Arkansas Employee Assistance Program Supervisory Consultation Services

Many supervisors and managers will agree that one of their biggest stressors is dealing with “challenging” employees, and it is not unusual for supervisors to receive little if any training in the area of managing people.

“Challenging employees” are ones who have personal or work-related performance issues. Absenteeism, accidents, low productivity and inappropriate behavior are some of the problems manifested by employees that require the attention and sometimes intervention by supervisors. These behaviors may also affect the entire workplace such as creating low morale. These situations cannot go unattended by supervisors and they are usually quite time consuming.

People management skills can be learned just as technical skills can be learned. The Arkansas Employee Assistance Program can provide supervisors with specific guidelines and tools for working with challenging employees more effectively.

Consultation services are available to all University of Arkansas supervisors/managers by calling 1- 800-542-6021 or 973-9072. Whether a supervisor is new to the position or a veteran, consultation services will offer him/her the opportunity to evaluate his/her own skills in dealing with employees. These services are an excellent resource when a supervisor must confront or coach an employee regarding performance problems.