bosses demeaning their employees, rudeness, insensitive remarks to others, rage attacks and other out of control behavior are just  a few of the kinds of behaviors I am talking about. 

Well, employers need to understand that these behaviors are not only disruptive and can lead to all kinds of brand or legal problems for their organizations.  More importantly though, they can lead to a lack of morale and lowered productivity.  Often, we use legality and the potential for litigation as the tool for judging whether or not to take action.  I believe that this is too narrow and misses the whole point.  The Ethical Workplace Blog by Stephen Paskoff has a good post, “Legality, Civility, Productivity” that speaks to this issue.  He argues that avoiding litigation should not be the primary purpose of dealing directly with incivility but rather that business considerations should be the key.

So, what are some things you can do to set the tone for a civil workplace in your organization?  Here is a Civility Code of Behavior that might just work if you encourage your employees to use it.  And it must be all employees; from top to bottom of the organization.

Communicate personally and specifically rather than generally and abstractly.

I am part of the solution only with my co-workers.

Viewpoints in a group do not always agree, so I can learn from others.

I win when we all succeed.

Listen to others carefully and with respect, waiting for them to finish before speaking.

I am responsible for how I show my frustrations and feelings to others.

Tolerance of others is my personal responsibility.

Yesterday’s conflicts are not part of how I work with others today.

Last week I got re-connected to the reason that I got into this line of work over 30 years ago.  Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and the impact that the work I and my colleagues do every day.  Its just that sometimes we can put our heads down and just plow ahead without really taking the time to stop and hold onto the true meaning of what we are doing.

Helping employees and employers by providing resources and assistance for them is really the crux of our work.  And many times, the situations we deal with are very difficult and painful for those affected.  It’s not easy for instance, to be available to provide support services to work groups who have lost a fellow employee to death or lay off.  And it is tough to help a nurse who is impaired face and conquer his/her addiction and return to work safely and regain the trust of his/her fellow workers.  But these are the kinds of situations we are asked to handle.

Yet oftentimes the work we do flies under the radar.  Confidentiality is critical and the issues we deal with aren’t those that society feels comfortable dealing with. 

Well, this week, for just a moment, that all changed.  And, ironically, it all changed on network TV.  A colleague forwarded me an episode of the long running show “Criminal Minds”, where one of the agents, Erin Strauss has an alcohol problem and is confronted by two agents, Hotch and Morgan who recommend that she contact the EAP to get help.  Please watch the clip. It will, I think, give you a better understanding of the potential impact of EAPs.

 Hallelujah!  Finally, an accurate depiction of the value of EAP.  This is how it is done.  EAPs can be very valuable and I am just delighted that they finally got some good press!

I am about to attend the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) Annual Employer Focused Health Benefits Conference.  For those of you not aware of this group it is a business coalition made up of self insured public and private employers represented by the health care purchasers from these companies.  The main goal of this group is to obtain greater value from the health care that they purchase.  The theme of today’s conference is how health care reform will impact benefits, health care delivery and payment, financing trends, etc. 

I have attempted to keep up on the changing landscape of health care for many years but now understanding these trends are critical for me as purveyor of workplace resources such as EAP, Work Life, wellness and other organizational consulting.  It is also important for me as a small to medium sized employer.  The recent changes and conflict over health care reform has thrown employers and employees for a loop.  So what is to be done?  Well, the first thing is to try and gain as much knowledge as possible and filter out all of the rhetoric.  I have been to a number of these conferences and they have usually been very informative and given as unbiased a presentation of the information as is possible.  Let’s hope that today’s will follow suit.

I will try and post my observations via twitter or LinkedIn, so keep your eyes posted.  And please don’t hesitate to comment here, re-tweet or react.  It is critical that we keep this dialogue open and make sure that there is as little misinformation as possible.

I just finished reading an article from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) titled “OECD:  Mental Health is Worldwide Workplace Issue”.  It quoted research done by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) saying taht 3 out of 4 workers diagnosed with a mental health disorder reported that they might not seek mental health treatment because they fear that they may lose their job. 

REALLY?  Are we still here?  I must admit that this never ceases to amaze me.  I know that some may call me naive but here we are in the 21st century and we all have seen the numbers in terms of costs productivity and health care and yet we still aren’t pulling out all of the stops to better educate and enlighten our employees on the importance of seeking help WITHOUT FEAR OF REPERCUSSIONS.

So, let me reiterate the numbers for all of you to see and these are according to the OECD report.

• Workers with mental illness are absent more frequently than those without such conditions
• Between 30 percent and 50 percent of all new disability benefit claims in OECD countries which include the Us are attributed to mental illness
• People with a mental disorder are two to three times more likely to be unemployed as those without such disorders.

The report also speaks about the issue of presenteeism where folks who are ill are at work but not performing up to par due to their illness (i.e., depression, anxiety, substance use or abuse, etc.).

Need I say more.  Why can’t businesses work toward ending the stigma of seeking help for mental health issues so that our employees feel it is okay to seek and get help.  By the way, TREATMENT HELPS.  Here is what I recommend:

1. At the initial point of hire, make it clear that this company supports help for any condition that might interfere with the employee’s ability to perform their job and “call out” mental health as one of the things that might interfere.  Also, make it very clear that getting  help is confidential but no matter what, no one’s job will be on the line if they seek or get help.  Why not do this?  The law forbids an employer from firing for any illnesses an employee suffers anyway.
2. Make sure that your work site is dealing with job stress proactively.
3. Monitor sick leave behavior in a consistent manner
4. Focus on creating a workplace free of conflict or at the very least, systematically intervene in any kind of conflict at the onset.  Also, train managers in how to deal with conflict.
5. Make sure you have an active partner in your EAP.  They are the sources of many of the kinds of intervention that can prevent problems and find people solutions for their issues.  An EAP will also have strategies for disseminating information about mental health and how to get help.

Most importantly, communicate, educate and collaborate with all elements of the organization to make sure that all employees know that it is okay to seek help for any mental or behavioral conditions and that all managers are sensitive to de-stigmatizing mental health.  If workplaces did this, they would save money and have more loyal and productive workforce.  they would also become a workplace of choice so that they would be able to attract and retain great employees.

Perspectives is a workplace resources company that helps organizations and their employees stay engaged and productive.  Find out  more about us at www.perspectivesltd.com or follow us on Twitter (@BSDPerspectives).

Another incident of violence at work, this time at a Nursing College in Oakland.  Not all of the facts are in yet but it seems that this student was upset at having been expelled from school.  There are lots of possible reasons why this might have happened and we may never know what caused this guy to snap but there are some things that can be done to prevent these things from happening.

1. Have a “zero tolerance” workplace/campus violence policy in place.
2. Make sure that you have a plan for reporting potential threats.  This plan should encourage students, faculty and other employees to report anything suspicious.
3. Have a threat assessment plan in place to evaluate any situation that arises.
4. Promote mental health services so that everyone knows that there are resources available to help and that no one should be ashamed of seeking help.
5. Have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to provide counseling services, mental health de-stigmatization training and other services designed to help those in need.

The best way to deal with workplace violence is prevention and openness to discuss things before these events occur but should something like this happen, make sure that you provide means of safety and crisis management services so that anyone who was directly or indirectly affected can get through the crisis.

For more information, contact Perspectives.

Every once in awhile, you come across something that rekindles your faith in the good in people and in outstanding leadership.  The other day I had one of those moments.  While driving into work the other day, i heard a commentary that made my eyes tear.  It was about a college basketball game that occurred between two NCAA Division III teams and it had nothing to do with winning basketball games but it was about winning.  It seems that a young senior named Corey Weissman from the Gettysburg basket ball team started his first game since his freshman year.  Why such a big deal?  Well, Mr. Weissman had suffered a pretty severe stroke in his freshman year and he could no longer play.  However, he worked hard and rehabilitated himself so that he was able to at the very least, get in for the tip off of this final game. 

If the story ended there, it would be one of great courage and persistence.  But in fact, this is not the most remarkable element of the story.  More important is what happened at the end of the game.  You see, Mr. Weissman was allowed to be in at the tip off but then taken out of the game.  as the game progressed though and it seemed that Gettysburg was very far behind and would lose by a wide margin.  With less than a minute to go in the game, the Gettysburg coach put this young man back in.  What happened next is the story.  The opposing team, Washington College of Chestertown called a time out.  All in the stands thought this odd.  after all, they were down by a lot with little time to go.  After a huddle with his team, the Washington College coach let his boys go out to finish the game.  And what did they do?  They immediately fouled young Mr. Weissman.  Then the crowd realized what was happening. 

The Washington College coach had instructed his young men to foul Mr. Weissman so that he could have the opportuntiy to make a basket at the free throw line.  He missed the first one but he made the second shot. 

All I can say is Wow!!  From a personal standpoint, it interested me because I used to coach my kids in park district basketball and although I am a competitive guy, I also realized that this was for the kids, not for me.  And certainly it was important to make sure they were having a good time but that it was more important that they learn the importance of sportsmanship, team and doing the right thing.  Looks like the Washington College coach really gets that.  On another note though maybe this is a good thing for all of us in the business world to take note of.  Setting the kind of standard set here is what we should all be doing as we run our businesses, manage people or work side by side with co-workers.

Profitability, sustainability and success in business comes from taking care of the people that work for you and treating them with respect.  So focus on your employees.  Invest in them by providing them with resources for personal and professional growth and, like in the story of the Washington College coach, demonstrate and live the values you want your employees to have.

Tags: Basketball

As you know, I am very biased.  I believe that EAPs are invaluable tools for helping employees and workplaces.  And lots of time, the value doesn’t get noticed.  Well, this blog will highlight another element of EAPs that demonstrate teh need for high quality.  Most folks know of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) as a place for individuals to go when they are in need of help.  Traditionally they have been for folks who are experiencing serious problems.  But EAPs do a lot more and often people are not even aware of those things.  In fact, EAPs are able to provide a lot of preventive services such as finding legal or financial resources or child or elder care.  But a little publicized yet critical service offered by an EAP is Crisis Response.  This occurs in consultative services as well as having the EAP come on-site to assist employees and leadership in dealing with a crisis at work such as a death, bank robbery, shooting or workplace violence episode.

There are many sensational stories such as the Virginia Tech shootings of a few weeks ago but there are also a lot of events that occur outside of the public eye.  Here are some examples of a typical 4 week period that just occurred with Perspectives EAP that required immediate response.

• An organization recently had two events occur within a very short period of time.  One involved the suicide of a former employee and the other the death of a well liked current employee.  Our specialists helped the HR and management teams deal with the employees and family members effected.  They also assisted them in dealing with the inevitable stress that arises when these situations occur.  We will remain available for the employees and the organization for as long as it takes to recover from these traumas.
• At another organization, an employee called because he was deciding which of two plans he should use  for killing himself and our EAP specialists called emergency personnel to get him to the hospital.  The next day one of our counselors contacted the employee and spoke with him while he awaited admission to the hospital.  We will follow up to make sure he gets the help he needs and continues on a program that will hopefully enable him to deal with his emotional pain successfully.  And again, we will work with the organization to help them deal with any organizational stress this situation caused.
• In another situation, a manager called the EAP to let us know that one of his employees had discussed his plan to commit suicide and got him to call the EAP.  Our EAP counselor spent time with him on the phone and got permission to contact the employee’s family and psychiatrist.  We will also reach out to the manager to make sue that he is supported in his own possible reactions.
• An employee called at his supervisor’s request after telling his supervisor he was not feeling well and was having multiple life problems.  The employee revealed to the counselor that he had just attempted to kill himself at work prior to talking to supervisor.  Although the employee disconnected the call when safety measures were discussed, police and work site follow up pursued, resulting in employee being voluntarily hospitalized.  Again, we will work with the supervisor to support him around his feelings.

These are just some of the many incidents that occur on a fairly regular basis.  It hopefully shows you the value of a high quality EAP and the complexity of  work that goes into dealing with these types of traumas.  So the next time you are considering contracting with an EAP, make sure that these services are a part of their expertise.  This type of service is a major part of what the EAP does and should be doing.  It can save lives and create an environment that fosters safety, security, loyalty and productivity.

Tags: crisis management, EAP, employee assistance

We spend alot of time in this blog extolling the virtues of having a quality Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or Sudent Assistance Program (SAP).  What happened yesterday is yet another reason for having one available.  The horrible shooting that occurred yesterday on the Virginia Tech campus should cause us all to pause and think about what we should and can to prevent this kind of thing from happening.  But as we see by the fact that this is the second time that this has occurred at that college, no matter what we do, it can happen again.  In fact, the university is getting kudos for the communications system that they implemented in order to warn students and keep them updated as to the status of the incident.  So the additional steps necessary must include remediation and support efforts should one of these incidents occur. 

This is where the EAP comes in very handy.  Quality EAPs and SAPs should be available to provide:

• on-site Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISDs)
• consultation to assist the HR and emergency responders
• counseling services for faculty, staff, students and anyone else who may have been impacted
• dissemination of pertinent information so that people have tools for coping with any residual reactions

Often organizations and institutions are afraid that talking about these kinds of traumas will cause more problems so they choose to minimize them.  Believe me, there is nothing further from the truth.  In fact, having open discussions or at least advocating these creates a sense of safety amongst students and staff that tends to speed up the recovery process.

So, if you really do want your folks to feel safe and have better coping skills, get on the phone and CALL YOUR EAP!

Tags: CISD, counseling, Employee Assistance Program, SAP, shootings, workplace shootings, workplace violence

If you don’t know who  Jerry West is then you aren’t a real basketball fan.  But, please don’t stop reading now if you don’t know him because this blog is about a talented basketball player and a courageous man who spent a lifetime fighting depression.  And now he is sharing it his new autobiography, “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life” (Little, Brown & Company).

This is by no means the first time that a major sports figure has shared his story and given us more than the joy and glory.  But hopefully this one will enable us all to see that the pain of depression doesn’t have to be hidden.  For far too long, we have shunted aside “depression” due to our fear of facing it. It’s not like any other disease (and it is a disease, not a character flaw) in which employers and employees rally around the victim and help them deal with their pain.  Its not like cancer or heart disease where people can openly discuss it at work and those suffers  feel free to go for help.  No, it is a disease that is surrounded by shame.  Those who suffer from depression are ashamed to discuss it and fellow workers are afraid of it which leads depression to be a SILENT killer.  That’s right.  And, if left untreated, it can lead to catastrophic results for the sufferer, the family, the organization and the community.

According to the CDC, 

• over 8 million people seriously considered suicide
• 1,100,000 of those attempted suicide
• 678,000 who attempted suicide required medical attention
• 500,000 of those were hospitalized
• 33,700 actually committed suicide

Needless to say, those are staggering numbers.  And I am not even talking about the costs to industry, the health care system, and our overall community.

And the worst of it all is that, with help, it is very treatable. 

So, what can we do?  Well, the first step is to get it out of the closet.  Let’s begin to talk about it and educate people so that we can eliminate the shame.  That would enable the suffers to feel more comfortable asking for and getting help.  It would also help those of us who work with folks who are suffering, to be supportive and know when and how to get these people help.

There are resources available.  Begin with your EAP.  They can help you to design educational programs in the workplace so that fellow employees can spot issues and know what to do.  Here are some others:

• Working Minds: What Workplaces Can Do About to Prevent Suicide
• Contact Screening for Mental Health to learn about online screenings

Most importantly, let’s all become a part of the solution and help to lift the veil of shame.

Oh yes, one more thing.  Thanks Jerry.  I remember watching you and marveling at your on the court skills but most importantly, I always admired your drive to win.  But this could be your biggest victory.

Tags: depression, EAP, employee assistance, Employee Assistance Program, Lakers, NBA

Well, well, what a surprise. “Help Wanted: a Good Therapist” was the lead article today in the Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) Personal Journal section. Maybe we are finally recognizing in our business publications that mental health is important and that opening the topic up may just break the stigma attached for people in need of counseling.

Great start but . . . I am not sure that I agree with the advice given. The article appropriately talks about how difficult the search for the right therapist can be. More importantly, it talks about the irony in that the search usually occurs when the person in need is feeling most vulnerable. So far so good. But then the article gives information about the kinds of questions that the would-be patient should be asking.

Excuse me but does that make sense to you? Would you sidestep your primary care physician to get specialized help or would you want to rely on her to help you identify what specialists would work? I think the latter. So why would you go to a friend, the yellow pages or some other source who is unfamiliar with you, your needs and the best resource available to provide therapy? The answer: You wouldn’t.

And, by the way, how, when you are in crisis and not aware of what you need, would you know which questions to even ask. Or, if you did know the right questions, how would you know what answers to look for that fit your needs? Again: You wouldn’t.

So, why doesn’t the WSJ offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) as a solution? Not sure of the answer to that question but I am sure that EAP is a good solution. And it is available to alot of people, especially if the EAP follows good EAP standards and provides service to employees and their significant others even if they are not covered insurance beneficiaries. And, better yet, the service is paid for by the employer. So here are the facts:

1) EAP is free to users going beyond mere family members

2) EAP is confidential

3) EAP provides a neutral assessment that aims to MATCH the would-be patient with a therapist that fits their personality, geographic, financial, gender, religious, ethnic and language needs (to mention a few).

4) EAP can sometimes even provide short term, goal-focused counseling within 6 to 10 sessions depending on what is offered.

5) EAP makes the referral and follows up with the therapist and would-be patient to make sure that the connection is a good one; all under the strictest of confidentiality.

It seems to me that this would be a good way to increase the likelihood that the would-be patient is getting the kind of help that they need. So, Wall Street Journal, let’s tell the whole story!! Use EAP.

If you are in need of help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. It isn’t shameful. In fact, it is very common for people to experience emotional or psychological problems. Ask for and get the help you need and use your EAP to help you get it.

Tags: counseling, EAP, employee assistance, Employee Assistance Program, Mental Health, therapy, Wall Street Journal