Confronting an employee drinking problem

Sometimes, as an employer, it can be hard to evaluate where the boundaries are regarding how much of your employees’ personal lives you should interfere with.

However, if you do notice one of your employees exhibiting what appears to be a potentially harmful relationship with alcohol or drugs, it is important to address the problem sooner rather than later.

These conversations can be difficult, especially for someone who does not have experience dealing with issues regarding addiction and mental health.

Some signs someone may have an alcohol issue:

• A decline in their “normal” standards of performance.
• Late for work on multiple occasions.
• Unreliable, often forgetting tasks/missing deadlines.
• Bloodshot eyes, dishevelled appearance or generally looks drained.
• Noticeable shaking/tremors.
• Drinking alone, or coming to social events smelling of alcohol or already partially drunk.
• Often drunk or drinks more than other employees at events and gatherings.

Tips to have a productive conversation:

1. Choose the appropriate time and place: since these conversations can be sensitive, it is important you respect the boundaries of your employee and choose an appropriate time and setting to raise these issues in private.
2. Avoid accusatory language: when discussing your concerns, ensure that your employee knows you are coming from a place of care for their wellbeing, rather than simply critiquing their performance as an employee.
3. Consult your policy: your company should have a written policy in place in order to deal with these kinds of instances if, for example, the individual has been using drugs or alcohol at work. If your goal is to help your employee, reassure them that you are having this conversation because you want to help them get better and save their career, rather than simply calling them out as a disciplinary measure.
4. Know your employees’ rights: Employment protection law requires employers to treat dependence as a form of sickness, rather than an immediate cause for dismissal, giving the employee the opportunity to overcome the problem. Companies are not legally required to implement alcohol and drug policies, nor to pay for treatment for employees with alcohol and drug problems.
5. Active listening: you should be able to read your employee’s reaction to the conversation to decipher how willing they are to consciously accept their addiction. If an employee acknowledges they have a problem then you can suggest resources available for them to get help. If the employee chooses to deny the problem exists but it is severely impacting their work then you may need to outline the consequences of their drinking continues to impact their performance.
6. Be prepared and be patient: expect that your employee may be in denial, they could become defensive, even slightly angry at the situation.
7. Present the facts: since you probably do not have very much knowledge of your employees’ problem or personal life, try not to make assumptions or apply labels such as ‘alcoholic’ to them, no matter how convinced you are regarding the severity of their problem. Instead, you may want to refer to specific incidents that have led to your concerns, for example, has that individual been late for work on multiple occasions recently, repeatedly missed deadlines, have you smelt alcohol on their breath etc.
8. If your employee desires so, provide concrete steps they can take: Give them details of the company doctor, health practitioner, company therapist, external private therapist or a nearby GP; gather contact details of different professional organisations or rehab clinics that offer treatment. If your company provides health insurance and this policy covers private rehabilitation centres then ensure they are aware of this. Reassure them that they can have the time off required to attend rehab and focus on recovery.
9. Try not to pathologise the issue: addiction is a lot more common than we often think. If your employee is already dealing with these personal problems it is likely they are in an extremely dark place, so you should be conscious not to make them feel worse.
10. Don’t internalise the responsibility: although you obviously want to help your employee, it is not your responsibility to ensure they get the help they need. You can offer a hand, and point them towards professional help but your responsibility ends here.