Drugs and alcohol in the workplace is dangerous.  Employees may be using alcohol or drugs at work, and then operating equipment or working in an industrial situation where other employees depend on them for their own safety. Just imagine what would happen after an intoxicated employee caused an accident resulting in serious injury or death to other employees? Did the employer know, or should they have known about the employee drug or alcohol problem? What steps did they take to address it? Ignoring an employee alcohol or drug problem is a recipe for disaster, and simply terminating the employment doesn’t help either. The employee and their drug or alcohol problem just change workplace locations. Employee drug and alcohol problems cost organizations, in lost productivity, worker absenteeism, safety violations, money and time. Employers and co-workers need to take the steps necessary to identify employee drug and alcohol problems and seek the appropriate help, such as that offered through an Employee Assistance Program or Employee Service Support Program, and Brighton Hospital.

Recognizing the Signs of Employee Drug or Alcohol Problems in the Workplace

Because your employee or co-worker doesn’t have to drink or use drugs every day to have a problem, it’s sometimes difficult to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol problems at work. This checklist of workplace indicators can help you determine if what you are observing is likely an employee alcohol or drug problem, and if a drug intervention is needed. However, please remember that if your employee or co-worker shows any of the following workplace behaviors, it does not necessarily signal a problem with drugs or alcohol at work. The presence of some of these signs could relate to stress, depression or other problems that are not related to drugs or alcohol.

Workplace Indicators of Employee Drug or Alcohol Problems

• Workaholic behavior
• Disorganized schedule
• Decreased workload or workload intolerance
• Unsatisfactory work performance
• Alcohol on breath with attempts to cover with mints, mouthwash
• Frequent unexplained absences or prolonged breaks
• Tardiness or leaving work early
• Withdrawal from professional committees or organizations
• Defensive if questioned or confronted about the problem
• Poor judgment
• Observed occurrences of intoxication, drowsiness, hypersensitivity during work hours
• Deadlines barely met or missed altogether
• Frequent job changes or relocation
• Avoiding supervisor or other co-workers

Even without entering our renowned inpatient alcohol and drug treatment program, Brighton Hospital can offer your employee or co-worker assistance with a drug and alcohol problems through these resources: Alcoholics Anonymous, a 12-step program for employees and co-workers with a desire to stop drinking; Narcotics Anonymous, a 12-step program for employees and co-workers with a desire to stop using narcotics; and Al-Anon, a support group for family members and friends of those addicted to alcohol.

Call 810-227-1211 for a schedule of dates and times for our meetings in the Brighton, Michigan area. Drug and alcohol problems in the workplace are a serious threat to any organization. We’re equipped with the knowledge, staff, and programs to assist you in neutralizing the damage from this dangerous situation at work.