Jea vol48no3rdqtr2018

3rd Quarter 2018 | VOL. 48 NO. 3

The magazine of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association

Increasing Employee Mindfulness Our Experience in Argentina |Page 14

PLUS:

Caregivers at Work Page 18

Sleep and Employee Well-Being Page 22

Does Sexual Harassment Training Really Work?

Page 24

contents EAPA Mission Statement

3RD Quarter 2018 | VOL. 48 NO. 3

cover story

14

Increasing Employee Mindfulness: Our Experience in Argentina

| By Maria Migali and

Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP

Mindfulness-based stress-reduction (MBSR) training is a structured group program that uses mindfulness meditation to alleviate suffering associated with physical, psychosomatic, and psychiatric disorders. … Some employers are establishing mindfulness training programs to enhance employee well-being.

features

18

Caregivers at Work: Are EAPs Missing an Opportunity?

| By Daniel E. Ansel, MA, MHSA; & John Maynard, PhD, CEAP

The opportunity to create a new EAP revenue source from services for working caregivers is there for the taking. EAPs are already positioned to serve this market, but they are at risk of losing their position to specialty vendors who are making their business case directly to employers.

22

Sleep and Employee WellBeing: How a University EAP Can Help

| By Maggie Moore, LISW; and Bronwyn Threlkeld-Wiegand, LISW

Given that 30% of US adults are identified as having insomnia, about 10% of which have the disorder severe enough to cause daytime drowsiness, targeting the sleep of a workforce falls squarely within the wheel house of employee assistance programs.

features

24

Does Sexual Harassment Training Really Work?

| By Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP

EAPs have additional opportunities to deliver competent policy consultation, assistance to leadership, and effective training to encourage employees to speak up about workplace misconduct and eliminate uncivil behavior.

28

Addressing the Needs of Employees with Autism Spectrum Disorders

| By Michael Goldman, LPC, CEAP

Many individuals with ASD have valuable attributes that make them excellent employees, provided they are trained how to communicate and interact in the workplace.

departments 4 FRONT DESK 5 LETTERS EFFECTIVE 6 MANAGEMENT CONSULTING 8 APEAR 2018 EAP SUMMIT

10 LEGAL LINES 12 TECH TRENDS 21, 31 EA ROUNDUP 32 THE WORLD OF EAP 34 WEB WATCH

To promote the highest standards of practice and the continuing development of employee assistance professionals and programs.

The Journal of Employee Assistance (ISSN 1544-0893) is published quarterly for $13 per year (from the annual membership fee) by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association, 4350 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 740, Arlington, VA 22203. Phone: (703) 387-1000.

Postage for periodicals is paid at Arlington, VA, and other offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Journal of Employee Assistance, EAPA, 4350 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 740, Arlington, VA 22203.

Persons interested in submitting articles should contact a member of the EAPA Communications Advisory Panel (see page 4) or the Editor, Mike Jacquart, by calling (715) 445-4386 or sending an e-mail to journal@eapassn.org.

To advertise in the Journal of Employee Assistance, contact James B. Printup at development@eapassn.org.

Send requests for reprints to Debbie Mori at d.mori@eapassn.org. ©2018 by The Employee Assistance Professionals Association, Inc. Reproduction without written permission is expressly prohibited. Publication of signed articles does not constitute endorsement of personal views of authors.

Editor: Mike Jacquart Development & Donor Relations: Jim Printup Designer: Laura J. Miller, Write it Right LLC

Index of Advertisers ASAP....................................................7 EAPA Plan to Attend.........................IFC EAPA Best Value Package...............IBC Employee Care.....................................9 KGA, Inc.............................................19 Pinnacle Treatment Centers.................5 SAP....................................................11 SAPlist.com..................................15, 25 IFC: Inside Front Cover IBC: Back Cover

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frontdesk Well-Being and EAPs: A Natural Fit |By Maria Lund, LEAP, CEAP

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s employee assistance practitioners, we know how our roles with clients and in the workplace have changed over the last few decades. Some of these transitions have been more seamless than others, but one of the more natural changes has been our evolving role in offering wellbeing services in addition to those of a traditional EAP. In this issue’s cover story, Maria Migali and Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP, describe the context in which stress management has become an important topic for Argentina-based employers to address and a rationale for enhancing EAPs’ value to employers. They explain how an on-site employee mindfulness program was successfully created at an Argentinian automotive company as a stress-reduction tool and share details you might use to replicate this type of training in your own practice.

Supporting employee caregivers is another aspect of well-being that falls within our wheelhouse of skills. In another feature article, Daniel E. Ansel, MA, MHSA; and John Maynard, PhD, CEAP, explain why this service remains underutilized by many EAPs. Using findings gleaned from their research data, they share ideas and approaches for reversing this trend.

Sleep, at the core of our wellbeing, represents another area of opportunity for EAPs. The consequences of sleep deprivation are significant. Without healthy sleep, an employee’s morale and work relationships can suffer, while absences, insurance claims, errors, and accidents tend to increase. With these problems as a focus, Maggie Moore, LISW; and Bronwyn Threlkeld-Wiegand, LISW, established a program to improve the sleep of employees at the University of Iowa Employee Assistance Program (UI EAP). UI EAP is now in its fourth year of offering this service to its employees, with the authors noting that the results have been phenomenal.

In a continuation of last issue’s theme on sexual assault, Robin Sheridan, JD, MILR, describes hostile environment harassment in her Legal Lines column. She clarifies the types of harassment and gives examples of how EA professionals might work with clients around these issues.

Meanwhile, Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP, states that most workplace trainings on preventing sexual assault need to be revamped.

He offers useful insights into how to make them more effective.

With this month’s World of EAP column by Shifra Dior, PhD; and Jon Maynard, PhD, CEAP; the JEA

publishes its first article on employee assistance in Israel, where the field is still relatively in its infancy, with much opportunity for growth.

Finally, Jeff Harris and Marina London offer important insights and observations in their respective columns. (Mark Attridge will return in the next JEA.) Happy reading. v

EAPA Communications Advisory Panel Maria Lund, Chair – Columbia, SC maria.lund@firstsuneap.com

Mark Attridge – Minneapolis, MN mark@attridgeconsulting.com

Nancy R. Board – Seattle, WA nrboard@gmail.com

Daniel Boissonneault – Hamden, CT eap700@comcast.net

Mark Cohen – New York, NY mcohenintlcons@aol.com

Donald Jorgensen – Tucson, AZ donjorgensen@comcast.net

Eduardo Lambardi – Buenos Aires, ARG eap@eaplatina.com

Peizhong Li – Beijing, China lipeizhong@eapchina.net

John Maynard – Boulder, CO johnmaynard@spirehealth.com

Bernie McCann – Waltham, MA mccannbag@gmail.com

Igor Moll – Al Den Haag, the Netherlands l.moll@ascender.nl

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letters Integrating Well-Being into our EAP

Get Global Exposure

while contributing to the EAP profession —

A

t Grupo Wellness Latina we offer our clients their choice of two EAP models: 1) EAP Basic Model and 2) EAP + Well-being Model. This second option offers a broad variety of resources to promote employees’ and families’ wellbeing, along with traditional EAP services.

Contribute an article to JEA! Contact: Mike Jacquart, Editor

715-445-4386

journal@eapassn.org

The Journal of Employee Assistance

How do we integrate these into our EAP? We offer eligible clients free access to our Well-Being Platform, which includes short and animated video-taped workshops on topics divided into four areas: “Healthy Habits”, “Healthy Minds”, “Healthy Relationships” and “Women’s Well-being”.

The Journal of Employee Assistance seeks more thought-provoking discourse among EAPA members (and JEA readers) in 2018. One great way of doing that is by submitting a letter to the editor on an article you’ve read in the Journal.

For more information, contact the editor.

Employees and family members may access the workshops at any time and repeat them whenever they want. For each workshop, “Breast feeding and parental guidance” for example, the platform includes additional materials for those who want to deepen their knowledge and move towards change. These materials are research supported self-help books, films, Internet resources, support groups, and apps (John C. Norcross, 2013).

Mike Jacquart, (715) 445-4386 or email journal@eapassn.org

A client satisfaction survey is administered after completion of the workshops. The platform also shows analytics – the number of accesses, and number of completed and interrupted workshops – which allows us to include this information in our utilization reports for a given corporate client. In other words, we can demonstrate EAP utilization plus Well-Being Platform utilization.

LET’S FIGHT ADDICTION

TOGETHER

We transform companies, communities and lives

When launching the service, in employee orientations, we explain how to access EAP + Well-Being Platform. During an entire contract year, we provide communication materials that promotes EAP as well as the Well-Being Platform. v

Financial options available and in-network with most insurances. Free confidential assessment.

Transportation available.

CALL NOW : 800.782.1520

Andrea Lardani, Director at Grupo Wellness Latina andreal@grupowellnesslatina.com

4C SPOT

OR VISIT pinnacletreatment.com

Reference

PINNACLE

Norcross, John C. (2013). “Self – Help the Works”.

Resources to improve emotional health and strengthen relationships. Oxford University Press.

TREATMENT CENTERS

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Color Breakdown:

| JOURNAL OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE | 3rd Quarter 2018 | Spot 7690 C

Spot 2925 C

Spot 2905 C

Spot 297 C

effectivemanagementconsulting Solution-Focused Consulting |By Jeffrey Harris, MFT, CEAP

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efeatism is at the core of power struggles between managers and troubled employees. It is frequently my observation that managers quickly abandon solid supervisory techniques from their “manager’s toolkit,” devolving into managementby-emotional-coercion instead.

By that I mean that managers too often resort to begging, cajoling, threatening, shaming, and marginalizing challenging employees. The abandonment of supervisory practices comes from such defeating beliefs as, “I’ve tried everything, and nothing works,” or, “The employee never seems willing to change.”

These statements of discouragement and even hopelessness come from The Dominant Story, a term coined by the originator of Solution-Focused Therapy, Steven de Shazer. The Dominant Story contains possible solutions that a manager has seen, read, or received through mentoring. But often what makes one employee a challenging or difficult person for the manager is that his or her Dominant Story simply doesn’t contain a solution for the unique challenge presented by this specific employee, at this particular time.

Using Solution-Focused Consulting to Overcome the Dominant Story De Shazer promotes the idea of seeking the Exception Story, usually a singular example of something that DID work, but the recollection of which has been drowned out by the Dominant Story.

As a management consultant, try asking your defeated manager to recall a time in which something did work for the supervisor and employee. If you proceed patiently and with encouragement, most managers can eventually produce an example of success, though he/she may heavily discount the usefulness of the Exception Story. If the manager draws a blank, you might expand your curiosity to ask him/her to recall success with a different troubled employee from any time in the past.

From there, ask the manager if he/she understands how or why that exceptional moment worked.

If so, promote the idea of using this approach more often. Help the manager understand how to use an Exception Story for the current problem. If the manager doesn’t yet have insight into why the exception worked, then ask to observe the solution the next time it works.

Let me consolidate those steps before moving on:

• Help the manager find the Exception Story; • Help him/her generate insights into how the exception works; • Help him/her adapt the exception for the current problem; and • Encourage the manager to use the exception more often.

The “Magic Wand” If the manager still cannot recall an Exception Story, try using the metaphor of a magic wand. The question goes something like this: “Imagine you had a magic wand that could make the problem disappear. What would be in its place, and what would you be doing differently?”

This has the dual effect of releasing the manager from the discouragement of the Dominant Story by thinking about the future, and engages a thinking style that is creative and innovative.

Assumptions of SolutionFocused Consulting To help make Solution-Focused (SF) consulting more useful and practical, let’s review some assumptions.

Focus Upon Solutions, not Problems SF observes that problems often don’t suggest useful solutions; rather, it is the exceptions

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experience in an EAP, as well as candidates for the CEAP and EAS-C certificates. Partnering with me will be the Global Manager of EAP & Work-Life for DuPont, Markus Dietrich, LMHC, CEAP. I hope that you’ll join us, and mention the event to an interested co-worker. v

that suggest solutions. Further, there is an advantage to describing and seeking what the manager wants to happen instead of what he wants to extinguish.

If the manager is overly focused on the symptoms of the problems, gently lead the individual into a search for the “positive opposite” of the problem.

The author invites readers to network around all topics of effective management consulting through his LinkedIn profile, at www.LinkedIn.com/in/ JeffHarrisPCC, and Twitter at www.twitter.com/ JeffHarrisCEAP.

Approach with a Collaborative Intention Start consulting with the belief that people are resourceful, including your discouraged manager (beware that discouragement is highly contagious and may stifle your own efforts as a consultant!).

The next assumption should be easy for you to embrace, that the manager is the expert of this solution search. Also, recognize that cooperation from the manager is inevitable. Reframe manager resistance as useful and purposeful, rather than sabotaging and something to be overcome.

Jeffrey Harris, PCC, CEAP, has provided management consulting to a wide variety of work organizations throughout his 24-year career in employee assistance, including such sectors as medicine, finance, higher education, government, and union member assistance programs. The author also has extensive experience as a manager and executive coach, from which he draws insight for his consulting. Jeff recently retired from the University of Southern California, but continues to provide consulting through his private practice, Uplevel Coaching + Consulting.

Change is Always Possible (Communicating Hope) Help the manager see that nothing always stays the same. Rather, promote the idea that change is occurring all the time.

Follow up with the encouraging thought that small change in the manager’s efforts is generative and leads to bigger change. Another encouragement is to explain that a change in how the manager describes a goal positively affects all future interactions.

Solution-Focused Consulting Worksheet If you would like to receive a worksheet that goes into greater depth on using Solution-Focused Consulting with uneven-performing employees, reluctant or involuntary clients, marital couples. and employees exploring better self-care, email me at jeff@uplevel.net and I’d be happy to provide you with this resource.

Intensive Seminar on Management Consulting Would you like to take your consulting skills to the next level? I will be presenting a 7-hour intensive training in management consultation skills as a pre-conference event at EAPA 2018 Conference & Expo Minneapolis. Titled “Masterful Consultation: Deepen Your Consulting Toolkit & Expand Your EAP’s Value,” this seminar is designed specifically for EA consultants with intermediate-length of 7 | W W W . E A PA S S N . O R G | •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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APEAR2018EAPsummit EAP in the Modern Age – Employee Engagement Recap of APEAR Conference

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he Asia Pacific Employee Assistance Roundtable (APEAR) 2018 EAP Summit: EAP in the Modern Age: Employee Engagement was held May 3-4 in Bangalore, India. The Journal of Employee Assistance asked EAPA CEO Greg DeLapp, who was a keynote speaker, about the conference.

Q: Could you tell readers about the subject matter of your keynote, “The Role of Employee Assistance in Employee Engagement”?

A: One of the primary HR challenges across the globe is to fully engage employees while at work; and, there is an important role for EA services in meeting that

challenge. The EAPA-endorsed Workplace Outcome Suite (WOS) data shows significant improvement in overall well-being and presenteeism for those involved in EA services. In practical day-today terms, presenteeism translates into employee engagement.

But how engaged is an employee going to be when their work is viewed through the filter of depression, addiction, marital problems, financial distress, or more?

We have a role in the employee engagement challenge; and we know that our work improves employee presenteeism. It’s time to assert our positive contribution to employee engagement while further demonstrating the value and utility of EA services in the workplace.

Q: As well as a traditional morning keynote speaker, there were also afternoon keynote speakers on Day 1. How was this format received? Did this seem to be a good deviation from the norm?

A: Positioning certain key messages as keynote presentations helps to bring focus on big issues and solutions that you want everyone to hear. The format worked just fine. Prior to the APEAR 2018 conference, we were well on our way to a format change for EAPA 2018 Minneapolis Conference and EXPO. We will have 6 keynote sessions (2x/day) in Minneapolis covering issues and solutions that we want all attendees to hear about. The new format allows us to deliver on those message opportunities.

Q: The Day 1 afternoon keynote speakers, Nancy Board and Dr. Gina Parekh discussed the topic of ending harassment in the workplace. What similarities and differences did they note between sexual harassment in the West as opposed to other parts of the world?

EAPA CEO Greg DeLapp was a keynote speaker at the recent APEAR Conference in India.

A: It was more about the similarities of harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace across the globe. There is some very promising work being done

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in this area. Longstanding EAPA member Nancy Board and Dr. Rajeshree (Gina) Parekh also portrayed the excellent work being done by the Global Women 4 Wellbeing (GW4W) group. We will be working out a future relationship between EAPA and GW4W in the near term.

While there are similarities, the two speakers also addressed the many issues that are unique to certain countries in Asia, which are often brought on by significant cultural shifts and emerging new norms, and the many proactive steps being taken with employers.

describe the overall flavor of APEAR as opposed to the annual EAPA Conference and Expo?

A: It is difficult to compare as the size of the attendee group at APEAR allows for all participants to be present for all sessions (vs. 3-5 break-out workshops every 2-hour time block at EAPA). There are significant cultural differences represented in the APEAR audiences, with many countries and many continents represented. However, there is tremendous energy and interest in EA as EA services emerge as a growing industry and profession throughout Asia.

The US experience in EA service delivery can serve as an important guide for our counterparts in Asia. There is an opportunity to learn from our accumulated bruises as to the programs, services, and philosophical battles we’ve experienced that need not be repeated in Asia. Conversely, there are new and innovative approaches in Asia that we in the US need to pay attention to as EA service delivery across the US and many Western countries continues to evolve and grow. v

Q: What would you say were some of the additional key topics discussed – and how did they fit with the overall theme?

A: Let me just assemble some random thoughts and quotes from various speakers. Suicide in India is increasingly common, but reporting by police and authorities often label it otherwise. Yet, about 3% is spontaneous, while 97% is planned. This is absolutely opposite a basic cultural instinct to survive.

Amber Alam, Optum-India, our APEAR host in India, pointed to an oft held cultural view in India of counseling as, “I can’t take care of myself” and “I am now dependent on others.” Stigma, then, is a real issue to wrestle with in India.

Comments on EA delivery indicated about 67% is telephonic in India, while 61% is face-to-face in Japan, although a telephonic component is growing. A fundamental shift from confidentiality to anonymity is evolving in many Asian EA delivery approaches; and there is a push by many to position EA as “in the moment support vs. counseling.”

A strong push was made for a resiliency framework (with social support as a key component) to reframe negative thinking when a person is overwhelmed (stress) to: confidence, purposefulness, adaptability, and social support.

These four areas of focus were presented as a resiliency framework. There was an interesting push in South Korea touched on by one presenter in the area of “forgiveness therapy” as it applied to alcoholism.

This was an intriguing notion to be further explored.

Back to you on that one.

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legallines Legal Perspective: EA Professionals & Sexual Harassment Part II | By Robin Sheridan, JD, MILR

P

icture the following scenario: You’re in the middle of a counseling session when your client suddenly blurts out: “…now they’re saying I sexually harassed someone!” He wants to know what you think; he wants to know what he should do next.

In order to best serve your client, it is important that the EA professional understand what to expect given the employer’s responsibilities when harassment is reported, and how those responsibilities may impact your employee client.

Hostile Environment claims are based upon the totality of the circumstances. For example, a hostile environment may be found where a workplace is permeated by leering, sexually explicit joking, flirting, displaying offensive images (e.g. on the computer, locker door or bulletin board), sharing stories of sexual exploits, etc.

The Accusation There are two kinds of sexual harassment:  Quid pro quo harassment occurs when submission to, or rejection of, sexual conduct by an individual is used as the basis for an employment decision. Accordingly, only persons with authority (supervisors, managers, etc.) can engage in Quid Pro Quo harassment. For example, a supervisor may say, “You’ll get that promotion if you have dinner with me tonight.”

If your client admits to having engaged in the conduct, encourage him to confess quickly and offer remedial action such as: an apology to the accuser, transfer to a different location/shift, education/ training, etc. It may not be enough (he may be terminated anyway), but an employer is not required by law to terminate an employee found to have committed sexual harassment. (See the Following the Investigation section.)

Advise your client to stay away from the accused, both in person and on social media. Any form of retaliation, whether physical or verbal, is itself a violation of the law and harassment policy. Even if the harassment complaint is proven to be bogus, retaliation in response to the complaint can, itself, be a termination-generating offense.

 Hostile environment harassment occurs when conduct becomes sufficiently severe, pervasive or persistent so as to interfere with or limit the ability of an individual to perform their job. While a single event may constitute a hostile environment (e.g. an assault), most

For purposes of this discussion, we’ll assume your client has been accused of Hostile Environment harassment.

Upon Receipt of the Report Your client should expect the investigation to begin immediately; he should expect to be suspended or, if circumstances permit, to be transferred pending conclusion of the investigation. The employer’s responsibility is to protect the integrity of the investigation, and the only way to do that may be to ensure that the accused is not in the workplace.

Irrespective of your client’s position or work history, the employer is obligated to take the report of harassment seriously and conduct a prompt and thorough investigation. In Smith v. Rock-Tenn Services, Inc., No. 15-5534-JTN (6th Cir. 2016), the victim complained to his supervisor that a co-worker was inappropriately touching him. The supervisor responded by stating that nothing could be done until the manager returned from vacation – ten days later. The employees were not separated, and when the investigation was eventually conducted, no witness statements were taken and no investigation report was prepared. Ruling against the employer, the Sixth Circuit focused on the ten-day delay in, and the insufficiency of, the investigation which “rendered its response neither prompt nor appropriate . . . .”

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During the Investigation Your client should expect to be interviewed and to provide names of witnesses who will also be interviewed. The witnesses will be asked to name other witnesses. The client should cooperate fully and not attempt to influence witnesses. He should be totally honest, complete, and thorough in his testimony, even when it is embarrassing. For example, an extramarital or inter-office affair is not, in and of itself, unlawful harassment but details of the affair will likely need to be shared with, and confirmed by the employer during the course of the investigation.

al (7th Cir. 2011), which found for the employer when the accused employee was not terminated but received the highest level of discipline and revised the employee’s work schedule to minimize contact with the accuser.

In Rorrer v. Cleveland Steel Container (E.D. Pa. 2010), liability was found to arise when an employer merely investigates a complaint of harassment but without taking any remedial action, or the investigation is so flawed that any remedial measures are destined to fail. For instance, the employer told the alleged harasser to stay away from the victim, but did not separate them, had only short discussions with employees, and failed to take any meaningful steps to cease and prevent further harassment.

Very often, the conclusion of the investigation is that inappropriate conduct occurred, but not unlawful harassment. Your client will receive discipline, and perhaps even termination depending upon his performance history, tenure, and the severity of the conduct.

Sexual harassment investigations are often inconclusive. He said it was welcome and consensual; she said it

To be unlawful, the conduct must be unwelcome.

In Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57 (U.S. 1986), the Supreme Court held that to successfully establish a claim of Hostile Environment harassment, an alleged victim must demonstrate that: (1) he or she was the subject of unwelcome advances, (2) the unwelcome conduct was based on sex, (3) the unwelcome conduct affected a term, condition or privilege of employment, and (4) the conduct should be ascribed to the employer.

In situations where the employee voluntarily engaged in conduct (or entered into a consensual relationship) with the alleged harasser without coercion, there should not be a finding of unlawful harassment. See Reed v.

Shepard (7th Cir. 1991), finding no harassment where a female employee not only tolerated, but also instigated activities about which she now complained).

However, when the conduct or relationship is not consensual, was coerced, or where advances were rejected, the conduct will be held to be unwelcome. See Jones v.

Wesco Inv. Inc. (8th Cir. 1988), which determined that the employee demonstrated the behavior was not welcome while in the process of pushing away the accused and leaving the room following a proposition.

Chamberlin v. 101 Realty Inc. (1st Cir. 1990) found that a determination of whether behavior was welcome must include consideration of whether the employee reasonably perceives that protest will lead to termination (abrogated on other grounds). Finally, in Babcock v. Frank (S.D.N.Y. 1990) when coercion resulted from job-related threats, the conduct was unwelcome.

Continued on page 30

Following the Investigation If your client is found to have engaged in sexual harassment, the employer must impose prompt and effective remedial action reasonably designed to end the harassment. See Powers-Sutherland v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. et.

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techtrends Cybersecurity: Considerations for EAPs | By Marina London, LCSW, CEAP

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n March, I was the recipient of a scholarship to attend the 2018 Yale Cyber Leadership Forum. “The Yale Cyber Leadership Forum aims to bridge the divide among legal scholars and practitioners, technology experts, business leaders, and policymakers from across the globe on how best to understand and counter the most pressing cyber security challenges of our day.” This article summarizes what was discussed as it applies to mental health practitioners and organizations.

Forum attendees were asked to follow the Chatham House Rule.

This meant that anyone was free to use information from the discussion, but was not to reveal who made a specific comment. The intent was to facilitate an open discussion. In a nutshell, this is what I learned: • The field of cybersecurity is in its infancy; • Law and policy are lagging far behind in technology; and • Cybersecurity isn’t just a tech issue, it’s a people issue.

Our intelligence leaders believe the risk of a cyber attack eclipses terrorism as the greatest threat to the USA. If even one of our major infrastructure components (power grid, Internet, financial system) is compromised

by a cyber attack, the other two will collapse, and we are headed towards catastrophe.

We are vulnerable to cyber attacks for a variety of reasons:  In 1994 experts called for a national information infrastructure – that still hasn’t happened.  When companies upgrade their websites, they upgrade their security but old webpages are often not deleted and are thus vulnerable to hacking. One expert said, “We have 20 years of vulnerable websites.”  In an April article titled “Failed by Facebook, We’ll Return to the Scene of the Crime. We Always Do.”, the New York Times reported how even when a company is hacked, or fails to protect our privacy, we go right back to using it: “The reality is that when it comes to privacy, the trade-off has already been made: We decided long ago to give away our personal information in exchange for free content and the ability to interact seamlessly with others….After just about every big privacy hack over the past decade, people quickly returned to the scene of the crime, using the same store or online site that had been compromised.”  During the Forum, one expert pointed out how even the most egregious lapse will result

in only a brief downtick in a company’s stock market performance.  We are fighting a 21st century crime with outdated approaches.

The attack vectors multiply and the preparedness of end users is very low.

Other Considerations One Forum presenter explained that our electoral system was not hacked in the 2016 presidential election. What actually happened is that Russia used Facebook and other social media to propagate fake news stories about Hillary Clinton.

They perpetrated identity fraud to do this. Interestingly, these events were not seen to be a failure of the US government but rather a problem with social media. Separating fake news from legitimate information is a massive challenge – and separate from cyber attacks.

There are more and more cybersecurity companies, but the number of breaches isn’t decreasing. Only 20% of cybersecurity budgets go towards preventing attacks.

Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated. Malware can now be delivered in a video download. An innocent sounding email will have a subject heading like,

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as “multi- factor authentication.” It requires not only a password and username but also something that only the user has on them, i.e. a piece of information only they should know. For example, the answer to questions like “What is the name of your first pet” or “what is your dream vacation spot?”) Use encrypted email such as Hushmailfor sensitive information.  Make sure your website is HTTPS (HTTP Secure), e.g. https://www.mycompany.com. In HTTPS, a website is encrypted by a layer of security and thus is less vulnerable.  At the Forum, we were told that 95% of malware can be addressed by anti-virus software. Deploy antivirus and update as needed.  When Apple or one of the other major tech companies (e.g. Microsoft) sends you an update patch, download it.  Over and over the experts at Yale talked about the need for “good cyber hygiene.” Establish standards for cyber literacy and other necessary protocols in your organization.  Have a workplace social media policy.

“Look at these cute cat videos” and a link to download the corrupted video.

The US government has been reactive rather than proactive in its approach to cyber attacks. One Yale Forum expert believes we should also “degrade the potential of adversaries to harm us.”

During another Forum break, the owner of a cybersecurity company explained he had to go through great lengths to get his employees to use encrypted email. The irony was not lost on him.

What About the Future?

Yale experts made the following predictions:  There will be more and more digitization of our lives.  The onslaught of devices, vehicles, appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, and sensors will continue to grow and permeate every facet of our existence. Devices will even be embedded inside our bodies. One expert wondered about the risk of soldiers going on a training run while wearing a fitness tracker.  More and more of our data will move to the cloud. (The cloud refers to software and services that run on the Internet, instead of locally on your computer. Think Spotify.)  Identity theft will become easier as we will develop products that can perfectly imitate our voices and other aspects of our individuality.  Compliance with cybersecurity needs to be easier. Is there an equivalent to putting all the smart phones in a lead box before entering the meeting room?  We may never be ahead of the adversary.  The disaster of the future will be a cyber attack.

If you aren’t sophisticated about technology, hire an expert.

As we said good-bye, one attendee said, “And now I go back in my car and drive away while using Waze to find my route and Spotify for entertainment, giving up my privacy and leaving myself wide open to hacking.” v Marina London is Director of Communications for EAPA and author of iWebU, (http://www.iwebu.info,) a weekly blog for mental health and EA professionals who are challenged by social media and Internet technologies. She previously served as an executive for several national EAP and managed mental health care firms. She can be reached at m.london@eapassn.org.

What can EAPs Do? Even a small EAP can implement basic cyber safeguards.

References

2018 Yale Cyber Leadership Forum. The law, technology, and business of cyber security. Yale University. Retrieved from https:// cyber.forum.yale.edu.

 Educate yourself and your employees about the threat of cyber attacks and ransomware. Education needs to be an ongoing process.  Use two-factor authentication. (Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security known

Sorkin, A.R. (2018, April 9). “Failed by Facebook: We’ll return to the scene of the crime. We always do.” The New York Times.

Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/business/ dealbook/facebook-data.html

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coverstory Increasing Employee Mindfulness Our Experience in Argentina

|By Maria Migali and Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP

E

mployee assistance programs started nearly 20 years ago in Argentina during a severe economic, political, and social crisis. This turmoil caused widespread unemployment, riots, breakdown in government, default on the country’s foreign debt, and a four-year recession that shrunk the Argentinian economy by 28% (Cibils, Weisbrot & Kar, 2002).

During this crisis, riots and confrontations between police and citizens were part of everyday life after the government froze all bank accounts, a measure known as the “corralito”. This measure enraged citizens who were unable to use their own personal savings.

In this tense context, employers began searching for resources to help workers address the stress that was inevitable in such an environment. Some multinational companies began to contract with local EAPs, while others contracted with global EAP companies serving Argentina.

Today, 17 years later, most EAPs in Argentina are still located among multinationals, but many additional domestic employers are becoming interested in EAP services, with the market divided between global EAPs and local providers.

Stress management is one of the main services provided by EA professionals. Face to face, telephonic,

and online counseling as well as psycho-educational offerings such as webinars are some of the most common EAP interventions used to address this issue. In Argentina, internal mindfulness programs are being offered with more frequency, although not always as part of the traditional EAP. Grupo Wellness Latina (GWL), an EAP provider based in Argentina that also serves other countries in Latin America, has begun to implement mindfulness interventions as part of their EAP, wellness, and well-being services. Results indicate it is an excellent means of reducing employee stress and promoting wellbeing. With a broad interdisciplinary professional network and experienced EA professionals, Andrea Lardani (Director) has developed online services and workshops through an interactive platform to increase accessibility.

About Mindfulness and MBSR Mindfulness programs were first initiated in the mid-1970s

by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a molecular biologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He defined the practice of mindfulness as, “The consciousness that appears when paying deliberate attention, in the present moment and without judgment, to what the experience unfolds moment to moment” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).

This approach involves systematically training an individual’s attention to allow the development of self-observation and self-regulation, thereby providing a mechanism to deactivate automatic reactions to stress. As the name suggests, this process trains the mind to be fully aware (or mindful) of the present moment. Mindfulness emphasizes the ability to stop and observe before acting, and to learn how to utilize more effective behaviors in response to events. Mindfulness has been used to reduce stress, anxiety, uncertainty, depression, and improve interpersonal relationships.

Mindfulness-based stressreduction (MBSR) training is a structured group program that uses mindfulness meditation to alleviate suffering associated with physical, psychosomatic, and psychiatric disorders. MBSR is based upon a systematic procedure that develops enhanced awareness of momentto-moment experiences. Metaanalysis results indicate MBSR can help a broad range of individuals, including stressed nonclinical groups (people without a diagnosis of mental illness).

Internal Mindfulness Programs Some employers are establishing mindfulness training programs to enhance employee well-being. A wide range of studies have shown the specific benefits of full awareness for

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employees, with evidence of a reduction in psychological distress (Virgil, 2013). Less-distressed employees are healthier and more content, and more likely to be productive and cooperative. Those who practice mindfulness tend to increase their capacity to maintain focused attention on a task while suppressing distracting information. (Levy, Wobbrock, Kaszniak & Ostergren, 2012).

Mindfulness also improves relationships with co-workers and customers, as the capacity of a person to be aware of the present moment is positively associated with the ability to express oneself successfully in various social situations (Dekeyser, Raes, Leijssen, Leysen & Dewulf, 2008). Employees become more responsive to stress and better communicate their own thoughts and emotions to colleagues. Additional benefits for employers include a reduction in absenteeism and staff turnover (Baicker, Cutler & Song, 2010).

Need for Stress Management In Argentina, the population is exposed to stressors such as economic and political instability, financial worries due to high inflation, as well as threats to physical safety due to frequent violence and robberies in most urban settings.

After 12 years of “Kirschnerismo” under Presidents Nestor Kirschner (2003-2007) and his wife Cristina Fernandez de Kirschner (2007-2015), the population has split along two lines: supporters of “Kirschnerismo”, generally considered left-wing populists, and those who oppose them. This division, informally called “the crack” (“la grieta” in Spanish) has created a tense, emotional climate.

Consequences include strong political confrontations between different groups as well as disagreements between families, friends, co-workers, and severe difficulty in communications and negotiations. Labor activity such as strikes and walk-outs are common, as are increased tensions with violence and frequent injuries as a result.

In 2017, annual inflation in Argentina reached 24.8%, becoming the 7th-highest inflation in the world after Venezuela, South Sudan, Congo, Syria, Libya, and Sudan. Thus, for workers in Argentina, a constant fear of job loss is common. This generalized anxiety negatively affects personal and job satisfaction as well as lowering motivation for seeking other job opportunities or entrepreneurial activities (Leibovich de Figueroa, Injoque-Ricle & Schufer, 2008).

Some occupational psychologists differentiate between objective labor stability, when the threat of losing the job is real, and subjective labor stability. Although the latter is not an actual threat of unemployment, both forms may have the same psychological and physiological consequences.

Perceived job instability, whether real or not, is considered a risk to employee well-being (Sverke & Hellgren, 2002).

In this context, it is understandable that stress management is an important topic for Argentinabased employers to address and a rationale for enhancing EAPs, including mindfulness trainings.

of an automotive company requested that our Grupo EAP offer an on-site mindfulness program for employees. The request made sense because car production decreased dramatically in Argentina in 2016 due to the economic recession of neighboring country Brazil. This downsizing increased employees’ uncertainty and vulnerability to stress.

The key issues to be addressed were negative effects of workplace stress and a lack of collaboration between departments. The goals of the mindfulness intervention were to develop resources and skills to increase individual well-being, reduce negative stress, and motivate cooperation among co-workers.

A total of 210 employees participated in small groups of 10 to

Mindfulness Intervention in the Automotive Industry The medical services and human resources department 15

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coverstory 15 individuals each. The following assessment questionnaires were administered to each participant before the workshop (the pre-test):  Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI): a scale developed by Aaron Beck that assesses somatic anxiety symptoms in both anxiety and depressive disorders.  Well-being Scale for Adults (BIEPS-A): a scale developed by Casullo and colleagues, (2002) to measure the subjective perception of well-being, which implies a stable predisposition to evaluating one’s life in a positive or negative way.  Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS): a scale developed

by Brown and Warren (2003) to holistically assess the capability of a person’s willingness to learn how to be self-aware and conscious of the present moment.

The Intervention The intervention consisted of an initial 2-hour on-site mindfulness workshop with an ongoing 12-month follow-up. The followup activities included relaxation and mindfulness tips and health and wellness information.

During the workshop, participants receive information about the concept of stress and how negative stress affects the body and mind. They learn how to improve their coping of daily stressors and how to employ the principles of mindfulness:  Non-judgment of inner experiences (refraining from evaluation of one’s sensations, cognitions, and emotions);  Awareness (attending to one’s current actions, as opposed

to behaving automatically or absent-mindedly); and  Acceptance (perceiving the experience and simply acknowledging it rather than judging it as good or bad).

The MBSR training also includes the practice of formal meditation techniques such as:  Body scanning, an exercise that alternates between a wide and narrow focus of attention; from focusing on your little toe all the way through the entire body – the purpose is simply to notice and be aware of your body;  Conscious breathing, changing the normal shallow breathing to more relaxed and full breathing. It also involves learning to properly use the abdomen and diaphragm and increasing oxygen intake; and the  Mindfully eating a raisin exercise, in which participants are asked to intentionally bring an open-minded, beginner’s mind to the daily experience of eating a raisin. They are asked to put aside all distractions, turn off the phone, and clear aware­ness on each aspect of the experience.

Post-workshop Resources At the end of the workshop, all participants received a “Happy Life Kit” including a thermos for tea, a flavored tea bag, a lavender potpourri bag, and an antistress ball. These elements were designed to encourage employees to practice the mindfulness principles learned during the workshop. Participants also completed a survey to assess their level of satisfaction regarding the program objectives, the instructor, method-

ology, contents, and usefulness of the training for personal and professional life.

Participants also receive a personalized report with the results of the three assessment questionnaires (BAI, BIEPS-A and MAAS) and specific individualized suggestions based on these results. Attendees with severe anxiety levels (30 to 63 in the BAI) were referred to the Medical Service Department for further treatment.

The intervention includes 12 months of follow-up. Participants choose to receive email or cellphone messages with activities such as audio mindfulness exercises, images with motivational phrases, videos, and additional information. The intent is to encourage participants to incorporate mindfulness tools into their everyday lives.

Program Results After a six-month period, halfway through the 12-month program, the employer requested an initial analysis of results and we provided a statistical report, excluding all personally identifying data, showing the results of the initial assessment and satisfaction surveys. At this juncture, 210 workshop participants completed the three assessment questionnaires again (BAI, BIEPS-A and MAAS) as an initial post-test to gauge their individual outcomes.

These preliminary results showed a substantial reduction in the highest anxiety level, falling from 53% to 36% of participants.

Additionally, the six-month post-test results found an increase in the highest mindfulness level, from 32% to 44% and a decrease

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in the lowest mindfulness level from 22% to 18% of the participants. After 12 months, we plan to ask participants to complete the three assessment questionnaires as a second wave post-test.

While it is possible these results might have also varied as a consequence of factors other than the mindfulness intervention, we believe the workshop and postworkshop resources had a major impact on the changes observed among participants.

For instance, in our six-month follow-up survey, 76% of the participants reported having made lifestyle changes after participation, while 87% positively answered the question: “Have you implemented any of the tools learned during the workshop?”

Conclusions and Future Challenges Taking into consideration Argentina´s unique contextual stressors, high inflation, job instability, tense political confrontations, and frequent worker strikes and violence, it is important for EAPs to incorporate additional interventions to increase employee well-being and overall health.

From our experience with a mindfulness intervention for 210 employees in an automotive company, we have obtained preliminary information that these efforts can show positive results.

Our future challenge is to complement the face-to-face seminar and follow-up program with an online mindfulness workshop, using an interactive platform that allows the participant to repeat classes and download complementary audios and exercises to any device at any time. The online

platform will allow us to reach those individuals who cannot participate in the face-to-face seminar and share the information with their family members.

Additionally, expanding this online interface will permit us to obtain additional analytics of participants’ interaction with the program and further track use of the resources. We believe that further refinement of this program will allow us to replicate similar interventions in other Latin American countries and populations that have experienced similar stressors. v Maria Migali is a psychologist with more than 10 years’ experience in clinical and organizational settings. She is dedicated to developing and providing face-to-face and online wellness and mindfulness programs in Latin America. Contact her at mariam@grupowellnesslatina.com.

Bernie McCann is an independent EAP consultant and researcher with over 20 years’ experience in EAP consultation and program management, as well as workplace wellness initiatives. He is a published author in peer-reviewed journals and trade publications. He can be reached at mccannbag@gmail.com.

References

Baicker, K., Cutler, D., & Song, Z. (2010).

Workplace wellness programs can generate savings. Health Affairs, 29(2):1-8.

Beck, A.T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., & Steer, R.A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56: 893-897.

Beck, A.T, Rush A.J., Shaw B.F., & Emery G. (1987). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Bolaños Sarmiento, M.J. & Gómez Acosta A. (2013). Mindfulness: A proposed of application in neuropsychological rehabilitation. Avances en Psicología Latinoamericana, 31:140-155.

Brown, K.W., & Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84: 822-848.

Castro Solano, A., Brenilla, M., & Casullo, M.M. (2002). Evaluation of psychological well-being in Argentinean adults.

Evaluación del Bienestar Psicológico en Iberoamérica, 93-100.

Casullo, M.M. (2002). Psicología salugénica o positiva. Algunas reflexiones.

Anuario de investigaciones. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Buenos Aires, 8.

Cibils, A.B., Weisbrot, M., & Kar, D. (2002, September 3). Argentina since default: The IMF and the depression. Center for Economic and Policy Research. Retrieved from http://cepr. net/documents/publications/argentina_2002_09_03.htm.

Dekeyser, M., Raes, F., Leijssen, M., Leysen, S., & Dewulf, D. (2008).

Mindfulness skills and interpersonal behaviour. Personality and Individual Differences, 44(5), 1235-1245.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2005). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Boston, MA: Hachette Books.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness.

New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Leibovich de Figueroa, N., Injoque-Ricle, I., & Schufer, M. (2008). Assessment of job instability as a psychological stressor in work context. Anuario de investigaciones.

Vol. 15, Retrieved from www.scielo.org.ar/ scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S185116862008000100029&lng=es&nrm=iso& tlng=en.

Levy, D.M., Wobbrock J.O., Kaszniak A.W., & Ostergren M. (2012). The effects of mindfulness meditation training on multitasking in a high-stress information environment. Proceedings of Graphics Interface 2012, Canadian Information Processing Society, 45-52.

Sverke, M. & Hellgren J. (2002). The nature of job insecurity: Understanding employment uncertainty on the brink of a new millennium. Applied Psychology, 51(1), 23-42.

Virgil, M. (2013). Mindfulness-based interventions reduce psychological distress in working adults: a meta-analysis of intervention studies. Mindfulness, 6(2), 326–337.

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featurearticle Caregivers at Work

Are EAPs Missing an Opportunity? | By Daniel E. Ansel, MA, MHSA; & John Maynard, PhD, CEAP

T

he numbers are surprising. Nearly half of all U.S. workers have provided care for aging relatives or friends during the past five years (Aumann, et al., 2010).

At any given time, 15-20% of the workforce is providing elder care (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017). Both of these statistics are climbing and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Workers with elder care responsibilities cut across all racial and ethnic groups. Seven in 10 caregivers report having to make work accommodations because of their caregiving (National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 2009).

Working caregivers miss an average of 6.6 work days per year, resulting in a combined 126 million missed work days each year, and costing the U.S. economy an estimated $25.2 billion in lost productivity per year from absenteeism alone (Witters, 2011).

Taking a somewhat broader look at the productivity costs of caregiving, the combined cost of absenteeism, turnover, workday interruptions, and supervisor time is calculated at $2,100 per caregiving employee and an estimated total lost productivity cost of $33.6 billion (MetLife Mature Market Institute and National Alliance of Caregiving, 2006).

Growing Awareness – And a Problem With so many employees affected and with such a high cost to productivity, employers are well aware of the need to provide some sort of assistance for caregivers.

Many employers do so directly.

For example, Matos and Galinsky (2014) found that 75% of employers reported offering paid or unpaid

“...the combined cost of absenteeism, turnover, workday interruptions, and supervisor time is calculated at $2,100 per caregiving employee and an estimated total lost productivity cost of $33.6 billion.” time off for employees to provide needed elder care services. Other employers reach out to their EAP or work/life vendors or to specialty elder care vendors for assistance.

EAPs, too, are increasingly aware of the need to offer resources for working caregivers. Typically, EAPs offer these resources either directly or in cooperation (e.g., by subcontract) with a specialty elder

care resource vendor. In either case, nearly all EAPs and specialty vendors provide online information resources, usually taking the form of a library of content about elder care issues on a website.

Most EAPs and specialty vendors also provide assessment and referral services for caregiving and elder care issues. This, of course, is much of what EAPs do in all content areas, not just elder care.

In terms of services for working caregivers, EAPs vary in the extent of the assessments they do in-house and in the specificity of the referrals they make. Some services are provided in-house through the EAP’s standard assessment/referral process; other services are immediately outsourced to a specialty firm that does its own assessment when it receives the client.

With widespread need and significant cost to employers, one might expect that offering services for working providers of elder care would be a growing and potentially lucrative market for EAPs. But there’s a problem: Most EAPs providing these services have experienced much lower utilization than could be predicted.

A history of low utilization means that EAPs find it difficult to charge additional fees to add or enhance these services. Instead,

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they often feel compelled to absorb the cost, which also may be difficult or even impossible in today’s EAP marketplace.

Market Research Suggests Solutions To learn more about why EAPs see such low utilization despite the widespread need, the authors conducted a series of in-depth focus sessions with EA professionals and caregivers. Three general insights emerged from these sessions.  Lack of promotion. Despite “active promotion” of available EA services being one of the eight components of EAP Core Technology, many EAPs do little promotion, either intentionally or because the workplace allows them only limited access for promotional activities. Even when program promotion is done, it rarely highlights services available to working caregivers.  Employee perception of what EAPs are about seldom includes assistance for caregivers. If they are aware of EAP at all, they tend to think of it as a service for mental health or substance use issues. When employees experience concerns related to their caregiving, EAP does not come to mind as a potential resource.  Third, and ultimately most important, EAPs are not offering the services caregivers most need and want. Most caregivers’ needs fall somewhere between simply a need for information and a full assessment/referral process. They want more than just access to articles and general information, but they don’t want to talk to a coun-

selor, go through an assessment, and receive a referral to another resource. Instead, they’re usually looking for very specific, practical answers on a self-help basis.

Typical Examples Most employees are not going to call their EAP with the types of caregiving questions they most often have. For example, an employee’s concern might be something like, “My mother’s body odor is bad and getting worse. How do I talk with her about it?” Or perhaps, “My father’s driving is getting dangerous. When do we need to take away the keys, and how should we do it?”

Talking about issues like these that are being experienced by an elder loved one, especially a parent, tends to carry even more stigma than talking about one’s own or a spouse’s mental health or substance use. Therefore, many caregivers look for self-help answers rather than calling someone.

At the same time, these are specific, practical concerns that may not be answered well by the kind of general purpose articles found in most resource libraries.

According to the authors’ focus sessions, most caregivers’ priorities for their loved ones are focused primarily on just a few main topics:

The EAP focus sessions on the Active Daily Living (ADL) website reinforced all these points, and especially highlighted the importance of providing easy-to-find practical, actionable, and personalized low- or no-cost solutions. As long as EAPs continue to limit their elder care resources to general information or to a process starting with personto-person assessment, utilization is unlikely to increase much, even with better promotion.

The Pricing Barrier All that being said, pricing remains a barrier. Most EAP decision-makers in our focus sessions felt that the employer market was not ready to pay for additional services to working caregivers, especially given the low-utilization track record.

• Maximizing the elders’ health; • Helping them maintain independence; and • Making sure they’re safe at home so they can age in place.

Above all, caregivers want to find and be able to use these solutions easily and with minimal cost, if possible.

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featurearticle To explore the accuracy of that concern, we looked at another trend currently unfolding in this same market. An increasing number of caregiver-support specialty companies have started selling elder care and caregiver assistance directly to employers, i.e. without going through EAP, work-life, or health care vendors. Many of these companies are well-funded; their number is increasing exponentially; and employers are buying their services.

The lesson from this is that if there weren’t a real market for these services, these funders and these companies would not be flocking to serve it. They are not giving their services away!

The irony of this for EAPs is that EAPs are already positioned to serve this market, but they are at risk of losing it because they haven’t been able to see or communicate its potential.

The Bottom Line The opportunity to create a new EAP revenue source from services for working caregivers is there for the taking. EAPs are already positioned to serve this market, but they are at risk of losing their position to specialty vendors who are making their business case directly to employers.

To avoid this outcome, EAPs need to be offering the right mix of services, promoting them as a separate line of business (albeit one with significant synergies with other EA services), and charging for them. The charge doesn’t have to be high to be profitable, because the most in-demand services for this population can be automated and licensed by EAPs at very low cost.

The need for elder caregiving services will continue to grow.

According to the Census Bureau (2017), the estimated U.S. population age 65 and older surpassed 49 million in 2016, and 10,000 more people are turning 65 every day.

As they continue to age, caregiving responsibilities fall to their children and grandchildren still in the workplace.

A recent Society for Human Resource Management (Miller, 2017) survey reports that more than 75% of employers believe that caregiving benefits will become more important to their companies over the next five years. EAPs cannot afford to abandon this market and its potential revenue stream. The opportunity won’t wait. v Dan Ansel is President/CEO of Active Daily Living (ADL) and has over 35 years’ experience in successfully developing, marketing, and managing an extensive range of innovative health care and human service-related programs.

He has developed innovative and targeted communication programs focused on Senior Services and Caregiving, Managed Medicare, Corporate Health and Work/Family issues for organizations in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. He has a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Health Care Services Administration from Xavier University. An EAP example of ADL’s platform can be viewed at https://claremonteap.dailylivingadvice. com. Dan can be reached at dan@activedailyliving.com.

Dr. John Maynard served as CEO of EAPA from 2004 through 2015. Prior to that, he was President of SPIRE Health Consultants, Inc., a global consulting firm specializing in EA strategic planning, program design, and quality improvement. He currently accepts speaking engagements and consulting projects where he can make a positive difference. In preparation

for this article, he assisted ADL in setting up and analyzing focus sessions to understand more about why EAPs experience low utilization of caregiver services in the face of high need. John can be reached at johnmaynard@spirehealth.com.

References

Aumann, K., Galinski, E., Sakai, K., Brown, M., & Bond, J.T. (2010). The elder care study: Everyday realities and wishes for change. Families and Work Institute. Retrieved from http://familiesandwork.org/site/research/reports/ elder_care.pdf.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (2017, Sept.

20). Economic news release, Table 1: Number and percent of the U.S. population who were eldercare providers by sex and selected characteristics, averages for the combined years 2015-2016.

Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ news.release/elcare.t01.htm.

Matos, K., & Galinsky, E. (2014). National study of employers. Families and Work Institute, page 30. Retrieved from: http://familiesandwork.org/downloads/2 014NationalStudyOfEmployers.pdf.

MetLife Mature Market Institute and National Alliance of Caregiving. (2006).

MetLife caregiving study: Productivity losses to U.S. business. Westport, CT: MetLife Mature Market Institute, and Bethesda, MD: National Alliance for Caregiving.

Miller, S. (2017) Employers see opportunity to help workers take care of others.

Washington, DC: Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved from: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/ caregiving-as-benefits-enhancer.aspx.

National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2009, November). Caregiving in the U.S. Bethesda, MD: NAC, and Washington, DC: AARP. U.S. Census Bureau. (2017, June 22). The nation’s older population is still growing, Census Bureau Reports. Retrieved from https://census.gov/newsroom/ press-releases/2017/cb17-100.html.

Witters, D. (2011, July 27). Caregiving costs U.S. economy $25.2 billion in lost productivity. Gallup. Retrieved from http://news.gallup.com/poll/148670/ caregiving-costs-economy-billion-lostproductivity.aspx.

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earoundup EAPA Announces Staff Change Greg DeLapp, EAPA CEO announced the promotion of Marina London, LCSW, CEAP, from Web Editor to Director of Communications. Marina has been with EAPA since 2005, is a former EAP executive, and an expert on how technology and social media pertain to employee assistance.

The move reflects the positioning of Marina as the primary contact for all media inquiries and interview requests (of EAPA), and her management of the Journal of Employee Assistance and the EAP Newsbrief.

“Marina fulfills many roles for EAPA: writer, educator, trainer, and will now direct our social media, print, electronic, and overall EAPA communications policy and outreach,” DeLapp added.

Business Travel Bad for Health According to the Global Business Travel Association and American Express, Americans took more than 500 million domestic business trips in 2016.

Many focus on workplace health programs for business travel provide immunizations, information about avoiding food-borne illness, and alerts about civil or political unrest.

However, few focus on more common threats to health: the stress, sleep interruption, unhealthy eating and drinking,

and lack of exercise that are common side effects of being on the road. Over the long-term, these issues can add up to chronic disease risks.

So what can companies do to help their employees develop healthy habits while traveling?

The Harvard Business Review reports that a combination of employee education and improvements in employer policies around travel would be a good start. Employees simply need to be aware that business travel can predispose them to making poorer health decisions.

The steak with fries and a late-night cocktail at the hotel bar might seem easily justifiable as a reward for acing a long day of client meetings. But research finds that restaurant food contains more calories per serving, is higher in total fat and saturated fat per calorie, and contains less dietary fiber than meals prepared at home.

EAPA Seeks New Directors Nominations for the 2018-2020 EAPA Board of Directors are being accepted through August 7, 2018. All EAPA members in good standing are eligible to nominate an EAPA member for a position on the Board of Directors. The open positions are President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer, and seven atlarge positions.

Of those seven, at least one must be a member from organized labor, and at least one must be a non-US member. Read more here http://www.eapassn.org/ BoardElect18.

Study Shows that Wellness Works A new study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion is the first to demonstrate that a short, intensive workplace wellness intervention can produce sustained improvements in well-being.

Specifically, the study found that a 2.5-day intervention led to sustained improvements in employee vitality (energy levels) and purpose in life, two important components of well-being, over a period of six months. There have been studies on the value and importance of these components, but this is the first study to demonstrate they can be improved through a workplace wellness intervention.

This randomized controlled trial of 12 diverse worksites was designed to assess the potential of a workplace well-being program from Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute© to achieve long-term improvements in health and quality of life. The study found that six months after completing an intensive, 2.5-day intervention, employees experienced significantly improved vitality (energy levels; primary objective).

Improvements were also seen in secondary objectives including purpose in life, general health, and sleep. Read more here https://www.prnewswire.com/ news-releases/new-study-isfirst-to-find-short-intensiveworkplace-wellness-interventionprovided-improvements-inemployee-vitality-and-purposein-life-300655648.html.

Continued on page 31

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featurearticle Sleep and Employee Well-Being: How a University EAP Can Help

| By Maggie Moore, LISW; and Bronwyn Threlkeld-Wiegand, LISW

T

he importance of sleep is gaining international attention due to the role it plays in our overall health and well-being. A lack of sufficient sleep is considered a major health concern and one that affects as many as 50 to 70 million Americans (Colton et al., 2006). A lack of restful sleep can lead to a variety of problems for the individual employee and can also be a problem and risk for the employer.

The consequences of sleep deprivation are significant: morale and work relationships suffer, while absences, insurance claims, errors and accidents increase. According to a study in the September 2011 issue of Sleep (Sivertsen, et al, 2011), insomnia is costing the average U.S. employee 11.3 days, or $2,280 in lost productivity every year.

The cost to employers is also significant. For example, if the employer would regain that $2,280 in lost productivity a year for 100 employees, the employer could see a potential cost savings of $118,000.

Additionally, there is growing evidence showing a connection between depression, substance abuse, and poor sleep. Given that 30% of US adults are identified as having insomnia (American Academy of Sleep Medicine,

2008), about 10% of which have the disorder severe enough to cause daytime drowsiness, targeting the sleep of a workforce falls squarely within the wheel house of employee assistance programs.

Undertaking a Sleep Initiative With the significant role that sleep plays in an employee’s well-being and engagement, the University of Iowa Employee Assistance Program (UI EAP) considered whether focusing on sleep would be appropriate for a large university campus. Other initiatives over time had focused on depression, stress, and management/workforce supports. A variety of factors influenced the decision. The campus had experienced a significant flood that caused many faculty and staff to be displaced and who experienced stress and sleep problems.

In addition, the Health and Productivity Units of Human Resources, an auspice of the UI EAP, was placing greater emphasis at the time on well-being and resilience. When the DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders) reclassified insomnia as a stand-alone mental health diagnosis in 2015, conversation about sleep’s contribution to good health was solidified. Thus, the sleep initiative began and along

with campus partnerships, persistent messaging, and focused outreach, it became a success.

We believe the decision to develop a program to help our faculty and staff sleep better is a unique endeavor for an internal, university-based employee assistance program, but also one that any EA professional could implement. The following sections describe what we did:  Researching CBTi as a useful tool: Research pointed to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) as being evidence-based and effective in treating sleep problems and insomnia. Much like CBT, CBTi uses similar techniques and concepts but instead of treating anxiety or depression, it focuses on people who have sleep problems.

It addresses the thoughts about our sleep that can turn a night or two of bad sleep into an episode of insomnia. Books, websites, CDs, and other resources with a CBTi approach were gathered and vetted.  Engaging campus partners: The UI EAP worked with the campus Integrated Health Advisory Group, which is tasked with identifying trends and factors that can affect the health and well-being of campus constituents.

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The decision to focus on sleep was vetted with this group and received support. Additionally, to gather data about sleep, the UI EAP and the University of Iowa’s LiveWELL group, a comprehensive health and wellness program, collaborated, and added a question about sleep to the Personal Health Assessment, which is available to all and taken by the vast majority of the UI’s 18,000+ employees. The employee who identifies sleep as a problem can opt to receive more information about sleep resources.  Assessing for sleep and sleep messaging: The UI EAP added questions about sleep to the intake sheet, which is completed by every new client thus allowing for a discussion about sleep in EAP sessions regardless of the presenting issue. Part of the sleep initiative involved campus-wide promotion of the importance of sleep and sleep resources that are available through the UI EAP. UI EAP staff presented a program called, “Why Sleep Matters” to faculty and staff in numerous departments. Sleep resources and other materials are also highlighted at the campus-wide health fair, and the UI EAP website was updated to include sleep diaries, assessments, books, and other resources.  Offering a successful program to improve sleep: After completing the pilot, the University invested in the nationally recognized online sleep program called SHUTi (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet) (http://www.myshuti.com).

SHUTi is a self-driven online program that treats insomnia

using CBTi, stimulus control, and modification of sleep patterns.

Because SHUTi is Internet-based and user-driven, it reaches more people, which is especially helpful in rural areas where there are fewer sleep specialists.

The SHUTi program is a vended product developed and managed by BeHealth Solutions, LLC. The UI EAP purchased subscriptions to this online program and offered them to faculty and staff at no cost.

The UI EAP met with each interested individual to discuss their sleep. This meeting provided time to review how the program works and to obtain a commitment to finish the program. While people easily identify that they may not sleep well, behavioral change only occurs over time.

UI EAP is now in its fourth year of offering SHUTi to its employee population. The results have been phenomenal. At the end of the last fiscal year, 92% of the users who had moderate to severe insomnia when they started the program, had mild to no clinical insomnia after 6 weeks of use. The average change in the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was 10.7, which is clinically significant. Users also experienced significant decreases in the amount of time it took to fall asleep and how often they awakened after the onset of sleep.

Significant increases in sleep efficiency were also noted. This significant reduction in insomnia not only reflects a potential cost savings for the organization due to reduced presenteeism and absenteeism but also represents an important step toward helping faculty and staff realize better overall well-being.

Summary What we know about improving sleep is that change can be difficult. When an individual can commit to working on an issue for a set period of time; positive change is likely. We keep in contact with our participants as they embark on their journey toward improved sleep, and provide encouragement and feedback when their documentation (sleep diaries) reflects difficulties. We support the ‘begin again’ philosophy when our clients struggle with change. v The University of Iowa Employee Assistance program has four practitioners all of whom are Licensed Independent Social Workers. Maggie Moore, LISW, Director, has 34 years of clinical experience with children, families, and adults with 10 years of university internal EAP experience at UI EAP. Bronwyn Threlkeld-Wiegand, LISW, is a Senior Behavioral Health Clinician with over 20 years of clinical experience, including 3-1/2 years’ experience working with the UI EAP. Bronwyn has been managing the SHUTi program since 2014. They may be reached at betty-moore@uiowa.edu and bronwynthrelkeldwiegand@uiowa.edu, respectively. For a list of complete references used in this article, contact Maggie at betty-moore@iowa.edu.

References

American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

(2008). Insomnia. Darien, IL: Author.

Retrieved from https://aasm.org/ resources/factsheets/insomnia.pdf.

Colten, H. R., & Altevogt, M. B. (Eds.).

(2006). Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: An unmet public health problem.

Washington, DC: National Academies of Science.

Sivertsen, B., Lallukka, T., Salo, P. (2011, September). The economic burden of insomnia at the workplace. An opportunity and time for intervention? Sleep, 34(9): 1151-1152.

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featurearticle Does Sexual Harassment Training Really Work? | By Bernie McCann, PhD, CEAP

I

ncreased awareness and prevention of sexual harassment and disrespectful behavior has become a priority in today’s multigender, multi-generational workforce. Unfortunately, unacceptable levels of systemic sexual harassment and other abusive behavior have persisted for decades despite widespread adoption of policies and practices ostensibly designed to thwart them.

High publicity court cases and social media campaigns like #MeToo reveal warning signs of toxic workplace cultures (inadequate policies, lax enforcement, and escalating patterns of behavior) were routine in multiple industry sectors, yet were neither prevented nor addressed for decades.

Not limited to the US, the #MeToo phenomenon has gone global, with women sharing personal accounts of sexual harassment in 85 countries and counting (Fortune, 2017). Despite existing laws prohibiting workplace sexual harassment in over 120 countries, examples around the world persist where individuals continue to experience abuse and other discriminatory behavior that ultimately undermine economic growth for all.

As more continue to speak out about mistreatment, employers must realize that workplace harassment remains a lingering

and pervasive problem. Conventional system-wide education, management training efforts, and existing reporting mechanisms have simply been inadequate to guarantee workplaces as zones of respect and opportunity.

How do we know that current training paradigms are not adequate to prevent workplace sexual harassment?

There is a notable lack of empirical research regarding whether standardized sexual harassment prevention training actually has the desired effect of changing abusive workplace behavior. Questions about the efficacy of sexual harassment training are not new (Bisom-Rapp, 2001; Pryor & McKinney, 1995).

To date, few research studies have detected post-training reductions in sexual harassment, and none have identified training that was particularly effective. Cheung and colleagues (2017) noted “woefully little research has assessed the effectiveness of such programs on behavioral and attitudinal outcomes.”

Perhaps more importantly, there is a lack of clarity about the purpose of workplace sexual harassment training. In 2016, the US EEOC reported that much of employer efforts since the 1980s to reduce workplace harassment have been unsuccessful in elevating

employee compliance or greatly altering workplace culture – it’s been too focused on simply avoiding legal liability (EEOC, 2016).

One group of researchers reviewed copies of 74 sexual harassment training materials from 1980-2016, finding them heavily influenced by historical content developed following the 1986 US Supreme Court ruling that sexual harassment violated federal discrimination law, and such content was chiefly aimed at avoiding risk and litigation, rather than actually preventing such behavior (Tippett, 2017).

It’s Time to Adopt Alternative Training Approaches The prevailing orientation of workplace harassment prevention trainings, which narrowly educate employees about policies, procedures, and prohibited conduct has placed far too much emphasis on the simple existence of training and not nearly enough on the outcomes of these activities. Such efforts, like written (but unenforced) policies are merely evidence of symbolic compliance, and their potential for reducing harassment is unlikely (Buckner, Hindman & Huelsman, 2014).

Additionally, researchers have identified unintended consequences with some trainings triggering

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stereotypical ideas of men as powerful and women as vulnerable (Tinkler, 2013), while others found them least effective for those identifying with more traditional masculine roles, and who equated masculinity with power (Kearney, Rochlen & King, 2004).

The 2016 EEOC report proposes employers reconsider training approaches, replacing them with interactions that reflect and support the mission, visions, and values of the organization (EEOC, 2016). Essentially, this entails moving from cognitive, procedurally-based content to methods that increase dexterity in social awareness skills; empathy, adaptability, conflict management, and teamwork.

Examples of Alternative Training Approaches  Promote workplace civility, equality, and respect – Encouraging civility, equality, and respect for others as key essential components to achieve optimum workplace productivity and organizational success recognizes the growing positive correlations between employee engagement, inclusive cultures and higher productivity, profits, customer satisfaction, employee retention, innovation, and reduced absenteeism (Kataria, Rastogi & Garg, 2013).

Fostering civility can be challenging, particularly in environments that pride themselves on aggressive, disruptive behavior in the marketplace. Research by Jiang, et al (2014) found that engaged workers in organizations with high-level anti-sexual harassment practices and who experience few sexual harassment incidents

reciprocate with enhanced commitment and longer retention intentions.  Encourage bystanders to intervene – The typical workplace sexual harassment training assumes abusive behavior at work is willful, conscious activity and that people choose to disrespect others due to underlying negative prejudice or feelings of superiority.

Unfortunately, this does not account for the largest group of workers – those who witness disrespectful behavior and/or workplace harassment, and yet do not act. Martin Seligman’s Learned Helplessness research theorizes the way people perceive an event often determines its effect on their behavior.

This may result in a reduced response initiation and difficulty in believing that one’s responses will matter. Diffusion of responsibility occurs when the more individuals there are in a group, the less likely individuals are to act because they think the responsibility rests with others.

If an individual sees a toxic workplace environment as pervasive and beyond their control, their inclination to act diminishes, learning to react passively in the face of improper behavior.

Bystander empowerment seeks to encourage both men and women to interrupt unacceptable behavior, with a goal of changing workplace social norms.

(or implicit) bias training teaches employees to be aware of ingrained biases, to practice strategies for blunting their effects, avoid micro-aggressions, and mitigate prejudicial actions.

By using interactive training in behavioral effectiveness, individuals become better at exploring differing opinions and points of view.

Another goal of increasing awareness about hidden biases is that if individuals in groups believe that everyone around them is trying hard to fight stereotypes and prejudices, they will do the same.

This approach has already been adopted by an estimated one quarter of US employers, and is projected to double by 2020. As recently illustrated by Starbucks, efforts to raise awareness of

 Identify unconscious bias – Efforts to reduce unconscious bias recognize that prejudices are buried so deeply that individuals are typically unaware of their existence, and surface without conscious knowledge though interpersonal interactions. Unconscious 25

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featurearticle unconscious bias and related behaviors is not just limited to colleagues, but includes customers, clients, and users. Having previously only offered such training to management, Starbucks has embraced the approach for all its 175,000 workers. Notably, this initiative includes an evaluation component to measure effectiveness, a critical shortcoming of many employer training programs.  Increase emotional intelligence – Numerous research studies support emotional intelligence as a stronger predictor of workplace performance than cognitive intelligence (Bennett, 2011).

Emotional intelligence is about learning to harness the power of emotions, then directing them in a beneficial manner.

This approach seeks to increase the ability to recognize ones’ own emotional state and that of others, and through conscious choices in social interaction to be more capable in building and sustaining relationships. Being truly conscious of feelings and better reading of emotional cues limits inadvertent transgressions, thoughtlessness, and conflicts from inattention and ignorance.

Target competencies of such interventions include increasing empathy, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, adaptability, and feeling and expressing positive feelings. Training outcomes include enhanced skills supporting collaboration, open communication and transparency (Mayer, Barsade & Roberts, 2008), and are transferable to addressing personal reactions to sexual harassment as well as bystander interventions.

 Teach more effective communication skills – Learning exercises that emphasize improved communication and relational competences like listening, acknowledgement, transparency, and constructive feedback allow managers and co-workers to better appreciate each other as individuals, not as ethnic, race or gender groups. These aids create working environments that align with organizational success (Buckner, Hindman & Huelsman, 2014).

One example of an alternative communication model Is it OK..? represents an approach whereby co-workers don’t assume they know how their actions will be received and ask rather than presume. This encourages individuals to become more aware about the potential impacts of their conduct and shows respect for the opinions and reactions of others. It allows everyone to participate in the task of determining what is acceptable in the workplace, creating a more thoughtful environment where all are heard and acknowledged.

Do Training Methods Really Matter?

Suggestions for increasing the value of sexual harassment training include moving beyond familiar, established scenarios to more nuanced examinations of ambiguous areas between professional and social relationships, the impact of unequal power, and definitions of consent in work hierarchies. These areas of behavior may not be illegal, but can lead to uncomfortable, toxic working dynamics.

In judging the usefulness of face-to-face group interactive discussions vs. largely individuallycompleted online training modali-

ties, empirical analysis is still relatively unresolved. Customizing training for different workforces and workplace environments to meet individual learning styles and group preferences, however, can increase participation and improve learning outcomes.

For example, factory or service workers are unlikely to draw parallels between their work environment and white-collar offices portrayed in training videos.

Likewise, Millennials may not identify with outdated, irrelevant images. Germane, interactive training involving methods like role-playing may increase effectiveness because employees can ask questions and model appropriate behavior.

Impacting the Organization Organizational culture is a collectively embedded set of beliefs, expectations, and assumptions guiding behavior among its members. Employees’ understanding of workplace culture influences their interpretations of workplace policies and practices. Changing such environments is not an overnight event, but rather a complex process that evolves over time. Creating and sustaining desired elements of workplace culture requires a clear vision, continuous adaptive improvement processes, and effective methods for communication.

But there is no magic bullet for the problem of workplace incivility and sexual harassment.

Training alone is not sufficient to drive the necessary cultural shift.

To be truly effective:  The use of relevant, effectual training approaches and methods can only be considered

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one component in an organization’s obligation to provide a safe, respectful environment. Without reinforcement through genuine leadership commitment, thoughtful policies, and human resource practices that incorporate effective training, work organizations risk nullifying their efforts to generate positive impacts.

Value-Added Roles for EAPs EAPs are faced with the shameful reality that most contemporary workplace harassment prevention training fails to deliver desired outcomes. In addition to providing counseling and coaching to employees, as workplace mental health and productivity experts, EAPs have additional opportunities to deliver competent policy consultation, assistance to leadership, and effective training to encourage employees to speak up about workplace misconduct and eliminate uncivil behavior.  Calls for heightened prevention of workplace harassment have spurred many work organizations to revisit policies and embrace expanded workplace efforts. More substantive sexual harassment training has potential to impact individual attitudes and workplace culture, but it will not solve the problem. To meet this challenge, new approaches require well-articulated presentations of organizational values and operational boundaries for appropriate employee and management interactions to change workplace norms, and standards of oversight.  Link training with easier workplace reporting and responsive procedures by using

scenarios that illustrate the complete spectrum of responding to disrespectful workplace behavior. This includes everything from informal discussions with peers to informal and formal procedures to know where to go with a complaint, how the process will unfold, how they will be supported, and how complaints will be investigated. However, most current training doesn’t do that, which may help explain the EEOC’s finding that 70 percent of harassment (sexual or otherwise) goes unreported. The goal is to foster a speak-up culture where employees feel heard and valued, resulting in financial and intrinsic employer benefits: higher employee engagement, recruiting and retention, and enhanced culture and reputation. v Bernie McCann has over 25 years’ experience designing, managing and evaluating EAPs and workplace health and wellness initiatives. He consults frequently with employers and labor unions, provides workplace presentations and professional development trainings, and conducts EAP-related research. A Certified Employee Assistance Professional, Bernie holds a Masters’ Degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University and a PhD from Brandeis University.

References

Bennett, D.R. (2011). Examining the relationship between emotional intelligence of managers and organizational commitment of subordinates. Northcentral University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Bisom-Rapp, S. (2001). Fixing watches with sledgehammers: The questionable embrace of employee sexual harassment training by the legal profession.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review, 24,147-168.

Buckner, G.E., Hindman, H.D., & Huelsman, T.J. (2014) Managing workplace sexual harassment: The role of manager training. Employee

Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 26(4):257-278.

Cheung, H.K., Goldberg, C.B., King, E.B., & Magley, V.J. (2017). Are they true to the cause? Beliefs about organizational and unit commitment to sexual harassment awareness training. Group & Organization Management, 42, (September), 1-30.

Fortune. (November 17, 2017). When sexual harassment is legal. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2017/11/17/sexualharassment-legal-gaps/.

Jiang, K., Hong, Y., McKay, P.F., Avery, D.R., Wilson D.C., et al. (2014).

Retaining employees through antisexual harassment practices: Exploring the mediating role of psychological distress and employee engagement. Human Resource Management, 54:1-21.

Kataria A., Rastogi R., & Garg P. (2013).

Organizational effectiveness as a function of employee engagement.

South Asian Journal of Management, 20(4):56-73.

Kearney, L.K., Rochlen, A.B., & King, E. (2004). Male gender role conflict, sexual harassment tolerance, and the efficacy of a psychoeducative training program. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 5(1):72-82.

Mayer, J.D., Barsade, S.G., & Roberts, R.D. (2008). Human abilities: Emotional intelligence. Annual Review of Psychology, 59:507-536.

Pryor, J.B., & McKinney, K. (1995).

Research on sexual harassment: Lingering issues and future directions.

Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 17(4):605-611.

Tinkler, J.E. (2013). How do sexual harassment policies shape gender beliefs? An exploration of the moderating effects of norm adherence and gender. Social Science Research, 42(5):1269-83.

Tippett, E.C. (Forthcoming). Harassment trainings: A content analysis. Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, Published online: December 7, 2017.

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2016). Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace. Washington, DC. Available from: https://www.eeoc.gov/ eeoc/task_force/harassment/report.cfm.

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featurearticle Addressing the Needs of Employees With Autism Spectrum Disorders | By Michael Goldman, LPC, CEAP

A

ccording to some estimates, roughly 1 in 68 children in the U.S. have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – numbers that have skyrocketed in the past 30 years (Taylor, 2016). A point that gets overlooked is that many of these individuals are no longer children but adults who are struggling to find stable, fulltime employment. In fact, 85% of higher-functioning people with ASD are without full-time employment (Simone, 2010). And for those who are working, the average full-time pay is only $8.10 per hour.

According to Launchability.org, 500,000 people with ASD will be trying to enter the workforce by 2020. And what about when these individuals DO obtain jobs? These figures imply that, if they haven’t already, EA professionals are likely to be asked to address the unique needs of employees with ASD in the near future.

Vulnerabilities But helping this unique population involves understanding them better first. There are many reasons why the unemployment rates for this group are so high.

 Lack of social skills – Employees must have technical skills to get a job, but also must have basic social skills to retain employment. Many people with

ASD have very good, valuable skills that businesses are looking for but they lack the social skills that make them perceived as nonteam players.  Sensory issues – Also, many of these employees have sensory issues that can be extremely distracting. For instance, bright overhead lights or loud noises may be too difficult for someone with ASD to concentrate and do their work.  Reduced Theory of Mind – Theory of Mind, often abbreviated ToM, is the ability to attribute mental states— beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, etc.— to oneself and others and to understand that other people have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that are different from our own (Premack & Woodruff, 1978).

Deficits in ToM can occur in people with autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Korkmaz, 2011), cocaine addiction (Sanvicente-Vieria, et al, 2017), as well as alcoholics who have suffered brain damage due to alcohol’s neurotoxicity (Uekermann, & Daum, 2008).

People with a strong ToM can predict how others will react in a given situation. The weaker the ToM, the more confusing interpersonal communication is to that per-

son. People with ASD have been known to be blunt and considered to be rude. It is not uncommon for someone on the spectrum to hear something they disagree with and make a comment like, “That’s stupid!” even if the other person is the individual’s supervisor!

Comments like that can lead to disciplinary action and even termination. Those types of comments made to co-workers can lead to alienation, isolation, and even bullying. At “best,” the person with ASD will be is seen as having a lack of social skills (a vulnerability noted earlier).  Problems interpreting nonverbal communication – Another common limitation for those with ASD involves difficulty interpreting non-verbal communication.

According to noted psychology professor Albert Mehrabian, only 7% of what people are communicating, thinking, and feeling come from words (Simone, 2010). The rest come from how words are “spoken” through a person’s body language and facial expressions.

Many people with ASD have difficulty maintaining eye contact, as well as not understanding that others are upset with them or want them to stop talking. People with ASD may not understand how to master the give and take of conversation. They may either

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not engage at all or conversely, monopolize the conversation.  Lack of crystalized intelligence – This is the ability to apply strategies from one situation to another. However, many individuals with ASD are very concrete in their thinking and can’t convert something they’ve learned to a different situation. Many struggle with common cognitive distortions, e.g. black/white thinking, catastrophizing, overgeneralization, and filtering.

Many also struggle with inflexibility to change, perfectionism, being overly sensitive to criticism and constantly asking/repeating questions.

Some engage in “stimming” behavior (e.g. hand-flapping, or talking out loud to themselves). These behaviors are used to calm anxiety but will look awkward to others.

Strengths If these employees have so many limitations, why is it so important for EA professionals to assist and advocate for this population? As mentioned earlier, many individuals with ASD have valuable attributes that make them excellent employees, provided they are trained how to communicate and interact in the workplace.

These positive workplace attributes include: • Very logical and good analytical skills; • Excellent memory for facts; • Pay close attention to details; • Tolerance to routine; and • Vast knowledge in specialized fields.

Persons with ASD also tend to be strong visual thinkers, loyal, are

passionate about their jobs, have excellent attendance, take pride in their work, and demonstrate a strong a desire to please their work supervisors.

Businesses that hire, properly train and support these folks have found it to be very profitable (Che, 2016). Companies like Ford Motor Company, Home Depot, CVS, Walgreens, Microsoft, Proctor & Gamble, and Target have all embraced this type of inclusion.

Many of these companies have received specialized training by consulting agencies on how to make these partnerships successful.

Another reason to hire individuals with ASD is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which states that if a company has a federal contract of over $10,000, they must take affirmative action to hire, retain, and promote qualified individuals with disabilities.

Advocacy: What the EAP can Do Employee assistance professionals can assist by:  Educating employers on the challenges of individuals with ASD, including how to support them and place them in a position to succeed. Support for these employees may include giving them specific, clear, written instructions for tasks, offering softer, no-phosphorescent lighting, being allowed to wear ear plugs and having offices or cubicles away from noisy areas, being given meeting agendas/notes in advance and afterwards, and being allowed to go to an area to decompress if agitated.  Helping management find work mentors. Positive mentorship

is very helpful for people on the spectrum. EAPs can also instruct management on how to recognize employees who may be on the spectrum and make them more aware of bullying that occurs in the workplace. The EA professional can encourage management to advocate for employees stepping out of their comfort zones and to be more validating of them.  Working directly with employees with ASD – disclosure being one possibility. The EA professional can help an individual with ASD make an educated decision on whether to disclose their diagnosis or simply to teach them how to advocate for themselves for workplace supports.

EAPs can also assist this population in other ways:

• Addressing stress reduction and time management strategies; • Handling criticism appropriately and understanding organizational dynamics; • Coaching on hygiene (a common workplace complaint); and • Promoting communication skills such as active listening – actually a good thing for managers, too!

Summary People with ASD in the workplace present many challenges but also many opportunities. As noted, because of their vulnerabilities it has been difficult for many of them to find and maintain meaningful employment. The unemployment rate has been staggering. Fortunately, many businesses, with proper training, have been able to retain these employees and even have found the practice to be profitable.

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featurearticle It has been widely speculated that many historical and current celebrities may have been on the spectrum.

Alexander Graham Bell, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and even Bill Gates have been rumored to have ASD. Michael Burny was a financial planner with ASD who successfully predicted the financial crisis a few years ago and made his company and their investors hundreds of millions of dollars.

EA professionals are in a unique position of being able to spearhead this movement, which would benefit both the community and businesses alike. v

33 years and Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP) counselor the past 28 years. He is also a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and a certified Problem and Compulsive Gambling Counselor (PCGC). As a trainer, he has developed and implemented over 4,500 hours of wellness programs.

Michael Goldman has been a trainer and certified addictions counselor (CRADC) for the past

Premack, DG, & Woodruff, G. (1978).

Does the chimpanzee have a theory

legallines was coerced and unwelcome. Even in this situation, some documentation will be placed in your client’s personnel file so that the employer has a record of the allegation, can spot patterns or inconsistencies, and, therefore, can defend itself against a future lawsuit. In response, your client can prepare a written statement containing his side of the story that is appended to his personnel file.

State law generally requires that the employer allow him to do so.

See, e.g., Wis. Stat. § 103.13(4) (“If the employee disagrees with any information contained in the personnel records, a removal or correction of that information may be mutually agreed upon by the employer and the employee. If an agreement cannot be reached, the employee may submit a written

References

Che, J. (2016). Why more companies are eager to hire people with autism.

Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ companies-hiring-people-with-autism_ us_56e99cdfe4b065e2e3d82ab4.

Korkmaz, B. (2011, May). Theory of mind and neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Pediatric Residency. 69(5).

of mind? Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 1(4), 515-526.

Sanvicente-Vieria, B.; Kluwe-Schiavon, B; Corcoran, R; Grassi-Oliveira, (2017, March 1). Theory of mind impairments in women with cocaine addiction. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 78(2), 258-267.

Simone, R. (2010). Asperger’s on the job. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons Inc. Taylor, J. (2016, February 22). How can your company welcome employees with autism spectrum disorders.

Irving, TX: Multibriefs.com.

Uekermann, J. & Daum, I. (2008, May). Social cognition in alcoholism: A link to prefrontal cortex dysfunction? Addiction. 103(5), 726-35.

Continued from page 11

statement explaining the employee’s position. The employer shall attach the employee’s statement to the disputed portion of the personnel record. The employee’s statement shall be included whenever that disputed portion of the personnel record is released to a third party as long as the disputed record is a part of the employee’s personnel file.”)

If there is an adverse outcome, your client should exercise his rights under the employer’s appeal process. Failure to exhaust internal appeal procedures may impact your client’s ability to seek a legal remedy, if one exists.

Summary As allegations of workplace sexual harassment continue

to make headlines, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the federal agency responsible for enforcing workplace harassment violations) anticipates a record year of sexual harassment complaints. Employers should, therefore, be prepared to conduct investigations. Now, more than ever, employers will rely on EA professionals to knowledgeably support all employees involved in these sensitive matters. v Editor’s note: The recommendations provided in this article are for educational purposes only and are not to be construed as actual legal advice. Always consult with a local attorney.

Robin Sheridan is an attorney with Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, PC. the largest health care-focused law firm in the country. Contact Robin at (414) 721-0469, rsheridan@hallrender.com.

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earoundup EAPA Live Webinar Set EAPA has been hosting a live webinar series titled “EAP Business Solutions”. The next online course, “Elevating Ethical Awareness” will be held August 29. To register or learn more about pricing and PDH/CE information, go to http://www.eapassn.org/ LiveWebinars.

Questions should be directed to Julia Barnes, EAPA Education Administrator, (703) 387-1000 x 318 or j.barnes@eapassn.org.

Important Harassment Steps Listed There is no questioning the power of the #MeToo Movement, which has required all brands to look within their corporate culture and change as necessary to be in front of sexual discrimination issues. Courtesy of Inc., the following are among important steps when an employee reports harassment:  Respond quickly. After an employee submits a complaint, someone should meet with him or her promptly, and after no more than a few days. The meeting should take place in private to ensure that the complainant feels comfortable sharing all of the facts. Ideally, the meeting will be in person, but a phone interview is acceptable.  Show empathy, not sympathy.

The employee making the allegation must feel as though he/she is being listened to and the matter will be taken seriously. However, it needs to be explained that the

Continued from page 21

investigation is to determine the facts and, to do that, additional steps in the process must take place before any conclusions can be reached.  Ask for details. Questions should be asked such as, “Did you tell anyone about the incident before reporting it? Were there any witnesses? Do you have any electronic or other records related to the situation?”  Point out that resources like EAPs are available to help. The employee may struggle or feel uncomfortable in the work environment during the investigation, and there may be interim actions that can be implemented to alleviate that stress.  Follow up. While it may not be appropriate to tell the involved parties everything uncovered during an investigation, the person who brought forth the issue needs to be told if merit was found to the allegation.

EA Digital Archive Turns 5 The International Employee Assistance Digital Archive (EA Digital Archive), housed online at the University of Maryland, Baltimore is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The EA Archive (www.eararchive.org) is a free, publicly accessible repository where submitters post journals, original papers, newsletters, historical documents, photos, and multi-media pieces related to the EA field.

New submissions include: Dr. Paul Roman’s EAPA 2017 keynote; Dr. Dale Masi’s EAP history interviews; and Dr. Eric

Goplerud’s Substance Abuse Calculator. There is also an online photo gallery at https://www.eaarchive.org/gallery.

The EA Digital Archive boasts materials from professional organizations such as EAPA, EASNA, NBC, EARF, and APEAR and continues to seek unique and important historical and current contributions from across the world. Questions should be directed to Jodi Frey, jfrey@ssw.umaryland.edu or Patricia Herlihy, pherlihy@ rockymountainresearch.us.

EAPA Conference Volunteers Sought Work Exchange volunteers are essential to the success of the annual EAPA Conference and Expo. This year, at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minnesota, they will assist with activities beginning with pre-conference preparations on Tuesday, October 9 through the last day of the conference on October 13.

Volunteers get to meet and interact with employee assistance professionals from around the world! In return for contributing to the success of the conference, volunteers receive a complimentary full conference registration and can attend sessions and events as time and responsibilities permit.

Learn more here http://www. eapassn.org/Portals/11/Docs/Conf_ Ed/2018/Volunteer%20Work%20 Exchange%202018.pdf.

The application form can be completed at https://form.jotform. com/81265442563962 v

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theworldofeap EAP is Taking Hold in Israel | By Shifra Dior, PhD; and John Maynard, PhD, CEAP

F

ounded in 1948, Israel is a relatively small nation still in the process of shaping its identity and character. During the country’s 70 years of existence, its population has been shaped by immigrants from vastly diversified cultures and countries all over the world. The resulting mix of sometimes opposing cultures often creates difficulties and tension.

Israel has also faced other unique societal stressors, such as conflict between religious and secular ideologies and the virtually continuous external security threat of war and terrorist attacks. Ever since Israel’s establishment, every 18-year-old, both male and female, has had to serve in the army for two to three years, and most men must continue to serve in the reserves until their 40s.

Furthermore, unlike many Western countries, the birth rate in Israel is relatively high. Although family values are highly regarded, in most households, both spouses work to support the family’s financial needs. This can contribute to work-family conflicts.

At the same time, Israel is a highly developed country. It has a steadily growing economy with significant achievements in science, medicine, technology, and literature. People are hardwork-

ing, ambitious, and competitive.

Hence, everyday life in Israel feels very demanding and intensive.

The First EAPs The first external EAP company in Israel, Matan EAP, was founded

by Dr. Shifra Dior in 1995, after she learned about EA services in the US from an American colleague.

A few years later, Matan merged with another newer EAP firm to form the current company, MatanMeitar EAP. The first client – and the first Israeli corporation to offer EA services to its employees – was the largest Israeli cellular company at the time. Its CEO had come from a previous senior position in the US where EA services were part of the employee benefit package.

Since that time, other external EA firms have come into existence in Israel, but Matan-Meitar has remained the largest Israeli provider of EA services. Today it serves about 70 companies from all business sectors, including some of Israel’s major corporations. About 75% of its EAP business is directly contracted with organizations based in Israel, while the rest is subcontracted from international EA providers.

Public Sector Support Still Lacking It is noteworthy that neither the Health Ministry nor the Labor Ministry in Israel has paid any atten-

tion to, or supported, the development of EAP. Although the private sector has been slowly opening up to the notion of EAP, neither the national government nor local authorities have adopted EA services, not even for their own employees.

The Israeli Police is most likely the only major public-sector body offering EA services to its members.

That being said, public health and welfare services are relatively advanced in Israel and offer inexpensive assistance to the general public, including mental health services such as psychological and psychiatric support. Various public facilities render support and treatment, including psychiatric hospitals, women’s shelters, institutions for abused and at-risk children, centers for handling drug and alcohol addictions, and others. Private non-profit organizations, funded by the government and donations, also offer services, and private sector insurance companies have increasingly been including psychological assistance in their policies.

Since the military is so embedded within the Israeli culture by virtue of everyone serving at some point, and because of the constant high stress they face, it also should be mentioned that the military has a highly developed internal mental health support system. Every unit

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vices in the future. The same strategy might apply to offering stand-alone HR/management support for help in dealing with crisis situations.

has a physician, as well as a mental health officer. They are available for soldiers in distress and, when needed may refer soldiers to psychiatrists or psychologists for further evaluation and treatment.

Since the EAP concept is still new in Israel, we are very interested in learning from the experience of the international EAP community. Ideas for how to help companies become more aware of the benefits of EAP for both the organization and its employees are especially welcome. v

EAP Availability and Services Expanding Historically, Israelis have been reluctant to let others in their social or employment circles know that they might need some kind of assistance, including psychological help. In the early days of EAP in Israel, this reluctance provided a good selling point to openminded CEOs and HR managers, who recognized the importance of providing their employees with a strictly confidential route to obtaining accessible psychological support. EAPs, therefore, concentrated mostly on offering discreet psychological assistance to employees.

Dr. Shifra Dior, PhD in Clinical Psychology, pioneered EAP services in Israel in 1995. She has worked as a psychologist in both the US and Israel. She is currently Joint General Manager and Founder of Matan-Meitar Ltd. in Israel, the country’s largest EAP company. Shifra can be reached at shifra@mataneap.com.

Dr. John Maynard served as CEO of EAPA from 2004 through 2015.

Prior to that, he was President of SPIRE Health Consultants, Inc., a global consulting firm specializing in EA strategic planning, program design, and quality improvement. In both roles, he had the opportunity to observe, meet, and exchange ideas with EA professionals in countries around the world. He currently accepts speaking engagements and consulting projects where he can make a positive difference. He can be reached at johnmaynard@spirehealth.com.

More recently, CEOs and HR managers have enlarged their focus and begun to pay increased attention to the overall well-being of employees as part of the organizational culture. Accordingly, EA services have expanded in scope, offering not just psychological support, but also other well-being services, such as financial and initial legal guidance.

Advertise in

EAPs are also providing support to HR departments on how to work with employees experiencing anxiety attacks, addiction, suicidal thoughts, and other crises. In some companies, EA professionals work on-site in order to be continuously available to both employees and managers.

The Future Despite recent EAP expansion, the vast majority of companies in Israel still have not adopted EAP. This opens great potential to penetrate and expand into more organizations and market segments in the private sector, and even into organizations within the public sector. The greatest challenge is how to take advantage of this opportunity.

Contact Jim Printup, Development & Donor Relations: (303) 242-2046, development@eapassn.org

Several possible strategic avenues are presenting themselves. One is to develop better online capability to provide EA services. Also, since family debt levels have been rising in Israel, a number of companies are responding well by adding budget management assistance for employees and their families. To reduce initial costs, another approach is to offer these or other services as stand-alone products, which hopefully become door-openers for expansion to full EA ser33 | W W W . E A PA S S N . O R G | •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

| JOURNAL OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE | 3rd Quarter 2018 |

webwatch Caregiving Care.com https://www.care.com/ This site’s motto is, “Trusted by families. Loved by caregivers.”

Important links include a free search for care in your area. Senior care, child care, and pet care are among options.

Disability Inclusion Job Accommodation Network https://askjan.org/webcast Available at no cost, JAN webcasts educate managers, employees, and others on disability etiquette, technologies, management techniques, and employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Elder Care National Association of Area Agencies on Aging https://www.n4a.org This organization’s primary mission is to build the capacity of its members so they can help older adults and people with disabilities to live with dignity and with choices in their homes and communities for as long as possible. An eldercare locator is among the resources offered.

Mental Health Getting Started with Mindfulness https://www.mindful.org/meditation/ mindfulness-getting-started You want to try mindfulness techniques, but don’t know where to start. This site shows you how.

Sexual Assault National Sexual Violence Resource Center https://www.nsvrc.org The NSVRC believes in the power of information, tools, and people.

Links include e-learning, library, projects, and more.

Sexual Assault Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/task_ force/harassment/report.cfm This comprehensive report, released in 2016, presents information on areas such as employee responses to harassment, risk factors for harassment, and many more.

Technology 2018 Internet Trends Report https://www.recode. net/2018/5/30/17385116/marymeeker-slides-internet-trendscode-conference-2018 This report is referred to as the “most highly anticipated slide deck in Silicon Valley.” Here is a brief sampling: “2017 was the first year in which smartphone unit shipments didn’t grow at all.” “People, however, are still increasing the amount of time they spend online.” “Voicecontrolled products like Amazon Echo are taking off.”

Technology iCBT Platform http://morneaushepell.mediaroom. com/2018-05-31-Morneau-Shepell-launches-iCBT-platform A new iCBT platform delivers research-based, therapist-assisted CBT using an interactive digital program available on mobile and desktop devices. Learn more at this site.

Employee Assistance 2017 Workplace Outcome Suite (WOS) Report http://www.eapassn.org/ Portals/11/Docs/WOS/ WOS_AnnualReportFinal2017. pdf?ver=2017-09-15-173501-900

The WOS, an EAPA-endorsed tool, demonstrates the effectiveness of EAPs in quantifiable business terms. Over 30 participating EAPs agreed to use the WOS in 2017. The report had a sample size of 16,435 completed EAP employee cases.

Employee Benefits Employee Benefit Adviser www.employeebenefitadviser.com Workplace benefit news for advisers, brokers, consultants – also tools for business growth and development.

Mental Health Autism Society of America http://www.autism-society.org/ The Autism Society is the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization. It strives to increase public awareness about the day-to-day issues about people across the spectrum, advocate for appropriate services for individuals of every age, and provide the latest information regarding treatment, education, research, and advocacy.

Mental Health FAQs About Suicide https://crisiscentre.bc.ca/frequentlyasked-questions-about-suicide/ What are some of the warning signs?

What can we do if we think someone is suicidal? This site addresses many of the tough questions.

Mental Health International Society for Mental Health Online www.ismho.org ISMHO is a community that explores and promotes mental health in the digital age. Members meet online to discuss current issues and collaborate on projects to further its mission.v

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PURCHASE THE 2018

BEST VALUE

PACKAGE The Best Value Package includes all the benefits of full conference registration PLUS online access to conference sessions recorded during the EAPA 2017 & 2018 Conferences. CE credit is still available for the most recent conference year. Enjoy unlimited access to EAPA Conference Recordings through October 31, 2019.

Register online today! www.eapassn.org/EAPA-2018 35 | W W W . E A PA S S N . O R G | •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

| JOURNAL OF EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE | 3rd Quarter 2018 |

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Upcoming features include:  Workplace Outcome Suite Study  Leading Apps for EAPs  How to Run a Digital EAP