The DAC News Service seeks to inform by providing information on topics of broad interest and concern to employers. Therefore, from time-to-time, we will select subjects we believe to be relevant and informative to the workplace environment. In a continuation of our August newsletter's focus on general "Signs of Drug Use," this month's topic is taken from a U.S. Department of Labor publication and discusses, "Workplace Symptoms and Intervention Techniques."
Workplace Symptoms and Intervention Techniques
If substance abuse is contributing to an employee's poor performance, ignoring or avoiding the issue will not help the situation. An employee's use of alcohol or drugs may be the root of the performance problem; however, substance abuse on the part of someone close to the employee could also be the source. Regardless, abuse of alcohol or other drugs inevitably leads to costly and potentially dangerous consequences in the workplace unless action is taken to confront the issue.
It is important to note that diagnosis of an alcohol or other drug problem is not the job of a supervisor. However, remaining alert to changes in employee performance and working to improve employee productivity is a core component of every supervisor's job. Because substance abuse seriously affects an employee's ability to fulfill his/her responsibilities, supervisors play a key role in keeping a workplace alcohol and drug free.
To carry out this responsibility, a supervisor must clearly understand a company's drug-free workplace policy and have the ability to identify performance problems that may be the result of alcohol and drug abuse. Furthermore, a supervisor should be capable of making appropriate referrals to employees in need of assistance for alcohol or drug-related problems.
Symptoms:
Performance
- Inconsistent work quality
- Poor concentration
- Lowered productivity
- Increased absenteeism
- Unexplained disappearances from the jobsite
- Carelessness, mistakes
- Errors in judgment
- Needless risk taking
- Disregard for safety
- Extended lunch periods and early departures
Behavior
- Frequent financial problems
- Avoidance of friends and colleagues
- Blaming others for own problems and shortcomings
- Complaints about problems at home
- Deterioration in personal appearance
- Complaints and excuses of vaguely defined illnesses
Intervention
When an employee's performance deteriorates for whatever reason, his/her supervisor has an obligation to intervene. The supervisor does not need to be an alcohol and drug abuse expert to do so because the intervention should be focused on the employee's performance problem.
The following principles of intervention may be followed by supervisors who need to confront a staff member about a performance problem that may be related to substance abuse.
Maintain control
- Stick to the facts as they affect work performance
- Do not rely on memory; have all supporting documents and records available
- Do not discuss alcohol or drug use
Be clear and firm
- Explain company policy concerning performance
- Explain company drug-free workplace policy
- Explain consequences if performance expectations are not met
Be supportive, but avoid emotional involvement
- Offer help in resolving performance problems
- Identify resources for help in addressing personal problems
In sum, the process prior to a Reasonable Suspicion Drug/Alcohol Test is simple. In a workplace setting, everything is based on performance, behavior and organization policy.
Supervisors should certainly be capable of recognizing performance issues and, assuming the organization has established a clear policy, a decision to test can be straight-forward. The key is to ensure each and every supervisor is fully aware of organization policy, the signs, symptoms and performance indicators of substance abuse, and intervention or confrontation techniques.
USIS/DAC invites you to visit our new web site, http://stsfirst.com/usisindex.asap, to explore our education options for both supervisors and employees. You will find our innovative web-effective, cost-efficient way to train supervisors.
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