Margie Roop, LifeServices EAP

1-800-822-4847

* Identifying Stressed-out Employees & How to

Intervene

*Am I willing to step in & act?

*We will look at behaviors, emotions, & physical symptoms

*Questions to ask yourself: how well do I know my employees?

*How well do I understand their work responsibilities?

*Am I comfortable observing, documenting & intervening?

*Am I willing to withstand possible defensiveness & lack of cooperation?

Perils of your profession

*Caring for others at work AND at home!

*Your whole being is geared for response & crisis mode!

*High expectations to have to be: on time, adaptable, flexible, sterile, neat, organized & cordial!

Wow!!!

*Is this what I signed up for?

Stress Behaviors*Hurrying through tasks

* Lack of concentration

* Agitation; shortness with co-workers

* Forgetfulness; needs reminders

*Outbursts with co-workers

* Slamming doors; throwing objects

More……*Weepiness on the job

*Frequent personal phone calls on the job

*Pattern of missing appointments; lateness; absences; lack of preparation

*Shoddy job performance

*Will you know it when you see it?

Basic emotions: anger, sadness, fear, & happy

Stressed Emotions:

• Sad tone to voice, talking slower/more deliberately, repeats self

• Angry tone of voice; has an edge to it

• Appears frustrated more often; attempts to assist are met with rejection & anger

• Sounds hopeless or helpless (sadness)

*More emotions

*Seems frightened or hesitant to perform a job task

*Sarcasm (anger)

*Acting happy over an obviously sad or serious situation

*NOT acting happy when there is occasion to celebrate

*Over-reacts to perceived slights

*Statements

*“She said what?!”• “I‘ve had it!”

• “I’m losing it!”

• “ I’ve had enough!”

• “She better stay clear of me!”

Stress Statements

* I can’t take it anymore

*My husband/wife is leaving me

*My kid is driving me nuts

* I hate this place

*These policies are stupid

* I can’t eat or sleep

He said: she said!* I want to kill myself

* It’s just hopeless

* It’s just too much

*We can’t take it anymore

* I can’t concentrate

*My head is ready to burst!

*She’s driving me nuts!

*Stress Statements

*Are you up for it?

*Intervening on a Stressed Employee

Intervention* Always talk with an

employee in private, if possible

* A simple: “Are you OK?” will get a person’s attention

* They’ll either know what you are talking about or they won’t

* If they don’t, point out what you observed-be specific

How to…..*Note your own emotions

and be a cool cucumber; your over-reacting will ruin the deal!

*Use open body stance, great eye contact, & attend to the employee by actively listening

*Intervention with a Stressed employee

*Be clear about what you want to say!

*Be clear about WHAT you observe is either: inappropriate, against policy, offensive, unsafe, illegal, and/or uncharacteristic for that person.

*Consider

• Don’t cause a scene yourself!

• Get employee out of the public view

• Call security if employee fails to cooperate with you

• Do not touch employee unless you need to protest self or others

• Usually employees just need a “time out” to collect their thoughts

Next steps*Allow them time to de-

stress; de-brief; or otherwise let you know what’s going on

* If they share a personal problem; suggest they call the EAP: maybe right then a & there!

*LifeServices CAN do same-day appointments, if needed!

* If they cannot continue to perform their job at that time, consider staff coverage and/or possibly send them home.

Discipline?*Consider if the behaviors

warrant disciplinary action

* Informal referral to EAP?

*Formal (management) referral to the EAP?

*Maybe it’s time for more training/job shadowing?

*What next?

Work setting How calm is it?* Can you make the workplace

more serene?

* Look at your physical surroundings: is it conducive to a stress-free environment?

* Can you add: soothing posters, photos, music, jokebook, 24-Hour Meditation Books, healthy snacks, stress-reduction articles?

*Courage to change the things I can!

*LifeServices EAP

• Call us for consultation.

• Have enough EAP literature around the work station.

• Talk up the EAP ensuring your employees are well-aware of its resources.

• Talk openly about your supporting employees management of their stress; that will go a long way to disspell taboos around: “having to have it together at all times!”

• 1-800-822-4847

*Relax; your life depends on it!