Alcoholism at work

Hi Melanie,
Assuming there's no policy in place for such matters (many businesses went down an alcohol and substance misuse policy process introduction in recent times) I would advise the person's line manager invite them in to a private room, point out the concern, entirely without judgement, and ask for their response.

A straightforward, chat.

The alcohol that people can smell, can absolutely be alcohol and the person might be under the influence at work. If they open up about this, then I'd suggest the company works alongside them, sympathetically but reasonably, to support them, explaining that it will never be acceptable to present for work under the influence irrespective of what might be driving that person to this position. At the same time, look to see what support you can offer them if they do have an alcohol issue. Occupational Health assistance and employee assistance programmes can include for this usually.

Additionally, the alcohol could have been from the evening before, and not consumed in large quantities either, but taking longer than most people to metabolise. I recall a case where an employee presented themselves for work smelling of alcohol and they openly admitted to having consumed 2 glasses of wine the evening before, which I suppose would not be over-indulgent by most people's consumption. This should have metabolised out of their system in time for work the next day, but it hadn't, hence the smell. They subsequently visited the GP, had tests and it was discovered they had liver/kidney issues which meant they were metabolising the alcohol at a much slower rate than most people.

Lastly, it might not be alcohol at all. It could be other things that have the same smell. Some medicines and health conditions can have this affect I believe.

I guess the key is not to jump to any conclusions, act swiftly, ask the employee about the matter privately, and be supportive yet reasonably in assisting them if they need it.

Hope this helps.
Mark

How do you know he is an alcoholic?

There are concerns that the person 'smells' of alcohol at work, however this doesn’t necessarily indicate that they are an alcoholic. I am looking for advice specific to the situation but also in a broader context and how best to manage alcoholism in the workplace. There clearly needs to be some policy development in this area as we have very little guidance in place at present.

Hi David - you've 'replied to' me so I wondered if you were responding to me or the question in general?

If to me, I've made no assumption that this person is an alcoholic.

Mark

Sorry Mark, My reply was of course directed to the OP, Melanie.

Sorry Mark, My reply was of course directed to the OP, Melanie.