Employers' Guide To Chemical Dependency

Zero Tolerance is meant to be enforced for the sake of your normal employees!

As a recovering addict who deals with fellow addicts both in remission, and not in remission on a daily basis, and due to my continuing education in this field I am uniquely qualified to see this problem from all sides of the issue.

The ADA-The Americans With Disabilities Act covers those with the disease of addiction. Often a Chemical Abuser will threaten to seek relief against the employer if the employer tries to push the issue of sobriety for a particular employee situation.

Smaller employers without well versed legal departments often fall prey to this type of threat fearing legal sanctions, loss of revenues, expensive litigation or damaging publicity.

Fear not. This act was meant to help recovering abusers only! This act does not cover an employee who cannot demonstrate that they are clean and sober working a specific plan of sustained recovery demonstrable through blood tests. The rules of evidence call for the Addict To Prove Sobriety before any legal steps can be taken. The ADA does not support those who do not deserve support.

Zero Tolerance Policies.

It is one thing to say "zero tolerance", but it is far different to actually demonstrate it. Employee prescreening during the hiring process is fine. But it will never identify the user who cleans up for a month just to land a job. This happens quite often. Chemical Abusers are sick, but certainly not stupid.

Look For The Warning Signs

•One DUI or DWI can be an unfortunate mistake. But two incidents should throw up a red flag that this employee has a problem. We are not talking about speeding or improper turns here. We are talking about a serious lack of regard for the safety of others.

•Domestic Violence Issues. This demonstrates that the employee has a difficult time regulating their own behavior, impulses and anger.

•Difficulty forming and maintaining relationships or working "static free" with others.

•Over productivity. Yes it's a problem because it throws all caution and safety to the wind! The employee has an agenda that is so self centered that they often put other people in dire risk of injury. This is the most under addressed issue in the work place! From salespeople to truck drivers and factory workers there is a problem of self regulation and management regulation. Management's love the speed records or high sales and employees love the cash. This is supporting out of control behavior. Can be termed as Negligence when others are seriously impacted. It's cognitive dissonance at it's ugliest. It could also be criminal. It is certainly not a joke to mention this.

•Hyper activity and mood swings spell alcohol, drugs or severe emotional or physiology problems that need to be addressed.

•Anger and or feelings of unfairness that appear to be a constant for no apparent reason.

See previous.

•Mental confusion.

•Quality problems/Effectiveness decline.

•Paranoia or feeling abnormally targeted or set upon. Many a workplace shooter felt this way before loading that gun and selecting targets.

•Open outbursts of anger or displays of rage.

•Severe impatience. Nothing is ever fast enough or done quite right.

•Listlessness for prolonged periods.

•Employee Complaints! Many employers ignore employee implied complaints or actual "lay it all on the table" complaints. Unions run interference on these issues often wrongly. Huge Red Flag!

•Over self-valuing employees. Employees that over value their respective roles within the organization are unstable. Delusional.

•Seeing the same employee at a local watering hole too often. Seeing the employee drunk outside of the workplace. { Most people don't get drunk.}.

•Accident Prone. Semi annual accidents/yearly accidents both on and off of the job spell an abnormal disregard for normal precautions or an unawareness or even fraud.

•Absenteeism. Costly and avoidable. The National Average is 8 days missed a year. Anything beyond 8 days should trigger an appropriate corrective response.

•Lying. Refusing to own up to mistakes when FIRST approached.

•Constantly blaming others or reporting others. These behaviors kill the productive attitudes of others and lay waste to morale.

•Grandstanding and constant one-upmanship. Setting up fellow employees for a fall. This is hugely irrational and costly to allow to continue.

•Damaging equipment or property. There are many motives for this. None of them good though.

•Minimizing in regard to own short comings while maximizing the faults of others.

•Needless gossip/rumor mongering that damages the reputation of others.

•Sexual harassment. Inappropriate remarks, gestures, jokes, rumors or pressure directed toward the opposite or same sex.

As a management entity, the personnel are paid to manage the product/service/logistics and people. The people are the asset that powers the success of the business. Yet people are often overlooked in important policy regulation to the peril of the overall business effectiveness. This is translated into higher product cost, higher insurance rates, employee discontent and a lack of trust that undermines the organization. It can also result in lawsuits or even violence.

This is serious stuff and if allowed room to fester and grow can do fatal damage to a company. It is best for all companies big and small to post all rules to all employees and when necessary compel employees to do better or be replaced.