Franz reviews 20 years of EA&D

Dr. John Franz, director of the Employee Assistance and Development program, will leave the position after 20 years of service and return to teaching in the Social Work Education Department, effective in the fall.

The EA&D program was initiated under President Haak in 1984 on a half-time trial basis with Dr. Bob McMain, (now retired) faculty in Social Work as director. In June 1985 the president authorized a task force to open the position up to a full-time director and Franz was selected to fill the role.

Franz offers the following look back at employee assistance activity over the past two decades:

Consistency in use of the program:

Average for 20 years – 299 cases a year

Low –1985-86 (190 cases); high – 1996-97 (412 cases)

Evolving issues:

In the early years, employees’ presenting problems were evenly divided between job-related, marriage & family and emotional issues. In later years, job-related concerns comprised up to 50 percent to 60 percent of cases.

Increasing severity of cases:

In recent years I’ve seen more issues with potential for employees leaving the workplace, physical and emotional symptoms evident, intense issues (physical and mental illness, depression, death, divorce, suicide, threats).

Aging workforce:

Personal issues people have consulted with the EA office about have increasingly centered on retirement, adult children living/returning home, eldercare and death/bereavement – issues reflective of our evolving workforce.

Management/administration:

• My perception is that we have enjoyed remarkably capable top leadership at Fresno State in past 20 years; while certainly not perfect, they have for the most part been collaborative, fair, savvy budget managers, and cast an optimistic, progressive vision for the institution. We are fortunate compared to many of our sister campuses, in having good leadership.
• I believe key decision-making across the university is more collaborative than in the past. Our community is more diverse at all levels, a wider range of voices are being heard these days. This is a healthy development.
• Many things that were major sources of friction, resentment (and sometimes exploitation) in the past are now covered by policies and practices that are significantly more coherent and fair (e.g. RTP probationary plans, staff evaluations, overtime and flex hours).
• I have never encountered a single instance in 20 years as EA director of a Fresno State administrator pressuring me for confidential information about a university employee, faculty or staff.

Most satisfying aspects of EAP role:

• Having the privilege to play a part in dramatic “miracles”…helping to facilitate a faculty or staff employee’s access to alcohol or drug treatment and witnessing the change in their lives as they move to recovery from a disabling addiction.
• Empowering  individuals or groups to address difficult issues in their work lives in effective ways through encouragement, rehearsal and strategic approaches… such that they are able to resume their work with more confidence and effectiveness.
• Being able to feel useful to such a wide range of persons and positions from academic administrators to custodial staff, sometimes on very similar issues.
• Creating workshops and presentations with practical ideas for addressing needs and meeting various challenges, both personal and work-related… and seeing people actually use them!
• Peacemaking.

Most challenging or frustrating aspects:

• Witnessing the effects of bullying and abusive workplace behavior and being unable to find effective means to intervene.
• Accepting the reality of built-in status levels and privilege in university life, seeing how they negatively impact employee’s relationships and self-esteem.
• Working in one-person program.
• Balancing crisis management with the demands of planned projects and required documentation and reporting.
• Handling dual/multiple relationships with people on both sides of issues consulting about and searching for self-serving outcomes.
• Responding to the emotional fall-out associated with employee layoffs in the early 1990s and with the implementation of PeopleSoft.