Photo: Luigi de Guzman
Did you know that about 30 percent of American adults have abused alcohol or suffered from alcoholism at some point in their lives? A 2007 study further showed that only 24% of alcoholics reported getting treatment.
Obviously, this is a serious matter for business owners and organizations when you stop and think about the workforce. Employers rely on their workers to perform their jobs well. If an employee is addicted to alcohol, certain aspects of their job performance begins to suffer. The employee misses assignments, has absences from work and executes poor judgment. If left untreated, these behaviors, typically, worsen over time.
This news article reports the sad story of an alcoholic court stenographer who repeatedly typed, “I hate my job, I hate my job” instead of recording the court transcript of a major mortgage fraud trail. Court officials were thrown into damage repair mode by holding hearings in which everyone involved in a case had to testify about what they remembered during the court proceeding.
This Entrepreneur article outlines 4 steps that an employer can take in dealing with an employee with a substance abuse problem. This article gives great insight into the fears that person has about entering into a rehab program.
If an employer does not deal with this type of workplace problem, the results can be very costly – ranging from safety of customers and employees to serious impact on delivery of services. I’m sure the “reconstruction hearings” that the Manhattan court conducted brought additional costs and perhaps other legal implications.
As in any serious personnel matter, seek legal advice before taking any action. But, don’t delay taking action out of consideration for all parties.
Leave a Reply