Do I Smell Alcohol On Your Breath?

by Richard P. Dacri

In this tight labor market where finding good workers--and often finding and maintaining any workers is a difficult task, employers are sometimes tempted to look the other way when problems with their employees begin to surface. It is so much easier to hope that it will go away and be better tomorrow.

So what should an employer do when they think that one of their employees--maybe one of their better employees, may have a drinking problem, particularly when the only “evidence” that they have is the smell of alcohol on their breath?

The problem of alcohol and substance abuse in the workplace is prevalent today. According to U.S. Department of Labor reports, 71% of all illegal drug users are employed. This translates into a problem that nearly every employer must address, and the costs associated with this is staggering. Studies show that those who abuse drugs or alcohol are less likely to come to work, have lower productivity, increased errors, use their medical benefits at a higher level than other employees, and file more workers’ compensation claims.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance estimates that as much as 50 percent of workers’ compensation claims are related to drug and alcohol abuse. In addition, drug abusers use their medical benefits at rate of 8 times higher than non-users.

So what can employers do? How should they address this workplace problem?

If substance abuse is contributing to an employee’s deteriorating performance, ignoring the situation won’t help. It will likely only get worse and have costly--and possibly disastrous--consequences for everyone unless some action is taken.

Clinical diagnosis of an alcohol or other drug problem however is not the job of the supervisor, but work performance is. A key part of every supervisor’s job is to remain alert to changes in employee performance and to work with employees who are having problems so that performance improves.

When an employee’s performance begins to deteriorate, for whatever reason, the supervisor has the right and responsibility to intervene. The supervisor does not need to be an expert on alcohol or other drugs to intervene appropriately if substance abuse is suspected since the intervention should always be focused on the performance problem.

From an organizational strategy, employers have many options to combat this problem. All employers should establish and enforce policies prohibiting alcohol and drugs in the workplace. Supervisors must be trained in both understanding the signs of substance abuse and in addressing performance-based issues. Employees should understand that the company will not tolerate alcohol or drugs in the workplace, but will provide help for those who truly want and need it. Employers may also want to implement drug and alcohol testing, but only after consultation with their corporate attorney. And finally, the use of an employee assistance program to support the organization and problem employees can also prove invaluable.

The problems of drugs and alcohol in the workplace are not going to go away any time soon, but employers do have the ability to ensure that their workforce is both productive and safe.

Rick Dacri is a human resource consultant, featured speaker at regional and national conferences, and author of the book “Uncomplicating Management: Focus On Your Stars & Your Company Will Soar.” Since 1995 his firm, Dacri & Associates has helped organizations improve individual and organizational performance. Rick connects with people in a positive and challenging way to offer practical solutions. He can be reached at 207-967-0837, or via email at rick@dacri.com