Imagine an employee who consistently comes in late because they’re hungover, or even takes a lot of Mondays off work with poor excuses. Chances are they’re not performing very well in their job and any time off work affects not only their productivity but that of their colleagues and clients. If it happens occasionally the employer might just think it’s normal behaviour – after all, social drinking is an accepted way to have fun. However, any time that a hangover affects work it should become a problem. You literally don’t know whether an employee just has an active social life, or is abusing alcohol.
The same goes for drugs – it’s easy for employees to cover up drugs problems but there will be signs such as unusual behaviour and maybe even mood swings at work. All of this affects productivity and an employer is within their rights to use discipline. Any employee who jeopardises their performance in this way becomes a liability and you’re well within your rights to discipline someone based on lateness, bad behaviour or poor decision-making.
The range of measures you’re allowed to use however is quite strict. For example, you can’t demand that an employee be drugs tested for no reason. Many companies test their employees as part of the interview process and this gets it out of the way right at the start. It also gives a firm impression of your policy on drugs. If you don’t have any sort of policy it’s difficult to introduce one when you think there’s a problem because you can’t discriminate against any particular employee. This is why it’s particularly difficult if you only suspect a problem but there are no outward signs such as consistent absences.
If an employee does have a drink or drugs problem it’s treated like any other disability. This means that the employer is obliged to help the employee to find treatment (whether this is hospital treatment or a drugs rehabilitation centre) and also return to work when they’re able. It seems strange because alcohol abuse is good cause for disciplining someone, yet you have to help them return to work after seeking treatment. It’s important therefore that your policy abides by all the legal requirements so you’re able to take a tough stance but provide support where needed.
Testing is the one sure way to find out if employees are abusing drink or drugs and it’s becoming increasingly popular with businesses. It allows for a stringent policy – if you fail the test you might lose your job, so it’s something worth thinking about implementing in your company. Setting expectations lets everyone know where they stand and can stop long-term problems arising in the first place.
