Drug addicts can turn to HR
Confidentiality assured, but assess work culture, too
By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer
Employees with drug-abuse problems should research the culture and climate of their workplaces before coming forward, said Michelle Alarcon, a professor of management at Hawai'i Pacific University.
What to do if you suspect a colleague has a substance-abuse problem? There is no rule of thumb for employees to follow if they suspect a co-worker has a problem. "If there is an issue about the health, safety and welfare of others in the workplace, we have an obligation to take some action," said Elaine Bailey, associate professor and chairwoman of the management and industrial relations department at the University of Hawai'i's College of Business. "But you have to be very careful and relatively sure that what you perceive as a drug problem is actually the case." Employees need to judge each instance carefully before deciding whether to speak to a co-worker directly, call in a supervisor or bring their concerns to the company human resources department, Bailey said.
"You have to know what kind of culture your company has," she said. "Is it employee friendly?"
Advice for employees
The federal Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires "that employers must protect the workplace," said Alarcon, who has a law degree. "Since drug use is basically illegal, if an employee comes forward and says, 'I need help,' there are some employers, unfortunately, who may fire them. That's the worst-case scenario."
In a best-case scenario, Alarcon said, employees with drug problems would be offered confidential treatment with no recriminations.
Alarcon suggests that drug-addicted employees protect themselves by first seeking treatment on their own before admitting their problems at work.
"They have much better protection if they go into rehab first because then they're under the protection of the Americans With Disabilities Act and will have federal protection," Alarcon said.
But Elaine Bailey, associate professor and chairwoman of the management and industrial relations department at the University of Hawai'i's College of Business, said that employees who go to their human resources departments will be assured of confidentiality.
In many cases, Bailey said, the employees' supervisor may not even be notified.
"HR is safe," Bailey said. "That is an area where confidentiality is really critical to the profession. If an individual comes to the HR department, that confidentiality is preserved."
Many businesses hire outside employee assistance programs to handle substance-abuse treatment, and employees need to go through their human resources departments to get the benefit, Bailey said.Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8085.
