"Engaging a Crying Employee: Part 2"

I got thinking about my post from yesterday: "Engaging a Crying Employee" and very soon realized that there are so many other variables related to this type of workplace encounter. I felt compelled to offer more guidance for just those situations; therefore: Part 2.

It would be nice if all crying employees would "cooperate" and follow your lead of escorting them to a private area so you, as the HR representative or manager, could preserve the employee's dignity, ensure safety for all, and demonstrate expertise and caring, but this may not happen. What happens if the crying employee refuses to move from the work area from where they sit, stand, or possibly operate dangerous manufacturing equipment? Whoa! Time out! We really need to develop a Plan B here. Imagine coming upon or being summoned to an employee who is crying and, upon your attempt to intervene,they refuse to move...! They may even appear dazed, catatonic, pale in the face, reeking of booze, or searing a deep lazer into your eyeballs!

It's time to take action. Remember in "Engaging a Crying Employee"-Part 1, where we want to approach the employee and encourage moving a private office to talk confidentially? Well, if you're faced with someone who says: "No", or "I'm not going anywhere" or says nothing but just stares, or otherwise appears and/or sounds physically ill, seems out of touch with reality, or, possibly makes delusional, suicidal, and/or homicidal statements, it's "Do not pass 'Go' and collect $200" time. Not only does this person need help; YOU do!

The "nice" thing about this situation and, which points you towards one clear delineation in your role at work when faced with such disconcerting behavior, is this: you are not certified nor qualified to touch that person in order to physically move them....anywhere (unless the situation is imminent in order to protect yourself and others). Your local police and fire/emergency personnel ARE. If your company has its own police and fire personnel, summon them. They are trained to tactically deal with the crying (or otherwise disoriented) employee. If you do not have such personnel onsite, then call 911. Better SAFE than sorry in addressing this problematic situation. There could also be major liability issues if one touches another in the workplace when: A. It was proven to NOT be warranted, and B. As a result of touching them, things went awry and someone got hurt.

Hopefully, your employee has now been able to be transported to the local hospitals' emergency room for evaluation (or your company's medical clinic). It's then crucial, as in Part 1, to follow-up with the employee to ensure that they, in fact, arrived at the medical facility and were properly treated. You may want to request a fitness-for-duty evaluation by your onsite medical provider or with an outside contracted occupational medical provider. You must then ensure for the safety benefit of all by making sure that the employee has been cleared for his/her return to work.

If the employee does not seem ready to return based on what you observe upon their return to work, and you have NOT had them seen for a fitness-for-duty medical evaluation, do so now. It is very possible that the treating provider discharged the employee with a comprehensive list of recommendations, but the employee is not following-through. Recommendations may include: psychiatric or substance abuse in-patient or partial treatment, seeing a counselor or psychiatrist on an out-patient basis, seeing your EAP, obtaining other evaluations or tests, etc... Possibly, they had already been under the care of a psychiatrist but failed to follow-up with their doctor's appointments; therefore, failing to take their prescribed medication. The medical professional conducting the fitness-for-duty will typically request the records from the initial treating medical professional (having obtained a signed release of information from the employee). As this medical professional is conducting such services on behalf of your company, and with the employee's return to work dependent upon their successful involvement and completion of the stated recommendations, the company can know the steps the employee must take in order to be returned to work.

Your EAP can also play a major role where any recommendations involve treatment in the area of mental health. Have the employee seen by your EAP as a mandated referral (no last chance, or maybe a last chance; depends on the circumstances). The EAP counselor can evaluate the employee, obtain releases of information from the employee, and work with your contracted medical professional to ensure that the employee is complying with all the recommendations. The EAP may, as has been the case in my tenure, discover that the employee doesn't understand the medications they've been prescribed, is afraid to ask their psychiatrist questions, is a "loner" with no one to advocate for their needs, or has other pertinent life stressors that, minus intervention, could cause the employee to regress and fail.

Again, coming across the crying employee is typically an aberration: it just does not happen all that often, however, preparation is not only wise; it could make the difference between effective crisis management or abysmal behavioral tragedy.

Having seen over 2,500 clients within the EAP counseling setting, I have gratefully obtained insight into effective interventions for problematic workplace employee behaviors. Prior to the EAP, I worked in inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and substance abuse settings since 1978. 

Contact me at: [email protected]