How An Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) Can Help Your Company

Violence seems to be a fact of life these days. We are surrounded by stories on the television, both illusion and reality; with news and even game shows. Sadly, it is also a factor at work. That's where your EAP comes in.

Employers Group’s EAP partner, Employee Support Systems Company (ESSCO) provides a few examples below of how they have assisted organizations through various traumatic and violent situations:

Case Study I: SUICIDE
In a Southern California organization, a well-loved, long-term employee committed suicide just prior to going to work. Word traveled quickly throughout the work groups and rumors prevailed. Accusations about the employee’s personal life, to his love-hate relationship with his supervisor were discussed, as co-workers struggled to understand. ESSCO sent several debriefers onsite for three days to meet with employees before work. Groups ranged from five to fifteen co-workers. In these debriefings, ESSCO debriefers explained the complexity of a suicide act and the fragility of trying to find answers, as well as positive ways of grieving and dealing with the loss.

Case Study II: RAPE
In a two-week period, three females from a work site came separately to seek assistance from the EAP. In all the cases, the women appeared hesitant, fearful and shaken. The Vice President of Human Resources called ESSCO and asked that these women be seen at the work site to facilitate convenience and expedite speed. None of these women were aware of each other, but all independently shared being raped onsite during lunch breaks in an abandoned room in the office building. Each one identified the same individual.

The women were all fearful of retaliation by the company and refused to sign a release of confidentiality. The debriefer set each woman up with her own treatment plan and counselor. Then, the debriefer went to the Vice President of Human Resources to strongly suggest that they have the accused employee investigated.

The investigation revealed the attacking employee had major arrests for acts of violence, weapons and gang involvement. The employee was terminated, but no mention was made of the three brave women.

ESSCO was also there to debrief the staff on his termination day.

Case Study III: IMPLIED THREAT
While walking down the hall one employee shoves another employee. Later that week, there is an altercation over the music being played. Still later, a statement implying a gun is used to threaten one co-worker.

At this point, Human Resources hears the complaint by an employee who says he is being threatened and harassed and they launch a thorough investigation into the situation. Meanwhile, ESSCO was called in to assist both employees involved in the complaint.

These are just a few examples of the kinds of situations where the services of an EAP like Employee Support Systems Company can assist employers and employees. The important thing to remember is when a situation in the workplace escalates; an EAP can help defuse it.

For more information about EAP services through EG’s partner, ESSCO, contact Employers Group at (800) 748-8484, Option #2, and ask for a Professional Services Manager.

Abused Employees

Q: What should I do when one of my employees is being threatened by an abusive spouse?

A: There are a number of things that you can do to ensure the safety of the threatened employee, as well as other employees who are in the zone of danger and who may be harmed if a violent incident occurs in the workplace. Specifically:

• Review your security system to make sure that non-employees cannot easily access non-public parts of your work site. If you do not have a security system in place, call in an expert to identify problems and make recommendations to solve them. (See consulting article on securing your workplace for a special on-site training offer.)
  
• Alert local law enforcement. They may not able to take action unless there is an incident, but they may have some good advice for you.
  
• Consider getting a temporary restraining order (TRO) and an injunction on behalf of the affected employee. Any employer may seek a TRO/injunction on behalf of an employee when he or she has suffered unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence likely to be carried out in the workplace.
  
• Refer your employee to your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). If you don’t have an EAP you should consider setting one up. (See the feature article about EAPs.)
  
• Let your employee know of any community resources. Always be on the look-out for community resources and build up a file of information that you can share with employees when the need arises.
  
• Advise your employee that he/she may take time off of work to deal with issues related to domestic violence. All employers must give employees time off to obtain relief to help ensure the health, safety, or welfare of the victim and his or her child. Employers with 25 or more employees must allow more time -- up to 12 weeks – for victims of domestic abuse to seek medical attention, to obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, program, or rape crisis center, to obtain psychological counseling related to an experience of domestic violence or sexual assault, and to participate in safety planning and seek temporary or permanent relocation.
  
• Be respectful and sympathetic and keep the matter confidential to the extent that it is possible to do so.
  

Employers Guide to Workplace Security and Violence Prevention
a book by Richard J. Simmons.

In his book Employer's Guide to Workplace Security and Violence Prevention, 4th Edition, well-known employment law attorney Richard J. Simmons details a practical and useful review of the laws in the field of workplace security and violence prevention. In addition, Mr. Simmons reviews the obligations of employers and the concerns that every workplace now faces. This must-have manual addresses: CAL-OSHA rules, applicant screening techniques, new rules and forms for TRO's, and the workplace violence safety act. In addition it also covers:

• High-Risk Occupations
• Special Health-Care Guidelines
• Mandatory Changes to IIP Plans
• ADA Issues
• Negligent Hiring and Retention
• Confidentiality Concerns
• Statistical Insights
• Violence Prevention Strategies
• Complaint Procedures
• Duty to Warn
• Sample Forms and Policies
• Sample IIP Program

This book and many others by Mr. Simmons are available through the EG Store at a discounted member rate. For more information you can visit our web site at http://www.employersgroup.com or you can call our Member Service Center at 800-748-8484 and select option #2 to speak to a representative.

Save Money on Abra in September!

Act now through the end of September and get pre-release pricing for Employee Self Service and Online Open Enrollment

Save up to 15% when you pre-order Abra ESS and Abra Benefits Enrollment through September 30, 2004. To take advantage of this special pre-release pricing, please call Joyce Weldon at Employers Group 213-765-3999 or e-mail jweldon@employersgroup.com

Your benefits with Abra ESS
Does tracking and managing employee time-off requests consume valuable time that could be spent on more important work? Automating your time-off management processes with Abra ESS saves valuable time and increases employee satisfaction by making the request system faster and easier.

Time-off management typically begins with an employee making a request for time off either on a company form or via a less formal communication. The request must then be routed to the appropriate supervisor(s) for approval. In order to grant the time off, it must be verified that the employee has time off available.

Finally, the approval must be communicated to HR, where an administrator must subtract the time off request from the employee's available balances and reconcile the time off in the payroll system. Now, with Abra ESS, the entire process can be automated, saving the employee, the supervisor and the HR administrator time and frustration!

Check out Abra online.
To learn more about Abra and what benefits each Abra module can bring to your organization, product demos are stored online so you can view them whenever your schedule allows, 24x7. Just visit www.bestsoftware.com/abrademos http://www.bestsoftware.com/abrademos to learn more about any of our Abra modules. Once you view the demos, please call with your questions or for pricing information. Contact Joyce Weldon at Employers Group, 213-765-3999 or e-mail jweldon@employersgroup.com

Do you know where your Employees are?

Better yet, do you know where to find your employees’ emergency contact information? Do you have all of your employees’ emergency contact information? Is it stored in one, easily accessible place? Is the data even correct? Have you asked your employees to update it recently?

Everyone is talking about safety in the workplace. This is an important issue and we are becoming more and more sensitive to it. Yet, many companies do not have their data updated. Further, if something happened and you could not get access to your building, you most likely can’t get access to the emergency information either.

A web-based, self-service Human Resources, Payroll, and Benefits Administration system could help solve these problems.

• Employees have the ability to update their own emergency contact information. Just think, once a year, maybe at open enrollment time, you ask your employees to go on-line and update their data. Think of your peace of mind knowing everything is stored in one place and in one format, easily accessible at the push of a button.
• In an emergency, if you do not have access to your building, you can’t get to the data. If you have a web-based, hosted database, you can get your information anytime, 24x7, from anywhere, all you need is access to the Internet.

Streamlining your data collection process and providing easy access to the data you need, when you need it, are just two ways a superior HRIS system can help you manage your employees. Employers Group offers the best HRIS systems available in the market today. Whether you are looking for a web-based, outsourced solution like eeAccess, powered by UltiPro, or an in-house solution like Abra, we can help you.

For further information, contact the Software Sales Manager at Employers Group at 1-800-748-8484.

Latest Training Catalog Available!

Check out the October – December catalog, which should have arrived by now in your mailbox. However, the information is also available on our Web site. Visit the Employers group website for dates in your area at www.employersgroup.com or view the pdf version of the catalog.

We have new classes such as Dealing with Conflict and Anger, Recruiting and Hiring, The Power of Effective Delegation, Project Management for the HR Professional, and Conducting Effective Meetings.

Do you have suggestions on class topics that we don’t have that you would like to see? Email cmorris@employersgroup.com your suggestion and if it is implemented in 2005 we will give you a free public program valued at $220.

Want to volunteer your training room to the Employers Group in exchange for free training? Please email cmorris@employersgroup.com and tell us about your training room and we will contact you.

Employment Law Update - Southern California
Will California Turn the Corner?
6 HRCI Units. MCLE Units Available

Employers Group’s annual Employment Law Update is back! Come to hear up-to-date information about new legislation that has been passed, as well as practical advice for improving your methods for dealing with this year’s important issues. Our speakers are renowned experts in their fields and the information is hot off the press! For more detailed information please go to our website www.employersgroup.com/elu2004.htm

Featuring presentations by local experts:

• California Case Law
  • Allen Graves, Graves & Associates
    Allen Graves will be discussing the important cases of 2004 that have impacted the way we run our businesses
• Leaves of Absence
  • Brent Giddens, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal
    Brent Giddens will be discussing all of the Leaves of Absence that are now available to employees within California. He will explain how they interact with each other and what is on the forefront legally with these leaves.
• Wage and Hour Update
  • Richard Simmons, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
    Richard Simmons will focus on recent changes signed by the Governor and their impacts on businesses. He will also go over updates in Wage and Hour Laws.
• Workers' Compensation
  • Speaker, Everest Insurance
    Our expert speaker from Everest Insurance will go over some recent changes in the Workers’ Compensation Laws and will also touch on practical ways to keep your costs down.
• 2004 Summary & Forecast for 2005
  • George S. Howard Jr., Pillsbury Winthrop
    George Howard will provide a overview of 2004 Employment Law changes and will look forward to 2005. He will touch on new legislation and go over political hot buttons and things to be aware of.

Fees and Registration:
Early Bird Registration: (ends October 8)
$150 - Members
$125 - 3 or more members

Regular Registration: (after October 8)
$175 - Members
$200 - Non-members
$150 - 3 or more members

Register Now!!!

Employment Law Update - Northern California
presented by Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

California is a challenging place to be an employer. Join our special guests for candid discussion on what Sacramento and Washington are really doing and what it means to you as an employer.

Our luncheon panel will feature Gene Boehmke, a leading consultant on California Wage and Hour Law, Harold Datz, one of the nation’s most respected attorneys on traditional labor matters and counsel to Chairman Battista of the National Labor Relations Board and Arthur Webster, retired from a leading position with organized labor and now a Labor Relations and Training Consultant to California Employers.

Special Sessions On Hot Topics:

• Employment Case Law and Legislation
  8:00am - 9:15am
  A review of current employment case law, including a discussion on the impact of pending legislation affecting employers in California.
  
• What’s Happening with Workers’ Compensation?
  9:30am - 10:30am
  What does the recent passage of SB 899 mean to your company? Key issues in workers’ compensation including control over treating physicians, medical standards and excessive litigation are addressed in this landmark bill. Learn how the reforms in workers’ compensation will affect your business.

Breakout Sessions:

• You’re On Trial: Taking Your Deposition
  10:45am - 11:45am
  What if your deposition will be taken in a harassment claim against your company? Your testimony may save the day or sink the ship. Learn about the process to limit company liability.
  
• COBRA 2005: What’s New?
  10:45am - 11:45am
  More final regulations, effective 2005, will be addressed. Having dealt with COBRA since its passage in 1986, the speaker will also address pitfalls and hints, as well as the state equivalent – CalCOBRA.
  
• Labor and the Law: Hot Decisions and Future Trends
  10:45am - 11:45am
  The latest tactics used by labor and plaintiffs’ bar. Employers can learn how to reduce risks and avoid potential pitfalls.

Time and Location:
Thursday, October 21, 2004 • 7:30am - 1:00pm
Hilton Hotel Pleasanton
7050 Johnson Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588

Fees:
$69 per person*
$99 at the door

Register Now!!!

* Registration fee includes: comprehensive materials from all sessions, continental breakfast, and lunch. We reserve the right to add or revise course content as events dictate.

2004 National Sales Compensation and Benefits Survey

To help you update or create your 2005 sales personnel compensation strategy, you are welcome to participate and/or purchase this comprehensive survey. Our report contains the necessary information to design a total sales compensation plan including: Current compensation levels, targeted annual earnings, analysis and pay practices!

Designed to help you maximize sales force potential, minimize turnover and increase productivity, this report contains salary and compensation practices based on information reported by over 900 U.S. firms.

The survey covers 28 sales classifications, including:

 Learn how other companies are using bonuses, perks, commissions, and non-cash incentives to attract high-tech sales champions!

 EXTRA CALIFORNIA REPORT – NO CHARGE: In addition, you’ll also receive a special report detailing compensation information from over 50 California companies.

As a member of EG, you are cordially invited to participate in this survey before October 20, 2004, and receive the published report at a nominal fee. Non participants may obtain a copy of the report for $145.

Participation instructions OR a pre-order form for this survey can be obtained at www.employersgroup.com/surveys.asp .

If you have any questions regarding this survey, please feel free to contact Carmen Chavez at cchavez@employersgroup.com or at (213) 765-3920.

- A great addition to your Employers Group 2004/2005 Survey Library.