Guide for Talking with Employees about
Alcohol / Drug Use or Abuse at Work
Your employer's Drug and Alcohol Use Policy
may state that employees
may not:
-
use, transfer, sell, manufacture or possess drugs, or abuse prescription
drugs, either on or off the job or company premises, and
-
possess, consume, or be under the influence of alcohol on company premises or
in company vehicles.
Your company recognizes, however, that employees may at times
find they may have a problem with alcohol or drugs and need help.
When an employee is having difficulty with their job performance
as a result of suspected use/abuse of substances, it is important for the
supervisor to intervene as early as possible to offer assistance for the
employee. Supervisors often hesitate for a number of reasons, but the earlier
the intervention the better the chances of helping the employee to return to
acceptable levels of performance.
Supervisors should keep the following points in mind when
addressing employee performance problems caused by suspected substance use or
abuse:
-
Employees who are under the influence of alcohol at work or who use illicit
drugs on or off the job are in violation of company policy.
-
Supervisors enforce policies and monitor job performance and behavior as a
part of normal supervisory observation and documentation. Due to proximity and
role, the supervisor is the best source for day-to-day observation of employee
behavior. Supervisors, however, do not diagnose medical problems or attempt to
find the medical causes for unsatisfactory performance and behavior.
-
Supervisors should confront unacceptable changes in employee job behavior and
initiate a corrective plan. Behaviors to look for to correct include:
- Tardiness
and poor attendance
- Decreased
work quality
- Poor
attitude
-
Unprofessional appearance
- Erratic
behavior
- Sleeping on
the job
- Fits of
anger
- Smell of
alcohol
- Slurred
speech
- Other
unusual behavior or behavior changes.
What to do
-
First, observe and document unacceptable behaviors.
-
Plan for a meeting with the employee. Consult your human resources
representative. Contact the EAP at 1-800-671-HEAL to make a "formal supervisor
referral." You will need the employee's social security number.
-
Call the employee in for a meeting regarding their job performance and
behavior. Confrontation is often uncomfortable for everyone so keep these
points in mind:
-
Always refer to
job performance and behavior as the problem and suggest that the employee
seek professional help through the EAP for other problems.
-
Pick a private,
neutral, setting.
-
Do not accuse,
diagnose, or moralize to the employee.
-
Use
documentation to illustrate the unacceptable job behaviors.
-
Keep the
discussion on the topic at hand: this employee's unacceptable behavior.
-
Tell the employee what is expected of him/her and that you will be expecting
improvement by a set date. Set a time frame and follow it up by scheduling a
review meeting.
-
Suggest EAP to the employee. Give the employee the number. Explain that EAP is
confidential and using it is their choice. You may explain that you have been
in contact with EAP and they are expecting a call. If it might be helpful,
offer to make the call yourself and put the employee on the phone; leave the
room to give the employee privacy.
-
Reiterate that you will be monitoring the employee's progress and that you
expect improvement. Failure to improve will result in further action.
Special circumstances
If following situations occur, incorporate these suggestions
into the above steps:
-
If you or others have noticed what appears to be the smell of alcohol on an
employee, even if there is no other unacceptable performance or behaviors
present:
-
Document all
pertinent information (date, time, who noticed or complained, etc.).
-
Whether or not
the employee appears impaired in any other way, you must discuss with the
employee what has been observed. Use the above steps.
-
When you explain
what has been observed, do NOT accuse the employee of drinking. Instead,
inform the employee with such statements as, "When you came in today at 1:00
from lunch, you smelled as if you had been drinking" or "I have received
some complaints from co-workers that yesterday you smelled as though you had
been drinking."
-
Whether or not
the employee denies drinking alcohol, inform him/her of the policy on being
under the influence of alcohol during working hours. Also explain that even
if he/she is or was not under the influence, smelling as if there had been
drinking creates problems for co-workers, customers, etc. The problems it
causes are BellSouth's image and discomfort for co-workers. In either case,
the observed behavior (smelling like alcohol) is a problem that must be
stopped and is subject to discipline.
-
Refer to EAP as
above without making judgment about what may be the problem.
-
If you observe the employee to be seemingly under the influence of substances
(staggering, slurring speech, can't stay awake, acting irrationally, etc.),
you need to take immediate action.
-
Tell the
employee what you are observing.
-
Based on the
employee's explanation, you should a) Call 911, and/or b) Call a family
member or other person to come and get the employee, and/or c) Call EAP
and/or your human resources representative for direction
-
Remember that
these behaviors may be symptoms of medical problem other than substance
use/abuse. Regardless of the reason for the observed behavior, the employee
is not fit for work and needs to leave.
-
Do not allow the
employee to drive a vehicle without a strong protest and an attempt to find
an alternative.
Can employee wellness programs be required
participation ?
|
Advanced Workplace
Solutions
