What is the EAP for?

Note: I am preparing a letter for George Haley

The Employee Assistance Program is a valuable 24/7 service that Northrop Grumman offers to its employees "free and confidential" counseling for a number of situations.

I was introduced to the EAP by my manager, James Lamar, after I had received my "First Warning". I had been observed sleeping at my desk by three different individuals. I do not know if it was the symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure (fatigue), my failing kidneys (lethargy and fatigue), or the anemia (easy fatigue, loss of energy) that would cause me to doze off at my desk.

Perhaps its the combination of these three conditions that did me in.

As nobody wants to train older/higher paid employees when they can hire new employees just out of school with needed skills, I am of no use to Northrop Grumman. Since I was a "valued" employee, and because I do not currently have any skills, James Lamar outlined a "Performance Improvement Program" (PIP) so that I could learn something that would be useful to Northrop Grumman. He gave me desired results and schedule within which to learn and do a set of tasks.

I got the EAP card with the phone number and a name to call.

UNFORTUNATELY, I only saw that the situations that EAP dealt with

* Managing anxiety and stress
* Parenting education and support
* Conflicts at work or home
* Depression and emotional issues
* Life events and career transitions
* Alcohol and substance abuse
* Loss and grief counseling
* Childcare and eldercare community resources
* Communicating effectively

did not address the effects of my Congestive Heart Failure, kidney failure, anemia, or lack of job skills.

Unfortunately, I again failed to meet the desired outcome and schedule of the Performance Improvement Program as outlined by my manager, James Lamar.

As a result, I received a "Second Warning" and a revised "Performance Improvement Program" from James Lamar.

I soon realized that having already received a "First Warning" and "Second Warning" in the first four months of 2009, that a "Third Warning" and "Termination of Employment with Loss of Pension and Benefits" would soon follow.

"Termination of Employment with Loss of Pension and Benefits" would not be a good thing, and would have a negative impact on my lifestyle.

I had a epiphany of "FORNICATE this DEFECATION, I don't need to do this DEFECATION anymore! The house is paid for, the youngest daughter is graduating this June!" I called the nice young lady in Human Resources, asking "Would this (the First and Second Warnings) affect my ability to retire?"

After she assured me that it would not, I soon determined that July 1 was the earliest possible date to retire.

James Lamar was happy to see that he would be rid of me when I told him that I decided to retire, as the company could not afford to carry an employee like me any longer because of its financial situation

Conclusion: the EAP was of no use to me. No amount of counseling was going to fix my Congestive Heart Failure, kidney failure, anemia, or lack of job skills.


Disclaimer: SORRY - This is only what I know from my point of view. No lies, just what I see as the truth.