Can business afford not to have an alcohol and drug policy?`
 
   The recent Ontario court decision that forces a woman's employer to pay
for the injuries she suffered in a drunk driving incident may get the
attention of some New Brunswick businesses. A judge awarded $300,000 in
damages to real-estate employee Linda Hunt for the brain damage she got in
crash that followed drinking at an office party. That's a fair chunk of
change for even the biggest of companies here.

    In my workplace seminars, people are always shocked to find out what the
most dangerous drug in Canada is. "Is it crack cocaine," they ask? "Is it
heroin?" No, the most dangerous drug of all is alcohol. It causes more
violence, automobile deaths, suicides, depression and mental health
admissions, lost work, poor performance, homelessness and broken families.

      Alcohol and drug issues are at the core of many social, family,
legal, mental and employment problems. This woman's incident is but one
well-publicized example of how alcohol problems have affected an employer.

     Businesses need to know what effect alcohol and drugs can have in the
workplace. They also need policies and programs to help employees
who may develop problems. It is not only cheaper to help an employee with
problems than to get rid of one; it is also the humane response.
 
    People convicted of drunk driving drink and drive in the face of all
of the messages that many well-intentioned agencies have been sending out in
the last 20 years.

      More than half of them are repeat offenders. Recently this paper
reported that drunk-driving statistics were on the rise in the Saint John
area. Our educational messages have been sent but not received.

      The reason is simple. These people are affected by alcoholism.
Alcoholism is a chronic, incurable, progressive and fatal illness. The most
natural thing in the world for an alcoholic to do is drink.

     The Ontario case raised the question of responsibility. Was this
woman's drinking her problem or her employer's?

     Certainly, no one poured the alcohol down her throat but something
could have been done differently. As the judge said, her employer could have
stopped her from getting behind the wheel after seeing ample evidence of
impairment.

      I would go further, and ask if there was evidence of a drinking
problem before this incident - evidence that the employer should have seen.
If there were signs, did the employer do anything? Was the manager properly
trained to deal with it? Was there a program she could have been referred
to?

       People don't develop alcohol problems overnight. There are signs and
symptoms that people should learn to be aware of, both managers
and co-workers. The captain of the Exxon Valdez had an alcohol
problem that was not dealt with by his employer. Look what happened.
 

       In fact, I would argue it's time we asked ourselves, what is the
value of alcohol at staff get-togethers, compared to the problems it could
cause? One big company in this city does not have alcohol at its
staff functions. I think they are on the cutting edge of a trend for
businesses.

       The lesson for Canadian business is this: they better have a
workable alcohol and drug policy or they may face similar problems with
liability and safety. Most businesses in New Brunswick are small businesses
with no written policy. Most large companies have a policy but their
employees or supervisors may not know much about it.

        A policy makes sure that employees understand the rules and the
consequences of their behaviour. A policy forces the company to identify
what it will tolerate from its employees. A policy will minimize legal problems by demonstrating a reasonable effort to do something proactive. It minimizes the possibility of a manager making arbitrary decisions about a worker. It can also become a vehicle for communication with employees. It also establishes a basis for action when a worker has a problem. Most unions will be open to a policy if they see that it is benefitting the workers.

       Drafting or adopting a written policy is just the first step for
companies. They must also train supervisors to recognize the problem and to
deal with it effectively. Ultimately there should also be a confidential
employee assistance program where employees can get help. Family Services
here in Saint John, for example, provides a multitude of programs for
employers and has trained counsellors.

     If that Ontario real-estate outfit had a workable  alcohol and drug
policy, perhaps this woman's tragedy would never have happened.-30-

Nicholas Barry is a certified alcohol and drug counsellor who works with
individuals and business in Eastern Canada. His E-mail is
nick@addictionconsulting.com 

Nicholas Barry
451 Ridge Row, Saint John NB
Canada, E2M 4A2

Addiction Counselling,
Consulting and Seminars
for the Workplace
www.addictionconsulting.com