S A F E T Y
HOW TO
DEAL WITH
EMPLOYEE
HANGOVERS?
We live in a day and age where
having a few drinks is a normal part
of, perhaps, everyday life. While the
population varies from the nondrinker
to the extreme, when it comes
to the workplace, what happens
after hours is completely out of your
hands. However, as a business owner
or employee, you can try to control
the aftermath – effectively, the
hangover.
It is inevitable that at some point you
will have an employee/s who arrives
at work hungover, and while generally
this can be deemed acceptable,
repeat or severe offenders or those
that are in breach of health and
safety standards can be a huge
cause for concern. So, what can
you do to minimise the chance your
employees show up to work sporting
a hangover?
DRUG AND ALCOHOL
POLICY
First and foremost, having the
appropriate policy in place when
it comes to drugs and alcohol will
assist in advising an employee
of acceptable and unacceptable
behaviours and the associated rules
regarding alcohol in the workplace,
being under the influence and
suffering the effects of alcohol or
drugs. Having such a policy will not
only stipulate what is required but will
also safeguard you in the event of a
breach in the policy and carrying out
appropriate disciplinary action.
EMPLOYEE RECORDS
You should keep records on all your
employees and these should include
their employment agreement, hours
worked, leave taken (including sick
leave), performance appraisal, any
appropriate personal information
required for employment reason
and any other employment
misdemeanours or accolades. As an
employer, you are within your right to
record the times employees present
with a hangover. Be careful though
– you cannot just assume your
employee is suffering the effects of
alcohol, you must have confirmation
first.
Approach the employee in a gentle
and non-threatening manner and
simply ask if they are hungover. Make
sure you keep a written account of
each occasion and if the problem
continues, you have the evidence to
support the claims, meaning you can
commence appropriate disciplinary
procedures.
DUTY OF CARE
Some hangovers carry with them
a lingering blood alcohol level that
affects a person’s ability, reaction and
thinking capacity. If your employees
drive, operate machinery or work in
any sort of hazardous circumstance
a lapse in judgement or misuse
of equipment as the result of a
hangover can be catastrophic. It is
your duty to that person and to all
other employees to recognise any
presenting signs and act accordingly
to diminish the risk.
It is also important to understand that
in some cases, the employee maybe
suffering as a result of addiction or
emotional challenges that are work
related, completely separate from
work or a combination of the two.
You have a duty of care to assist any
employee who is struggling because
of work or non-work related issues.
If you have the facilities in place to
offer your employee assistance,
perhaps in the form of an Employee
Assistance Program or similar,
recommend the employee utilises
this service to get the help they
need or, with permission, make
an appointment on their behalf. If
this is not available, try to openly
communicate with them, suggesting
they seek professional guidance and
assistance themselves or with your
help.
While most hangovers will be the
result of a little bit of careless fun,
alcoholism is a serious illness that
now affects close to one in 10 New
Zealanders. When faced with a
hungover employee, be sure to act in
good faith and approach the situation
in a fair and just manner.
If you need assistance in devising
a drug and alcohol policy for your
business, or are uncertain of the
action you can take with a repeat
or severe offender, Employsure
can help. As the leading workplace
relations specialist, we will work
directly beside you to help you
achieve a fair a safe workplace for all.
Contact an Employsure specialist
on 0800 675 700.
44 November 2018