Supervisor’s Role in Referral

Perhaps you are aware of an employee who is struggling with a painful personal problem that is affecting his or her job performance. While you are empathetic to the situation and paying attention to changes in behavior, your main role is to manage your employee’s productivity. You can refer the employee to FSAO, where we can determine the nature of the problem and counsel the employee on how to best resolve the problem.

Don’t:

• Try to handle the problem by yourself
• Diagnose or counsel in an attempt to treat the problem
• Ignore or cover up performance troubles

Do:

• Focus on job performance and behavior
• Take action if the welfare of the employee or the university is at risk
• Get help and consultation if you are worried about the
  well-being of the employee or the organization

Call the FSAO at 617-353-5381 if you have an employee who is troubled or distressed.