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Handling workplace policy violations: substance abuse Would you know what to do if an employee violated your organization’s policy on use of substances (drugs or alcohol) at work? If not addressed, workplace substance abuse can put your team—and the entire organization—at risk.

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Signs of employee substance abuse Slurred speech, unsteady gait or glassy-eyed appearance; scent of alcohol on the breath; unusual, erratic, secretive or aggressive behavior; deterioration of physical appearance.

A team member’s substance use can harm employee morale, safety, work quality and productivity. It’s therefore wise to review your organization’s policies on substance use and testing. Many employers promote alcohol- and drug-free workplaces where employees are not permitted to possess, use or work under the influence of substances. If you learn of an employee’s substance use, your role as a leader is to administer disciplinary action consistent with your organization’s policies. In some cases, immediate employee termination is appropriate.

Impaired work performance such as inefficiency and missed deadlines; unexplained and/or frequent absenteeism; extended lunch breaks; needing others to pick up part of the employee’s workload.

When you’re unsure of how to handle sensitive employee situations, speak with your organization’s HR representative and/or a Workplace Support Services consultant— accessible via your program—for objective, professional input. See Workplace Support Services on page 2.

Withdrawal from responsibilities; unusual borrowing of money from others; unexplained trips to storage rooms or restrooms, i.e., to use drugs or alcohol.

While your role is not to diagnose an employee’s substance use problem, in many cases you can refer the employee to the EAP for evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation.

If you suspect that an employee is impaired due to drugs or alcohol, keep your focus on specific behaviors and actions that relate to job performance, safety, and organizational policies and procedures.

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How Workplace Support Services can help Workplace Support provides professional consultation to help supervisors manage employees who have work performance problems including substance abuse. • While most people will recognize when they have a problem and will contact the EAP on their own, in some cases you will be the first to notice something is wrong.

employees sustain recovery, a workplace support consultant establishes a structured, individualized follow-up plan.

• To access professional guidance, call your program’s toll-free number to be connected with an experienced consultant.

• If your organization’s policies include “mandatory” EAP referrals, the employee’s participation in counseling is a condition of his/her continued employment.

• An EAP counselor will meet with the employee, assess the problem, and if necessary, refer the employee to a treatment resource or program.

• If an employee requires hospitalization for chemical dependency treatment, the workplace support consultant helps smooth the back-to-work process through employee re-integration, performance monitoring and follow-up.

• Evaluation and treatment are just part of the long process of recovering from substance abuse. To help

How to deal with an employee using substances at work

Constructively confront

Document performance

Offer support

If your organization maintains an alcohol- and drug-free workplace, you’ll need to determine if disciplinary action should entail immediate employee termination. Set up a meeting with the employee. Calmly and firmly confront the employee about the substance abuse infractions you have observed.

If you suspect a problem, begin by documenting the employee behaviors and actions that may indicate a substance-related work performance issue. Write down your observations about the employee’s performance, including dates and times of the observed situations. (Checklists are available to help you do this.)

If employee termination is not indicated, offer support: refer the employee to the EAP. Explain how the program helps and is confidential. Don’t try to diagnose or counsel an employee yourself. Additional management resources—including documentation checklists and a Supervisor Handbook—are available to you under the MANAGERS tab on your program’s website.

Webinar—Please join us on Sept. 28, 2016 for a leaders’ webinar: Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace for Managers. Register here.

M-S80E (9/16)  ©2016 Magellan Health, Inc.