UVIC Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)

1.0 Objectives of the Program

Where an employee or a member of an employee’s family encounters personal problems or difficulties, there may be a reduction in the employee’s work performance and the employee’s ability to fulfill her or his career objectives. Such problems and difficulties may adversely affect the employee, the employee’s workplace colleagues and members of the employee’s family. Prolonged personal problems or difficulties may cause an employee to miss days at work and may lead to the need to seek medical treatment or apply for disability benefits. The objective of the Employee and Family Assistance Program (hereinafter called the EFAP Program) is to enable employees who experience such problems or difficulties to voluntarily seek professional counselling on a confidential basis and thereby minimize adverse effects on themselves, their workplace colleagues, and members of their family. The objectives of the EF15 February, 2011 where the program will be effective in preventing such problems from occurring or minimizing their effect when they do occur.

2.0 Description of Services Provided under the Program

2.1 Examples of the counselling services provided under the EFAP Program include:

(a) Preliminary assessment of personal problems or difficulties including but not limited to:

1. Couple and marital relationships,
2. Parenting and family relationships.
3. Anxiety, stress or depression,
4. Life and career transitions
5. Workplace conflicts
6. Anger Management
7. Drug or alcohol abuse or dependency
8. Debt or financial management problems, and
9. Psychological or emotional problems.

(b) Provision of short-term counselling with regard to any of the matters referred to in clause (a);(c) Provision of short-term counselling with regard to traumatic events including:

1. the death, serious illness or injury involving family members or workplace colleagues, or
2. traumatic experiences at the workplace (eg. fire, natural disaster, physical violence or threat thereof).

2.2 Examples of services that are not included in the EFAP program are:

(a) Services of a lawyer or other legally related services, or

(b) Investment and financial planning services.

3.0 Provision of EFAP Services by an External Provider

The services of the EFAP Program described in Paragraph 2.1 shall be provided by a Service Provider pursuant to a contract between the University and the Service Provider.

4.0 Eligibility to Use the Services Provided by the Program

Persons who are eligible to use the services available under the Program are:(a) All regular/continuing employees;

(b) All temporary / visiting / sessional employees appointed for a minimum of 3 months at 0.5 FTE or more (including grant & agency employees);

(c) Eligible dependant family members of persons described in clauses (a) and (b) are eligible to use the services available under the Program where the dependant family member is located in Canada; and

(d) Members of the UVic Retirees Association who are former UVic employees.

5.0 Costs of EFAP Program

The EFAP Program is an employer-paid benefit program. The cost of using the services described in Paragraph 2.1 of this Policy, by an eligible person described in Paragraph 4.0 of this Policy, is covered by the EFAP Program.

6.0 Referrals under the Program and the Voluntary Nature of an Employee’s Use of the Program’s Services

Notwithstanding that a family member, friend, representative of the University, or health care professional may suggest a referral, provide information about the EFAP Program, or provide assistance, in a supportive manner, with making an appointment with the Service Provider; the decision on whether or not to use the services available under the EFAP Program is entirely a voluntary decision of the eligible employee, eligible family member or eligible member of the UVic Retirees Association.Referrals to the Service Provider under the EFAP Program may occur in any of the following ways:

(a) Self-referral by an eligible employee, eligible family member, or eligible member of the UVic Retirees Association contacting the Service Provider directly;

(b) A family member, friend or health care professional may suggest a referral, provide information about the EFAP Program, or provide assistance with making an appointment with the Service Provider; however, the decision on whether or not to use the services under the EFAP Program is entirely a voluntary decision of the eligible employee, eligible family member, or eligible member of the UVic Retirees Association. After an eligible person makes personal contact with the Service Provider and becomes a client of the Service Provider, the Service Provider does not have any further involvement with the referring family member, friend or health care professional unless the client expressly authorizes such involvement, in writing;

(c) An eligible employee’s supervisor, manager, chair, dean or other University officer may, in a supportive manner, suggest a referral, provide information about the EFAP program, or provide assistance with making an appointment with the Service Provider; however, the decision on whether or not to use the services under the EFAP Program is entirely a voluntary decision of the eligible employee. After an eligible employee makes personal contact with the Service Provider and becomes a client of the Service Provider, the Service Provider does not have any further involvement with the University or its representatives unless the client expressly authorizes such involvement, in writing.

7.0 Confidentiality

7.1 Information which an eligible employee, eligible family member, or eligible member of the UVic Retirees Association may reveal during consultations with the counsellor employed by the Service Provider shall remain confidential and will not be revealed by the counsellor or the Service Provider except with the written consent of the employee, family member or retiree, who provided the information, or except as required by the code of professional conduct applicable to the counsellor, or as required by law.

7.2 The Service Provider will not provide information to the University or its representatives with regard to the identity of those eligible employees, eligible family members, or eligible members of the UVic Retirees Association who utilize the services provided by the EFAP Program unless employee, family member, or retiree provides the Service Provider with written authority to either contact the University or one of its representatives or to provide information to the University or one of its representatives.

7.3 At the first counselling session with an eligible employee, eligible family member or eligible member of the UVic Retirees Association, the Service Provider’s staff should explain the confidential nature of the services provided under the EFAP Program.

7.4 In the event that an eligible employee authorizes the Service Provider to either provide information to the University or to any of its representatives or to otherwise contact the University or one of its representatives, the utilization of the EFAP Program by the employee and the nature of the services provided to the employee by the Service Provider shall not become part of the employee’s employment record.

7.5 Where an employee has been referred to the Service Provider by the University or one of its representatives and the employee voluntarily agrees, in writing, the Service Provider may:

(a) confirm to the University whether or not the employee attended counselling sessions provided by the Service Provider, as agreed upon;

(b) confirm to the University whether or not progress was made in the counselling sessions provided by the Service Provider; and

(c) provide to the University such other information as the employee permits, in writing, the Service Provider to provide to the University.

 

7.6 Use of the services of the EFAP Program by an eligible employee shall not interfere with an employee's opportunities for promotion, salary increments, or other forms of advancement within the University.

8.0 Administration of the EFAP Program

The Associate Vice-President, Human Resources is responsible to the Vice President Finance and Operations with regard to the overall administration of the EFAP Program within the budget for the Program approved by the Vice President Finance and Operations.

9.0 EFAP Program Advisory Committee

An EFAP Program Advisory Committee, which is advisory to the Vice President Finance and Operations, shall be selected in accordance with the Procedures prescribed by the Vice President Finance and Operations under this Policy. The function of the Program Advisory Committee is to monitor the overall effectiveness of the EFAP Program and make recommendations in accordance with its terms of reference.

10.0 Procedures

The Vice President Finance and Operations may prescribe Procedures under this Policy for the implementation and operation of the Policy and the EFAP Program.

February 1, 2003