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EAP
| Local Committees - EAP |
Updated 06/20/2008 |
| MEC Committees | Council 5 Directory |
What is Professional Standards?
Professional Standards is a voluntary, confidential service offering AFA members the opportunity to resolve conflicts with, and concerns about, co-workers without management involvement Professional Standards is a part of your AFA employee Assistance Program (EAP). Professional Standards exists to help members resolve co-worker conflicts/concerns involving or stemming from offensive conduct, work and/or personal habits, personality clashes, differences in communication and/or interaction style, physical and/or emotional health.
Why do we have an AFA Professional Standards program?
The goal of Professional Standards is to protect and enhance the standing of the Flight Attendant profession as a whole, to support and promote the highest degree of professionalism among all AFA members, and to enhance the working relationship they share with other employees.
How does Professional Standards (PS) assist in the resolution of conflicts/concerns?
If you are involved in a co-worker conflict, you are encouraged to discuss the matter with your co-worker in a reasonable manner and in an appropriate location at the earliest opportunity. Sometimes you may find yourself wanting to talk about a conflict before making a decision to approach your co-worker. Professional Standards is there to listen. Sometimes you may want to think out or practice your approach before you talk with your co-worker. Again, PS is there to assist you. Other times, the situation may necessitate the active and direct involvement of professional standards, which might involve contacting the reported flying partner (or the PS rep for that organized workgroup) or coordinating a professional standards peer mediation session between conflicted parties. Before any action is taken, the caller will work with the PS rep to jointly develop an action plan based on the unique needs and circumstances of each individual situation.
Will my report be confidential?
Participants are guaranteed confidentiality but not necessarily anonymity. It must be recognized that the circumstances of a case may make anonymity difficult, in spite of adherence to confidentiality. Additionally, information provided by the reported party will not be released to the reporting party unless properly authorized. Both the reporter and the reported are encouraged to refrain from discussing the conflict with co-workers.
The integrity and success of the PS process demands that all parties involved commit to minimizing the circle of impact, i.e., not engaging co-workers in the dispute. Such a commitment is requested as a part of the PS process.
What if the Company is involved?
Professional Standards representatives will not get involved in a matter in which the Company is formally involved. PS does not monitor or evaluate work performance. PS does not engage in supervisory functions. PS will not accept complaints involving training or skill deficiencies, contract issues, issues addressed by corporate policy, FARs or the inflight handbook.
If you are working with someone who does not follow company policy, serving procedures, or FARs it is up to you to discuss the matter with your co-worker. Your inflight handbook can be used as a tool to point out procedures and policy. Discuss the matter calmly, in an appropriate location.
Remember that our collective goal is to maintain professionalism in the workplace. If this process breaks down, our aim is to prevent conflicts from escalating by resolving them without the need for management intervention.
Remember that you can manage conflict and maintain control over the outcome of those conflicts.
Whether it is a relationship/family problem, the emotional and stressful demands of your job, or the effects of substance abuse, you need someone you can rely on for help. You need someone who offers support and compassion, someone you can trust to keep your problems confidential. You have that special someone through the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) Employee Assistance Program (EAP). AFA's nationally acclaimed EAP provides peer counseling and referral services to thousands of Flight Attendants and their families each year.
What's the AFA EAP All About?
We provide the following services:
- Peer counseling, assessment and referral
- Emergency response in the aftermath of critical incidents and workplace trauma
- Educational seminars (stress management, single parenting, substance abuse)
- Assistance with other related union problems
Professional and Unique
AFA EAP is unique because we are independent of employers and are designed to accommodate the lifestyle and unpredictable schedules of the Flight Attendant. The foundation of AFA's EAP is a corps of more than 160 carefully selected and trained Flight Attendant volunteers — chosen because of their competence and know-how and because they have earned the respect and trust of their colleagues. We are easily accessible to you.
Problems the AFA EAP Can Help You With
Your Local EAP committee members are prepared to assist local members in a variety of ways including:
- Relationship/Family
- Emotional/Physical
- Work Stress
- Chemical Dependency/Addictions
- Financial/Legal
- Professional Standards Issues
This committee offers confidential peer counseling and referral services for Flight Attendants and their families. They welcome your call.
Drug Testing
The use of Drug Test Adulterants to alter urine specimens that prevent detection of drug substances has become a major concern to the drug testing laboratories and to those responsible for administering this federally mandated testing program. Adulterants are now detectable in the urine sample and the substance used to adulterate is also identifiable. The use of these substances are viewed as a "premeditated and deliberate practice to avoid detection" (of illegal drug substances). As a result of these developments, the Medical Review Officer will now report such tests as a "refusal to test" which, as you know, is treated the same as a "positive" for drug use.
Please take note of this very important change in the drug policy. If the use of adulterants are detected by the testing facility, there is absolutely no possibility of continued employment. There will be no second chance allowed.
The following questions and answers appeared in an EAP report that was written by Donna Langston, Chairperson UAL MEC EAP.
Q. Can I get a positive from poppy seed bagels?
A. The opiate screening cutoff has been raised to eliminate this possibility. It also includes those who self medicate a cold when using Tylenol 3 with Codeine.
Q. Can I get a positive for legally purchased substances such as teas that may test as adulterants?
A. Let the buyer beware, especially if you purchase a product outside the United States. You must be able to trust the label or a guarantee that the product has been produced with a reliable quality control. If you have questions about any substances, you would be wise to call UAL Medical to get a qualified answer.
Q. What about laboratory errors?
A. According to Dr. Hal Miller, toxicologist for Quest Diagnostics, "we have never had a false positive." If there is any possibility of error, their policy is to err on the side of the sample being tested. Dr Miller also pointed out, "of the those people challenging their results, the laboratory has never lost a court case. The process is very thorough and exact."
Q. Are all collected specimens tested?
A. Yes, all specimens are tested.
| Drug & Alcohol Testing Guidelines |
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Random Testing
Reasonable Cause / Reasonable Suspicion Testing
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Related Sections:
| Committee Info: |
| Chairperson: |
| Terry Redwine |
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| Committee Reps: |
| Jennifer "Foster" Raimundi |
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