# Slide 1

**Supervisor Training**

***Working Partners*** for an

Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace

![](media/image1.wmf)

Provided by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy

######### U.S. Department of Labor

# Slide 2

# 

# Supervisor Training Outline

-   Objectives of training

-   Overview of Drug-Free Workplace Policy

-   Supervisors' responsibilities

# Identifying performance problems and potential crisis situations

-   Recognizing problems

-   Intervention and referral

-   Protecting confidentiality

-   Continued supervision

-   Enabling and supervisor traps

-   Dos and Don'ts for supervisors

###### Slide 3

# 

# Objectives of Training

At the end of the training, supervisors should understand:

-   The different components of the Drug-Free Workplace Policy

-   Their role in implementing the Drug-Free Workplace Policy

###### Slide 4

At the end of the training, supervisors should know how to:

-   Identify and investigate crisis situations

-   Recognize workplace problems that may be related to alcohol and
    other drugs

-   Intervene in problem situations

-   Refer employees who have problems with alcohol and other drugs

-   Protect employee confidentiality

-   Continue to supervise employees who have been referred to assistance

-   Avoid enabling and common supervisor traps

###### Slide 5

# 

# Overview of Drug-Free Workplace Policy

# The Drug-Free Workplace Policy accomplishes two major things:

-   Sends a clear message that use of alcohol and drugs in the workplace
    is prohibited

-   Encourages employees who have problems with alcohol and other drugs
    to voluntarily seek help

####### Slide 6

The Drug-Free Workplace Policy exists to:

-   Protect the health and safety of all employees, customers and the
    public

-   Safeguard employer assets from theft and destruction

-   Protect trade secrets

-   Maintain product quality and company integrity and reputation

-   Comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 or any other
    applicable laws

####### Slide 7

The Drug-Free Workplace Policy answers the following questions:

-   What is the purpose of the policy and program?

-   Who is covered by the policy?

-   When does the policy apply?

-   What behavior is prohibited?

-   Are employees required to notify supervisors of drug-related
    convictions?

-   Does the policy include searches?

-   Does the program include drug testing?

Slide 8

-   What are the consequences for violating the policy?

-   Are there Return-to-Work Agreements?

-   What type of assistance is available to employees needing help?

-   How is employee confidentiality protected?

-   Who is responsible for enforcing the policy?

-   How is the policy communicated to employees?

####### Slide 9 

# 

# Supervisors' Responsibilities

It is your responsibility, as a supervisor, to:

-   Maintain a safe, secure and productive environment for employees

-   Evaluate and discuss performance with employees

-   Treat all employees fairly

-   Act in a manner that does not demean or label people

####### Slide 10

# 

It is **NOT** your responsibility, as a supervisor, to:

-   Diagnose drug and alcohol problems

-   Have all the answers

-   Provide counseling or therapy

-   Be a police officer

####### Slide 11

#  

# Legally sensitive areas:

-   Safeguard employee's confidentiality

-   Ensure the policy is clearly communicated

-   Establish procedures to thoroughly investigate alleged violations

-   Provide due process and ample opportunity for response to
    allegations

-   If testing is included, ensure quality control and confirmation of
    positive tests

-   Conform to union contracts, if applicable

####### Slide 12

# 

# Identifying Performance Problems and Potential Crisis Situations

-   Distinguishing between a crisis situation and a performance problem

-   Crisis situations are less common than performance problems and can
    consist of:

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-   Dangerous behavior

-   Threatening behavior

-   Obvious impairment

-   Possession of alcohol and other drugs

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-   Illegal activity

Slide 13

-   Questions to consider when investigating a potential drug or alcohol
    crisis situation

-   Recommended actions to take when confronted with a possible drug or
    alcohol situation

####### Slide 14

# Recognizing Problems

# **Addiction**: 

# 

# The irresistible compulsion to use alcohol and other drugs despite adverse consequences. It is characterized by repeated failures to control use, increased tolerance and increased disruption in the family.

Slide 15

Ongoing performance problems that do not respond to normal supervisory
actions may be signs of addiction and other personal problems and may
require more intervention. Examples of common performance problems that
[may]{.underline} be indicators of underlying addiction include:

-   Poor attendance -- tardiness, unexplained absences, long lunches

-   Co-worker or customer complaints

-   Mistakes and missed deadlines

####### Slide 16

# 

# Intervention and Referral

Steps to take when you have identified a performance problem:

-   Document the performance problem

-   Get yourself ready

-   Set the stage

-   Use constructive confrontation

-   Refer for assistance

-   Follow up on progress towards meeting performance goals

####### Slide 17

####### 

####### Constructive confrontation: 

####### 

-   Tell employee you are concerned about his/her performance

-   State problem

-   Refer to documentation of specific events

-   Avoid over-generalizations

-   Ask for explanation

Slide 18

-   Avoid getting involved in discussions of personal problems

-   Try to get employee to acknowledge what you see as the problem

-   State what must be done to correct problem

-   Set time frame for performance improvement

-   Specify consequences if problem continues

#######  

####### Slide 19 

[Protecting Confidentiality]{.underline}

For supervisory referrals to be effective, an employee needs to know
that:

-   Problems will not be made public

-   Conversations with an EAP professional -- or other referral agent --
    are private and will be protected

-   All information related to performance issues will be maintained in
    his/her personnel file

Slide 20

-   Information about referral to treatment, however, will be kept
    separately

-   Information about treatment for addiction or mental illness is not a
    matter of public record and cannot be shared without a signed
    release by the employee

-   If an employee chooses to tell coworkers about his/her private
    concerns, that is his/her decision

-   When an employee tells his/her supervisor something in confidence,
    supervisors are obligated to protect that disclosure

Slide 21

*If EAP services are available, employees are also assured that:*

-   EAP records are separate from personnel records and can be accessed
    only with a signed release from the employee

-   EAP professionals are bound by a code of ethics to protect the
    confidentiality of the employees and family members that serve

-   There are clear limits on when and what information an EAP
    professional can share and with whom

Slide 22

However, there are some limits on confidentiality that may require:

-   Disclosure of child abuse, elder abuse and serious threats of
    homicide or suicide as dictated by state law

-   Reporting participation in an EAP to the referring supervisor

-   Reporting the results of assessment and evaluation following a
    positive drug test

-   Verifying medical information to authorize release time or satisfy
    fitness-for-duty concerns as specified in company policy

-   Revealing medical information to the insurance company in order to
    qualify for coverage under a benefits plan

####### Slide 23

# Continued Supervision

After constructive confrontation and referral, the employee will need:

-   Continuing feedback about behavior and performance

-   Encouragement to follow through with continuing care and support
    groups

-   Accurate performance appraisals and fair treatment

-   Time to adjust to doing things differently

-   Respect for his or her privacy

-   Open lines of communication

-   Corrective action if old behaviors reappear

####### Slide 24

# 

# Enabling

# 

# **Enabling**: Action that you take that protects the employee from the consequences of his/her actions and actually helps the employee to **NOT** deal with the problem. 

# 

# Examples of enabling:

-   Covering up

-   Rationalizing

-   Withdrawing/Avoiding

-   Blaming

-   Controlling

-   Threatening

####### Slide 25

######## Supervisor Traps

-   Sympathy

-   Excuses

-   Apology

-   Diversions

-   Innocence

-   Anger

-   Pity

-   Tears

##### Slide 26

## Dos for Supervisors

-   **DO** emphasize that you only are concerned with work performance
    or conduct

-   **DO** have documentation or performance in front of you when you
    talk with the employee

-   **DO** remember that many problems get worse without assistance

-   **DO** emphasize that conversations with an EAP, if applicable, are
    confidential

-   **DO** explain that an EAP, if applicable, is voluntary and exists
    to help the employee

-   **DO** call an EAP, if applicable, to discuss how to make a referral

####### Slide 27

# Don'ts for Supervisors

-   **DON'T** try to diagnose the problem

#### DON'T moralize. Limit comments to job performance and conduct issues only

-   **DON'T** discuss alcohol and drug use

-   **DON'T** be misled by sympathy-evoking tactics

-   **DON'T** cover up. If you protect people, it enables them to stay
    the same

-   **DON'T** make threats that you do not intend to carry out