You must be thoroughly prepared before confronting an employee about workplace problems that may be due to substance abuse intervention.

Successful interventions, those that lead to an accurate identification of the problem, an acknowledgment of that problem by the troubled employee, and a willingness by the employee to get help, usually occur because the supervisor or manager is well prepared for the intervention. There are certain key steps that you should take before you intervene with an employee.

You should seek the assistance of other managers and
supervisors when preparing to confront an employee.

Always get another opinion regarding any action unless
life or safety is immediately endangered. Always seek out the
advice of your supervisor or manager if available or another supervisor
if necessary. No supervisor is asked to make a decision alone.

If work performance falls off, ask for another supervisor’s opinion to confirm your observation. If, after discussing the situation with your supervisor or another supervisor, the decision to intervene is made, that intervention should be prompt.

Don’t delay. The problem will not go away and the longer you wait, the more difficult the problem may become.

Review the employee’s complete record, which includes all the documentation that might be important to the discussion with the employee.
You should review:

Attendance records.

Incident/Accident reports.

Job performance reports.

Client and customer complaints and kudos.

In preparing for an intervention, supervisors must be aware of their own capacity to become an enabler to the drug user.

An enabler is a person who finds excuses not to deal with another’s problems. He or she wants to be “nice,” and for this reason is uncomfortable with making an intervention, or is always willing to give the troubled employee another chance.

Enabling allows troubled employees to continue their behavior. It may take many forms. For example, repeatedly giving in to an employee’s request for “one more chance” is enabling.

Not clearly delineating the employee’s work or personal habits or reminding the employee of the work standards and the employee’s responsibility to adhere to these standards is enabling . Not insisting that an employee meet work standards enables a drug user.

Not questioning why an employee is habitually late.

Repeatedly excusing an employee’s poor performance because of “personal problems”.

Shifting work around “covering” because you feel sorry for the employee.

Not wanting to confront an employee/friend.

Enabling only promotes the problem. It will get worse. Only by taking action will the supervisor have a chance to restore the troubled employee to fully productive work.

Supervisors must be prepared to deal with the drug user’s denial.

During an intervention, employees will try to redirect the blame, discuss other people’s problems, or change the subject.

For example, in the case of alcohol abuse, be prepared for the employee’s denial that any problems at work or home are resulting from or causing his or her drinking. Alternatively, he or she may deny that drinking is a problem and indicate that there is no need for assistance.

Employees who are having alcohol and other drug problems, or other compulsive behavior problems, will usually deny that the problem exists.

In some instances, the employee is not aware of the behavior which is occurring and is consequently shocked or angered when the suggestion is made that there is a problem.

Other employees may be aware of their general behavior, but believe that they “have it under control.”

It is important to include an understanding of denial in your preparation for intervention. Prepare for the predominant, indeed overwhelming reaction by the employee in question:
denial, denial, denial.

Expect denial and prepare for it. Don’t let the vigor of the employee’s denial dissuade you from completing the intervention.

Your intervention may indeed save that employee’s life or a co-worker.

Schedule the intervention promptly.

Nothing is gained by delay. The employee’s problem will get worse: any co-worker tensions will increase. The negative impact on your workgroup will continue.

Schedule the 15 or 20 minutes that the interview will take with the employee. Be sure the setting is private and that you will not be interrupted. Make this appointment a matter of immediate importance. Don’t put off the session or allow the employee to do so. The employee must clearly understand from the outset that you want to speak to him or her immediately.