How to Understand, Identify and Confront a “Functional” Alcoholic on the Job?

What is the Supervisor’s Role?

As a supervisor, you have an important role in dealing with alcohol problems in the workplace. These problems appear as a host of behavior, conduct, attitude, quality of work, and attendance or availability issues that wreak havoc on productivity. Training in substance abuse (whether DOT or Non-DOT in scope, can help you act sooner when you witness these sorts of problems.)

In your daily responsibilities monitoring your employees’ work and on-the-job behaviors and their conduct, your basic supervisory responsibilities may include and are not limited to:

• assigning, monitoring, reviewing, and appraising work and performance
• setting work schedules, approving or disapproving leave requests
• taking necessary corrective and disciplinary actions when performance or conduct problems arise
• referring employees to your agency’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP)and other resources
• hiring, promoting and terminating employees

As a DOT supervisor concerned with reasonable suspicion of substance abuse, you will likely have to deal with employees with problems related to substance abuse which may impact safety, performance, conduct, and sickness/leave problems.

In some cases, you may not know for sure, but do suspect that there is an alcohol problem, but haven’t yet seen a direct impact of the alcohol use on job performance.

As a DOT supervisor, all of these roles you play create can be challenging, especially when it involves having an employee who is “functional” in their work performance, but has unpredictable alcohol related problems. This employee is particularly difficult to confront because  their work performance is often not detectably impacted.

Eventually however, the employee may be intoxicated while at work or come to work still a bit “buzzed’ and participate in risky decision making or dangerous behaviors. They could be in an accident or be arrested for drunk driving. Your role is not to diagnose the alcohol problem but to engage in a proactive role in dealing with the performance or behavior problem, hold the employee accountable, document and refer the employee to the EAP, and take any appropriate disciplinary action.

Your proactive role in dealing with alcoholism in the workplace is crucial. The most effective way to get an alcoholic to deal with the problem is to make the alcoholic aware that his or her job is on the line. You send a message that they have to face their substance abuse, access EAP programs and supports, and improve performance, or they will face the serious the possibility of losing his or her job.

As a DOT supervisor it isn’t your role to diagnose but it is your responsibility to safeguard the health and safety of your employee and the organization.

Reasonable Suspicion Training, required under federal law, trains DOT supervisors to identify the signs and symptoms of drug and alcohol use and abuse. The Reasonable Suspicion training highlights the need to take action as an integral part of the process for change

The terms “problem drinker” and “functional alcoholic” are labels that support denial. Unfortunately, they help the alcoholic continue drinking unaffected by the anxiety of self-awareness. These two labels although commonly used even by health care workers, are not medical terms.

The term “functional” and “problem drinker” only negatively help the alcoholic, their family, and/or friends and co-workers/supervisors to make sense of or compare the person, in the context of familiar ideas or terms, to an idea of an illness that feels less threatening or dangerous.

For many, the role of enabling an employee with alcohol abusive behaviors typically feels like the "right" thing to do in response to the problem behavior. Actually, unfortunately, it helps the alcoholic or addict escape responsibility for their actions.

The ability of the addict to deny, rationalize, externalize, and minimize problems while having others accept their excuses and explanations, ends up helping the addict get sicker and exposes the company to a myriad of risks and expenses in monetary and human cost.

Even though you must not try to diagnose the problem, you should be aware of both the obvious and sometimes more subtle signs that may indicate a problem with alcohol or drug abuse which should trigger a referral to the EAP. Recognizing, documenting and identifying these are a strong first step in the process.

 

Employees will show irregularities or instances in these areas:

 

Changes in Leave, Tardiness and Attendance, or general behavioral changes

 

·         Increased or new unexplained/unauthorized absences from work

·         Frequent tardiness, increased use of sick leave

·         Patterns of absence, like the day after payday or frequent Monday or Friday absences

·         Frequent unplanned absences due to "emergencies" (e.g., household repairs, car trouble, family emergencies, legal problems)

·         The employee may also leave their duty station without explanation or permission for significant periods of time, frequent bathroom breaks, odd changes in eating habits, glassy eyes, smells of alcohol or drugs

 

Performance Problems:

• Careless, sloppy work or incomplete assignments or reports
• Production quotas not met, late with delivery of shipments, late arrival of shipments or truckloads
• Many or repetitive excuses that may seem plausible
• Poor decision making, risky behaviors, blaming others

Often in jobs requiring long-term projects or detailed reports that take time, an employee may be able to hide a performance problem for quite some time. In positions where driving or use of machinery is involved, the immediate exposure to risk and injury is increased and enormous.

 

Relationships at Work with coworkers and management:

• Relationships with coworkers will likely become strained and involve conflict or volatility  
• Often the employee may be belligerent, argumentative, or short-tempered, especially in the mornings or after weekends or holidays. Often, they may be in a mood, or unpredictable and then feel guilty later
• The employee may become a "loner", or avoid people and work events

Behavior and Appearance at Work:

The general appearance of being inebriated or under the influence of alcohol may include but not be limited to:

• The smell of alcohol or any drug substance on the breath, clothing or even in a vehicle
• An unsteady gait, or frequent injuries attributed to a fall or just being “clumsy”
• Bloodshot eyes
• Moodiness, increased behavior changes or volatility
• Excessive use of mouthwash, breath mints, gum
• May avoid supervisory contact, especially after lunch or first thing in the morning
• Changes in appetite or eating habits- not eating, binge eating, throwing up, excessive thirst
• Tremors or sudden seizures, frequent headaches
• Napping or sleeping while at work

Not any single one of these signs means that an employee is an alcoholic. However, when these warning signs are coupled with performance, behavior or decision-making problems, it’s important to carefully document and make a referral to the EAP for an assessment so that the employee can get appropriate access to help.

 

Signs of a Functional Alcoholic

 

Since there is no such thing as a ‘functional alcoholic”, the signs and symptoms of alcoholism and substance abuse are the same as for a functional alcoholic. Many people hold the misconception of the classic picture of an alcoholic as someone who always drinks too much and whose life is falling apart because of it, but that's not always the reality. In reality, often times an employee may not drink for periods of time and/or then binge drink, then the next day they may still be under the influence when they arrive to work. They may drink every day consuming alcohol at varying times or repetitive times i.e. “another nightcap” or an “eye opener”.

The misconceptions of what an alcoholic is, is often tied to the idea of what people call “functional” or “high-functioning" alcoholics. After all, they are getting their job done…but they are actually flying under the radar. You can still be an alcoholic, even though you have a great “outside life,” with a job that pays, a home, a family, friendships, and social bonds.

It’s all still problem drinking, even if you think it's “mild” or “functional”. Remember that the pattern of behaviors you observe will vary dependent on whether they are using alcohol or illegal drugs.

What Are the Signs?

For women having more than three drinks a day or seven drinks a week, is considered heavy drinking and for men, it's four or more per day or 14 drinks in a week. If you drink more than the daily or weekly limit, you’re at risk for a range of problems and alcoholism.

There are some other red flags you should watch for:

• They aren’t keeping up with major responsibilities at work
• They are losing friendships or having relationship problems
• They have legal problems related to drinking, such as a DUI arrest
• They seem to need alcohol to relax or feel confident
• They will drink in the morning or alone or on the job
• Get drunk when you don’t intend to
• Forget what you did while drinking
• They will lie about drinking, hide alcohol, or get angry or defensive when confronted about drinking

Confronting an employee suspected of substance abuse

There are 5 basic skills that you should be familiar and comfortable with to become a proactive participant in a DOT substance awareness and abuse policy intervention.

Skill 1...Sharpen your observational powers so you can intervene earlier

Skill 2...Take a proactive role- don’t wait

Skill 3...Document your suspicion

Skill 4...Act on the Drug Testing Policy in place with your workplace

And skill 5...Communicate your suspicion to the employee and referring to testing

Facing the Challenge

Fighting substance abuse in your workplace is one of the hardest and most complex challenges you’ll face as a manager. Expect the following to occur:

• It may likely be difficult to initiate a discussion of this delicate and personal topic to begin intervention
• Employee confrontations rarely proceed smoothly and happily- make sure you have another manger or EAP person present when you confront. Do not diagnosis  
• Employees may be resistant at first. You’ll need to stay calm and consistent. Consider the use of a script to guide and focus you and your team when you meet
• Never perform an assessment yourself, always refer  

Why You Should Get Involved

Remember, employees and your organization will benefit from professional counseling and treatment. It may feel awkward, uncomfortable or even intense but by initiating a proactive role, but everyone will benefit in the long run.

By stopping an impaired employee from driving a vehicle or operating machinery, you may prevent accidents that cause permanent harm to the worker and others, damage business image, impact insurance and increase exposure to future risk.

If you know what to look for - and what to do, you can proceed with confidence and provide potentially life-saving support, a win-win for everyone.