1. Distressed and Distressing Employees Protocol
Office of Human Resources

2. Objective
The goal of the Distressed/Distressing Employee Protocol is to be a supportive mechanism for employees who are facing challenges in their everyday lives.
It will help employees identify the appropriate support and assistance they might need.
It will identify resources within the Office of Human Resources and within the Employee Assistance Program.
It is not the intent of this program to be disciplinary in nature.

3. Who is a Distressed or Distressing Employee?
An employee who tells you that he/she is personally troubled
An employee who tells you that he/she is troubled about or by another employee
You, yourself, are concerned about an employee and/or about their potential impact on other employees

4. Employee Assistance Program
Resource provided to assist all employees with any personal and professional issues.
Available to all UMass Boston employees
Confidential
Easy to use
Free
Ceridian/LifeWorks is UMass Boston’s Employee Assistance Program provider
(888) or
User ID: UMass/password: lifeworks

5. The Distressed or Distressing Employee Protocol
Step One: Gather Information
Step Two: Assess the level of distress
Step Three: Assess your relationship to the employee

6. Step One: Gather Information
Identify possible warning signs, either through direct observation or disclosure of information.
The warning signs can be:
Psychological
Physical
Professional

7. Step Two: Assess Level of Distress
Urgent: Responder should immediately contact Public Safety at or 911 from any campus phone
Example: Employee is at immediate risk of harming self or others; employee is unresponsive or incoherent.
Important, but not urgent: Responder should proceed to Step Three

8. Step Three: Assess Your Relationship to the Employee
If you know the employee and feel you have the experience, ability, and time to try and deal with the employee directly, contact Human Resources first to determine what assistance they may need and should additional help be needed BEFORE you initiate a conversation with the employee regarding the matter.
If you do NOT know the employee or you do not feel you have the experience or ability to try and deal with the employee directly, contact the Office of Human Resources by telephone at (617) or by

9. During the Conversation
Let the employee know what you have noticed about his or her behavior that has caused you to be worried and express your concern.
Example: “I have noticed you’ve missed deadlines three times in the past two weeks.”
Do not promise to keep the conversation confidential
Ask open-ended questions and listen carefully
Recommend they call the Employee Assistance Program

10. After the Conversation
Inform the person in charge of your area or department of the situation and your actions.
Contact the Office of Human Resources by telephone at (617) or by to express your concern and inform them of your actions either that day or the next business day (if the concern arose after business hours).

11. What Happens Next?
Report will be reviewed by Margaret Peterson-Pinkham in the Office of Human Resources
A course of action addressing the concern will be developed, which may include another referral to the Employee Assistance Program.