Most people think use of substances like drugs or alcohol results in impairment. (Source: The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)). Actually, a variety of situations may impair a person's ability to work safely and effectively:
- Family or health issues
- Trauma
- Employee stress
Investing in an Employee stress prevention process can also help.
Develop an impairment policy
A workplace committee can help your organization develop and implement the policy. The committee should include representation from:
- Employees
- Occupational health professionals
- Management
- Unions, where applicable
- Your employee assistance plan (EAP) or benefit providers (if applicable)
- Community addiction specialists (if you wish)
Your formal policy should clearly identify expectations. Also outline the consequences of failing to comply. Key messages and themes to cover in your policy include:
- Clear statement of the policy’s purpose
- Definition of problematic substance use in the workplace
- Definition of impairment in the workplace
- Definition of safe and acceptable behaviours
- Description of signs or symptoms that show potential impairment
- When to intervene if you suspect impairment
- Guidelines for the initial discussion with an employee suspected of impairment at work
- Guidelines for consistent and professional interactions with employees who are impaired at work
- Safety procedures related to intervention
- Safety procedures related to sending an impaired employee home
- Details about potential disciplinary action
- Mandatory training requirements for employees and leaders to recognize and report impairment
- List of who’s covered under the policy, such as:
- Full- and part-time staff
- Students
- Interns
- Third parties
- Volunteers
- Independent contractors
- Statement outlining how the policy will apply to:
- Work-related social events
- Off-site events
- Other non-routine business events
- Statement outlining how the policy complies with privacy legislation
- Process for informing the employer if medical treatment may impair an employee's performance
- Employers aren't usually allowed to demand the name of the medication
- Check human rights legislation
- Employers aren't usually allowed to demand the name of the medication
- Process for reporting a concern about a co-worker's fitness for duty due to impairment
- Procedure for reporting violations of the policy
- Description of any conditions under which employers can test for drugs or alcohol
- Please refer to the applicable legislation for your jurisdiction
- Disciplinary actions or consequences for both the first and further incidents
- Description of the availability of EAPs or other available resources
- Definition of what’s expected of managers or others enforcing the policy – like regularly talking with their teams
Develop a committee action plan in conjunction with the policy that:
- Schedules an initial policy review by legal advisors and senior management
- Ensures regular reviews of the policy with key players, including those listed above
- Confirms in writing that employees received and read the policy and any amendments
- Considers when workplace impairment or problematic substance use might be:
- Difficult to detect
- Potentially hazardous
- More likely to occur due to higher levels of stress, accountability or responsibility
- Considers hosting wellness, substance use and addiction awareness workshops internally or with:
- Experts
- EAP providers
- Benefit providers
- Local addiction agencies
- Use confidential surveys to get employees' opinions and feedback about the organization's wellness
Provide training
Senior leaders, managers, supervisors or union representatives should focus on addressing workplace behaviours. You’re not trying to manage problematic substance use or addiction. The training you develop should include an understanding of:
- Impairment-free policy – The intent of the policy and the procedures to follow
- Testing procedures – How or when you're allowed to test for drugs, alcohol or other impairment
- Consequences for non-compliance – What you can and can’t do within the policy or testing procedures
- Employee communication – How to explain the impairment policy
- Includes key messages about objectives and responsibilities
- Recognizing symptoms – Awareness of signs of impairment or problematic substance use
- Procedures and documentation – How to let employees know what to do when they observe:
- Impairment
- Problematic substance use
- Behaviours related to addiction
- Resources – Have on hand for employees who need to address problematic substance use and stressors, like:
- Family
- Finances
- Education or training
- Performance demands
- Crisis response training – How to respond to a crisis related to stressors, addiction or problematic substance use
- Stigma reduction – Addressing myths and stereotypes about impairment related to:
- Stress
- Mental health issues
- Problematic substance use
- Addiction
See also Impairment and addiction response for leaders. You'll find workplace strategies for responding to situations resulting from employee impairment.
Educate employees
Developing the policy and training your leaders is the first half of the process. Next, educate your employees on the impairment policy. Make sure they understand what it means for them.
Employee education could include:
- Policy communication – Explain the impairment policy, including key messages about objectives and responsibilities
- Awareness – Share information about how stressors, problematic substance use or addiction can cause impairment and impact:
- Workplace safety
- Health and performance
- Professional and personal relationships
- Consider sharing helpful information about having difficult conversations, including:
- Expert speakers – Seek out professional speakers who share their personal experience with problematic substance use and other addictions. Contact benefit providers or local addictions agencies for their recommendations.
This information is adapted from these Sunshine Coast Health Centre resources:
- Impairment at Work by The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
- You Are The Key: 10 Steps for Employers to a Drug-Free Workplace.
Please note that we offer the policies and prevention responses as information only. They address some factors related to addiction that may impact mental health. Please consider legal requirements that may apply to your organization. Please don’t rely upon this information for this purpose.
Additional resources
The following are links to resources that may be of interest to you.
- Communicating with emotional employees. These strategies can help you have supportive conversations with employees. You can also avoid triggering negative reactions.
- Does Someone I Work With Have a Problem? | PDF. Provided by the Alberta Health Services.
- When an Employee has a Substance Related Problem. This Article provides strategies managers can use to support employees who are experiencing addiction. Article courtesy of Mental Health Works.
- It’s Our Business – The Basics: Alcohol, Other Drugs and Gambling | PDF. An overview that looks at the basics and impacts of alcohol, other drugs and gambling in the workplace.