SUPERVISOR’S HANDBOOK
WHAT EVERY SUPERVISOR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND REASONABLE SUSPICION
DETECTION
CONFRONTATION
DOCUMENTATION
5440NW 33rd Avenue Suite 106, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida33309
Phone (954) 677-1200 * Fax (954) 677-1201
(800) 881-4TCN
The use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace resulting in worker impairment and injury is by no means a new problem. The first step towards implementing and maintaining a drug-free workplace must begin within the administration of the company. It is therefore important that those in managerial and supervisory positions become knowledgeable about alcohol and other drugs. This company has provided this manual to you solely as a guideline and it is not an extensive treatise on drug and/or alcohol abuse.
PROCEDURES
When a supervisor or manager suspects that an employee is using drugs and/or alcohol in contradiction of the company’s drug-free workplace policy, the following procedures should be observed:
1. In the event that a supervisor observes and documents declining job performance or erratic on-the-job behavior and the supervisor concludes that such behavior may be the product of the use of drugs and/or alcohol, the supervisor shall prepare a written memorandum summarizing the employee’s deteriorating job performance or erratic on-the-job behavior, as well as the supervisor’s past efforts, if any, to correct these deficiencies.
2. The supervisor shall review the written memorandum with the next higher level of management. If both levels of management concur, management will arrange for the employee to go for drug and/or alcohol testing.
3. Subsequent to scheduling the collection of urine specimen with collection site personnel, the supervisor shall meet with the employee and advise him/her of the necessity for an assessment of his or her use of alcohol and/or drugs. The supervisor should inform the employee of the warning signs which support his or her referral for a drug and/or alcohol test.
4. The supervisor will complete the attached reasonable suspicion form. The supervisor shall not accuse or even suggest that the employee has an alcohol or drug problem. The supervisor should focus solely on the reason for the drug and/or alcohol test and not judge behavior and motives. Additionally, the supervisor should advise the employee that a refusal to test or an adulterated or tampered with specimen will result in immediate termination of employment. Although, the supervisor should state that a positive test result will lead to the company disciplinary action as it is outlined in the company Employment Acknowledgment Agreement. The supervisor should further inform the employee that discussion of any disciplinary action is premature and inappropriate until the test results are obtained. The supervisor shall then arrange transportation for the employee to the appropriate collection site in order to submit a specimen for testing.
It is the policy of this company to encourage those who abuse drugs or alcohol to seek assistance.
IDENTIFYING WARNING SIGNS
Although supervisors should not attempt to diagnose or counsel employees about their personal problems, since it is beyond their expertise and the scope of their position, they are able to identify declining job performance and erratic on-the-job behavior.
- Physical Signs or Conditions: Weariness, exhaustion, unusual untidiness, yawning excessively, blank stare, sleepiness (nodding);
- Actions: Withdrawn or unusually talkative, spends an excessive time on telephone, argumentative, has exaggerated sense of self-importance, displays violent behavior, avoids talking with supervisor regarding work issues;
- Safety: Taking needless risks, disregard for safety of self or others, higher than average accident rate on the job;
- Work Patterns: Inconsistency in quality of work, high/low periods of productivity, poor judgment/more mistakes than usual, general carelessness, lapses in concentration, difficulty in recalling instructions, difficulty in remembering own mistakes, using more time to complete work/missing deadlines, increased difficulty in handling complex situations, difficulty in sorting out priority items from non-essential ones, increased personal phone calls;
- Mood: Appears to be depressed all the time or extremely anxious all the time, irritable, suspicious, complains about others, emotional unsteadiness (e.g., outbursts of crying);
- Absenteeism: Acceleration of absenteeism and tardiness, especially on Mondays, Fridays, or before and after holidays, frequent unreported absences, unusually high incidence of colds, flu, upset stomach, headaches, frequent use of unscheduled vacation time, leaving work area more than necessary (e.g., frequent trips to the water fountain and bathroom), unexplained disappearance from the job with difficulty in locating employee, requesting to leave work early for various reasons;
- Relationship to Others on the Job: Over-reaction to real or imagined criticism, avoiding and with drawing from peers complaints of difficulties at home, such as separation, divorce, or child discipline problems, persistent job transfer requests, refusal to accept authority, frequent non-work related visits by strangers or employees from other areas, unauthorized meetings with employees in remote areas.
REMEMBER: The administration and staff of this company have the right and power to promote a drug- free workplace.
A virtually endless variety of personal problems could produce these warning signs. Among the possible causes are alcohol and drug abuse. Because supervisors are not diagnostic experts, however, they should not attempt to identify the nature of an employee’s personal problems. Nevertheless, supervisors must take further corrective action to improve the employee’s job performance or on-the-job behavior when standard supervisor’s past efforts to correct these deficiencies.
- Documentation:When a supervisor concludes that standard intervention techniques have not succeeded, and
that the employee’s persistent on-the-job difficulties may be caused by personal problems, the supervisor shall complete the Warning Sign Checklist and prepare a written memorandum summarizing in narrative form the employee’s deteriorating job performance or erratic on-the-job behavior, as well as the supervisor’s past efforts to correct these deficiencies.
- Concurrence By Next-Level Manager: The Supervisor should review the completed Warning Sign Checklist
and written memorandum with the next higher level of management. If both levels of management concur, the supervisor will refer the employee for drug and/alcohol testing.
3. Constructive Confrontation: After scheduling the collection of breath, blood and/or urine specimens with collection site personnel, the supervisor shall meet with the employee and inform the employee of the need for an assessment of his or her use of alcohol or drugs. The supervisor shall not accuse or even suggest that the employee has an alcohol or drug problem. The supervisor should focus entirely on the deteriorated job performance or erratic behavior. The supervisor should inform the employee of the warning signs which support his or her referral for mandatory assessment.
During the discussion with the employee, the supervisor should be specific and cite concrete facts and information. The supervisor should use descriptive statements and should not judge behavior or motives. The supervisor should establish and maintain eye contact, should show respect for the employee, and should not become angry or argumentative. The supervisor should maintain control of the interview and keep the discussion centered on the facts supporting the supervisor’s decision. Although the supervisor should show a genuine concern for the employee’s feelings, the supervisor must not be deterred by the employee’s appeal to sympathy, hard luck stories, or promises to correct the problems.
The supervisor should explain to the employee that the company policy requires an assessment of alcohol and drug use in every case where prolonged deterioration in job performance or erratic on-the-job behavior is accompanied by significant warning signs of personal problems.
The supervisor should further inform the employee of the consequences of refusing to test, adulterating or tampering with a specimen and a confirmed positive result. The supervisor should stress that discussion of any disciplinary action is premature and inappropriate until the test results are obtained.
The supervisor shall inform the employee that he or she must present photo identification at the specimen collection site. The supervisor should then immediately have an employee escorted to the collection site.
CONSTRUCTIVE CONFRONTATION CHECKLIST
DO:
* Arrange for an adequate, uninterrupted period of time. Meet in private. * Be straightforward. Stick to concrete, documented facts, observations that the employee cannot refute. * Focus entirely on the deteriorated job performance or erratic on-the-job behavior. * Use descriptive statements. Establish and maintain eye contact. * Show respect for the employee * Maintain control of the discussion. Be honest. Speak with authority. * Accept no excuses. * Explain Company’s alcohol and drug abuse policy. *Explain need for drug test. * Explain consequences of both positive and negative results.
DO NOT:
* Become angry or argumentative. * Sermonize or pontificate * Judge behavior or motives. * Ask why the employee does certain things; “ why “ serves an excuse. * Be put off by sympathy-provoking tactics, which could include crying. * Diagnose the problem. * Accuse the employee of alcohol or drug abuse. * Discuss possible disciplinary actions.
SUPERVISOR REPORT
Employee’s Name:
Date(s) of Behavior: Date(s) of Report:
Observed Behavior:
Actions Taken By Supervisor (s):
WARNING -SIGN CHECKLIST
Physical Signs or Condition:
______Weariness, exhaustion
______Unusual untidiness
______Yawning excessively
______Blank Stare
______Slurred Speech
______Sleepiness (nodding)
Actions:
______Withdrawn or improperly talkative
______Spends excessive amount of time on telephone
______Argumentative
______Has exaggerated sense of self-importance
______Displays violent behavior
______Avoids talking with supervisor regarding work issues
Accidents:
______Taking needless risks
______Disregard for safety of others
______Higher than average rate on the job
Mood:
______Appears to be depressed all the time or extremely anxious all the time
______Irritable
______Suspicious
______Complains about others
______Emotional unsteadiness (e.g., outburst of crying)
Work Patterns:
______Inconsistency in quality of work
______High/low periods of productivity
______Poor judgment/more mistakes than usual and general
______Lapses in concentration
______Difficulty in recalling instructions
______Using more time to complete work/missing deadlines
______Increased difficulty in handling complex situations
______Difficulty in sorting out priority items from non-essential ones
______Increased personal phone calls
Absenteeism:
______Acceleration of absenteeism and tardiness, especially Mondays, Fridays before and afterholidays
______Frequent unreported absences, later explained as “emergencies”
______Unusual or questionable excuses for absences
______Unusually high incidence of colds, flu, upset stomach, headaches
______Frequent use of unscheduled vacation time.
______Leaving work area more than necessary (e.g., frequent trips to water fountain and bathroom)
______Unexplained disappearance from the job with difficulty in locating employee
______Requesting to leave work early for various reasons
Relationship to Others on the Job:
______Overreaction to real or imagined criticism
______Avoiding and withdrawing from peers
______Complaints from co-workers
______Borrowing money from fellow employees
______Complaints of difficulties at home such as separation, divorce and child discipline problems
______Persistent job transfer requests
______Refusal to accept authority
______Frequent non-work related visits by strangers or employees from other areas
______Unauthorized meetings with employees in remote work areas
Additional Information:
SUPERVISOR 1/ Signature SUPERVISOR 2 / Signature
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