Drug and Alcohol Awareness: Employees with High Tolerance

DOT supervisor training will train supervisors to become more aware of tolerance levels of alcoholism and drug addiction. One of the dangers of increasing tolerance of alcohol is consuming too much because the person does not feel alcohol's effects. When in social environments, others may urge this individual to do the driving because they're the one that "looks fine" at the end of the party. However, because of high tolerance, the individual could be the one with the higher blood alcohol content. Employees with high tolerance may think they are "lucky" for being "efficient drinkers" but eventually may unwillingly continue with this pattern for years as dependency and denial become increasingly severe which will effect both personal life and the workplace.

DOT Supervisor Training: Addiction and Quality of Work

Job Performance includes three things: Attendance and availability of the employee; quality of work produced; and, attitude and behavior on the job. Frequently supervisors may be aware of one or two key job performance problems, when in fact many more exist. A referral to the EAP, or to any other source of help, is aided by using as many objectively determined symptoms of job performance problems as can be identified. This is helped by using a list.

The Effects of Addiction on Attendance in the Workplace

Attendance and availability are time-tested measures for identifying troubled employees and should be monitored by supervisors. Alcohol and drug addictions affect an employee's ability to get to work on time due to their uncontrollable effects. As a drug or alcohol problem worsens, employees will take greater liberties to be away from the worksite reasoning that it won't be noticed, won't matter, or that circumstances will minimize the obvious absence. Employees with alcohol and/or drug problems are absent three times more than other employees.

Drug and Alcohol Awareness: Understanding Alcoholism

Alcoholism is not a “will power” problem. It is not a character issue and it is not learned. Alcoholism is a recognized medical illness acquired by those susceptible to it, who begin drinking for the same reasons as most people do. Alcohol is a drug, and susceptibility to alcohol addiction has strong hereditary factors that have been extensively researched. Alcoholism is not an “equal opportunity” illness. Some people who drink will never experience problems with alcohol, while others will drink alcoholically almost immediately.

Stereotypes of Drug and Alcohol Addiction in the Workplace

Employees with alcoholism or drug addiction problems do not usually appear with stereotypical symptoms. Dark glasses, drunk on the job, disappearing in the bathroom, stealing money, wearing long sleeve shirts in the summer, or other popularized stereotypical behaviors are relatively rare. In DOT supervisor training, supervisors will recognize that employees with alcoholism or drug addiction problems eventually demonstrate their inability to keep their personal problem from interfering with job performance standards and understand that troubled employees are mostly identified by ongoing performance problems.

Drug and Alcohol Training: Occupations and Individuals that are Most Vulnerable to Alcoholism

Alcohol research demonstrates most people believe alcoholism to be a disease, however, this belief does not contribute easily to self-diagnosis because of denial. Most people attempt to define alcoholism by behaviors such as how much one drinks, when they drink or what they drink. In alcohol and drug training programs, supervisors will learn that some occupations are characterized by more frequent opportunity to use alcohol socially or without observation. This is why higher rates of alcoholism can be expected in workforces that are predominantly male, or positions such as traveling sale forces and the opportunity to tax one’s susceptibility increases risk and the speed of onset.

When Employees Become Aware of Addiction

Learning how to address job performance with an employee that may be struggling with addiction is key in alcohol and drug awareness training. Most employees, by the time job performance is affected, have some unspoken awareness that alcohol or drugs plays some role in their personal problems. However, they are not self-diagnosed as addicts by this awareness and denial will become a survival tool to avoid the belief that abstinence or treatment is necessary. When the employee becomes aware of the addiction, dependency to relieve withdrawal symptoms (frequently mistaken as "stress and anxiety") is so strong that the thought of treatment creates enormous anxiety and fear for the addict.

DOT Supervisor Training: Effectively Identifying Troubled Employees

DOT Supervisor training will help supervisors effectively manage troubled employees with alcoholism or drug addiction problems or any personal problems, which is to focus only on job performance issues like absenteeism, behavior, or quality of work. Avoiding discussions about whether an employee has a drug or alcohol problem and avoiding the need to decide what kind of personal problem exists, if any, results in more alcoholic and drug addicted employees being referred. The EAP staff will complete the assessment and determines the diagnosis.

Informal Approach to Substance Abuse in the Workplace

Type I is a soft approach and used by most companies with effective employee assistance programs. Some employees may accept an EAP referral with this approach and others will only think about it. Even a mandatory referral, as in DOT cases, represents a choice to get help over termination required under the federal law. The more severe the drinking or drug addiction problem, the less likely this soft approach works. However, it is good place to start with any employee.