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Employee At Work Who Maybe Drunk
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Employee At Work Who Maybe Drunk
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I am the COO and partner in a small company. One of my management partners thinks he smells alchohol on the breath of an employee. I cannot get close enough to tell. The employee does not report to me
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Employee At Work Who Maybe Drunk
posted at 1/14/2010 9:05 AM EST
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Posts: 1
First: 1/14/2010 Last: 1/14/2010 |
I am the COO and partner in a small company. One of my management partners thinks he smells alchohol on the breath of an employee. I cannot get close enough to tell. The employee does not report to me so I cannot judge his work. If he is drunk, it is my job to address the issue and give him a warning. What do I do?? |
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Employee At Work Who Maybe Drunk
posted at 1/14/2010 11:47 AM EST
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Posts: 562
First: 11/12/2009 Last: 9/14/2011 |
Short of administering a breathalyzer test, I think you're only recourse is to sit the employee down and confront him with your suspicions. If he admits to it, then by all means apply appropriate discipline. If the doesn't, reiterate your policy on substance abuse.
I would also observe this employees behavior. If he acts drunk, then discipline. However, be aware that there are some medical conditions which can produce an alcohol type of breath. |
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Employee At Work Who Maybe Drunk
posted at 1/15/2010 1:01 AM EST
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Posts: 186
First: 4/23/2001 Last: 4/14/2010 |
I fully agree with the first paragraph of Nork's response. However, I would change "if he acts drunk, discipline" to if he displays signs of impairment, sit him down to explain your concerns and that the Company won't tolerate that and you will need to discipline him for the impairment at work or, if he denies using drugs or alcohol, have him tested at your local hospital. I also highly recommend that if you don't already have a written policy for this you develop one. I would be happy to share ours with you if you give me your email address. |
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Employee At Work Who Maybe Drunk
posted at 1/15/2010 4:01 AM EST
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Posts: 237
First: 7/10/2007 Last: 8/31/2011 |
Good advice from all.
If you have a test-at-will policy itâs fairly straight forward as long as you document your probable cause. Companies without a written (and acknowledged) testing policy have a tougher road to follow. Hereâs what I used to give my managers when I was doing new manager training. FYI: In this company we had a written Working Impairment policy but it did not have a ârandomâ or âprobable causeâ test policy. 1. Review the policy, you need to know what it says. 2. Note observable behaviors which might be consistent with impairment. (Unsteadiness, slurred speech, making unusual errors, difficulty focusing on work, a sudden shift in demeanor) Unless your nose is registered with the state, do not rely on odors. There can be many causes for alcohol odors. 3. After noting several different behaviors which might indicate impairment, have a conference with the employee. Explain what you have observed and inquire as to the cause. (I coached my managers to show concern for the employee and avoid any accusation of impairment) Youâll likely get a story of questionable validity from the employee, medication, lack of sleep etc. After hearing the employee out, I would stress to the employee that I was not accusing them of misconduct at this point but I want to make sure they understand the rules. I then ask them to sign a copy of the company substance abuse policy and give them one to take with them. (Sometimes I recommend stapling the company EAP providerâs card to the warning if it is felt that the employee has an ongoing issue.) 4. The manager will then have to make a judgment call as to whether the employee can perform the duties of the job safely or not. Document the action taken in detail for the file. 5. At this point the employee knows that you know. Some will shape up, some wonât. If not, you walk them through the disciplinary process with each occurrence. Note 1: impaired employees usually have job performance issues. Document these carefully, as you may be able to exit them on legitimate performance issues when you lack hard evidence of intoxication. Note 2: Even if you have a positive test for intoxication on the job, check you state laws. I was surprised to learn that some states require the employer to provide counseling on a first offense. |
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