Sometimes an employee's decline in work performance can be a result of personal problems. Managers can informally refer employees with personal problems to the EAP at any time by simply reminding them that the service is free, confidential and available to themselves and their family members.

However, managers may want to formally refer employees whose job performance is gradually or rapidly declining. When a formal referral is made, WorkLife Hawaii will inform the manager within 10 working days if the employee attended a counseling session. Although the details of the counseling remains confidential, knowing if an employee has taken the initiative to use the EAP may indicate his/her motivation to resolve the personal problems affecting their work performance and retain their job. Often formal referrals provide employees with the 'push' they need to address longstanding problems affecting their physical and emotional health, as well as performance on the job.

When making a formal referral remember:

• Call the WorkLife Hawaii central office and provide the pertinent job performance information about the employee. If the employee makes the appointment before you have called us, we may need to hold confidentiality and may not be able to provide you with any information at all.
• After you've consulted with us, you fill out a "Formal Supervisor Referral form."
• You share the Formal Supervisor Referral form with your HR contact person to make sure it meets with your company's approval (and to make sure you don't get in trouble for something that shouldn't be on the form!)
• Only then do you share the form with the employee, and have the employee sign the form documenting you shared the form with them.
• You fax the form to WorkLife Hawaii.
• You will be notified within 10 working days if they use the service and authorize us to communicate with you.  
• Remember that counseling is always voluntary and an employee doesn't have to come, unless it is stipulated otherwise in your policies.

If your company is covered by our services, you can download the Formal Supervisory Referral Form. It walks you through the process of how to make such a referral. Call us for any questions! 

If you have made a formal referral and would like to evaluate us, please go to Referral Evaluation.