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Policy on alcohol related problems

  1. Introduction
  2. Aims
  3. Policy Statement
  4. General Provisions
  5. Safeguards
  6. Refusal of Help
  7. Relapse
  8. Confidentiality
  9. Applies to All
  10. Safeguarding Other Employees
  11. Education and Training
  12. Review
  13. Explanatory Notes on Policy and Procedures
  14. Procedure for Referring Employees
  15. Referral by Management

Introduction

For most people, drinking is enjoyable, but for some it can become a serious threat to health, wellbeing and livelihood. Alcohol-related problems are widespread in the general community and therefore all employing organisations will have their share of problem drinkers. St. Andrews University is no exception. It is now known that there is no single type of person who can be identified as a potential problem drinker, although some occupations are more at risk than others. Everyone is at risk who drinks.
The University has two choices, either to ignore the problem drinker until dismissal becomes inevitable, or introduce a positive policy with safeguards for those willing to be helped. In collaboration with unions*, the University Court has chosen the latter course and is introducing a policy on how to tackle alcohol abuse in the University. The following sections describe the objectives and main activities engendered by the policy together with details on such things as safeguards, confidentiality etc.

Aims

These are to:

  1. prevent and reduce the incidence of alcohol-related work impairment;
  2. reduce the personal suffering of employees with drinking problems (and of their families);
  3. engender a climate which removes the tendency to conceal, deny and cover up alcohol-related problems, and give both management and unions confidence to deal with them.

Policy Statement

The main activities engendered by the policy are threefold:

  1. to alert employees to the risks associated with heavy drinking and to promote a progressive change of attitude towards excessive alcohol use;
  2. to offer encouragement and assistance to employees who suspect or know they have an alcohol-related problem to seek help voluntarily at an early stage from helping agencies directly or via the established procedure;  and
  3. where, in the course of invoking disciplinary procedures it is suspected or known that the employee’s misdemeanour is due to an alcohol problem, to refer the employee to an appropriate helping agency for assessment and, if necessary, relevant treatment.

*The St. Andrews Association of University Teachers, The Association of Scientific, Technical & Managerial Staffs, St. Andrews University Group of the Tayside Educational Branch, The National and Local Government Officers Association (St. Andrews University Branch), The National Union of Public Employees (St. Andrews University Branch).

General Provisions

  1. It is recognised that alcohol-related problems are matters of health and social concern and therefore people with such problems require help and treatment in the same way as people subject to any other illness;
  2. Alcohol-related problems are defined as any drinking, either intermittent or continual, which definitely and repeatedly interferes with a person’s health and social functioning and/or work capability or conduct;
  3. Employees who suspect or know that they have an alcohol-related problem are encouraged to seek help and treatment voluntarily either through the laid down procedures or through resources of the employee’s own choosing;
  4. Employees who come to notice, through observations or by normal disciplinary procedures, as possibly having an alcohol-related problem will be offered the opportunity immediately to seek assessment and, if necessary, treatment from appropriate agencies. As neither members of management nor representatives of trades unions have the specific qualifications to diagnose alcohol-related problems, such referrals to appropriate agencies will be based on health grounds and/or work capabilities or conduct;
  5. In normal circumstances, it is hoped that assessment and treatment can be sought before disciplinary procedures commence.

Safeguards

In all instances within paragraphs (c) and (d) above, the encouragement, or offer of an opportunity to seek and accept help and treatment are made on the clear understanding that:

  1. the employee will be granted, if necessary, leave to undergo treatment and such leave will be treated as sick leave within the terms of the appropriate sick pay schemes;
  2. on resumption of duties, or on return to work following a period of treatment, the employee will be able to return to the same job unless it is decided that the effects of the employee’s alcohol problems renders him or her unfit or unsuitable to resume the same job, or where resumption of the same job would be inconsistent with the long term resolution of the employee’s alcohol problem; when the same job cannot be resumed, every consideration will be given to finding suitable alternative employment inside the organisation;
  3. having accepted help or treatment and resolved the alcohol-related problem, the employee’s normal promotional prospects will not be impaired;
  4. an employee whose problems have been diagnosed as being alcohol-related should, subject to the provisions of the policy, have the same protection of employment and pension rights as those granted to an employee with problems that are related to other forms of ill health.

Refusal of Help

Employees who, having come to notice through the disciplinary process as possibly having an alcohol-related problem, decline to accept the offer of referral for assessment and treatment, or who discontinue a course of treatment before its satisfactory completion - and who continue to put up an unsatisfactory level of work performance - will be subject to the normal and recognised disciplinary procedures, although every case will be considered on its merits.

Relapse

Should an employee relapse and alcohol-related problems re-appear at work, advice and help having previously been received, the case ought to be sympathetically considered in the light of expert opinion and, although not guaranteeing this, the employer should consider providing the opportunity for further treatment.

Confidentiality

The confidential nature of any records of employees with alcohol-related problems will be strictly preserved.  Records of such problems will be kept in a separate employment record from that used to record disciplinary matters.  The record shall only be available for scrutiny by the individual and the Designated Officer and will be held for a maximum of two years.

Applies to All

The Policy is applicable to all employees irrespective of the position they hold and does not discriminate at any level.

Safeguarding Other Employees

In adopting this policy, it needs to be recognised that there may be occasions when colleagues will be placed under stress during the course of treatment and rehabilitation of a fellow employee with an alcohol problem. The Head/Chairman of the department involved should therefore be prepared to take appropriate measures to safeguard the interests and welfare of such employees.

Education and Training

It is intended that all staff in a managerial or supervisory role, together with all employee representatives and members of joint consultative bodies, will receive appropriate education and training on the nature of alcohol use and abuse as it affects the workplace and appropriate training on the effective implementation of the policy.

All employees will be informed of the reasons for the policy and the protection it affords. From time to time communication and publicity campaigns will be organised to highlight various aspects of alcohol use and abuse in an effort to reduce the problems which occur.

Review

There shall be a joint review of the policy by the University Court and the recognised unions every five years.

Explanatory Notes on Policy and Procedures

  1. The word “treatment” can mean many different things, from hospital treatment, either in-patient or out-patient, care and advice by a GP, ongoing counselling, with or without short term medical care, attendance at self-help groups, and in many cases absence from work will be short term or indeed not necessary at all.
  2. The term “Designated Officer” is given to the person or persons who would be responsible for the referral procedures and would normally be the Director of Human Resources, or such other officer who is readily accessible to all employees, in order that confidentiality may be maintained without going through unnecessary channels.
  3. The suspension of disciplinary procedures, and subsequent referral, can provide the motivation for the employee to resolve his drink-related work problems, particularly in cases where the move into a problem drinking pattern has been brought about by a personal life crisis, such as temporary pressures, worries, bereavement or a financial crisis.
  4. The rejection of referral by an employee is taken to mean that normal disciplinary procedures will take their course.

Procedure for Referring Employees

Voluntary Referral (disciplinary action not involved)

  1. employee voluntarily decides to seek help through the policy
  2. employee contacts Designated Officer
  3. Designated Officer sees employee immediately and arranges an early appointment with an approved assessment centre
  4. the agency assesses the nature and extent of the problem and arranges, if indicated, a programme of help and treatment (which may include a medical examination at the discretion of a medical advisor or at the employee’s request)
  5. the agency notifies the Designated Officer if, and only if, absence from work will be entailed in course of undergoing prescribed treatment and/or if the cooperation of the Department is required regarding the employee’s duties/working conditions and regarding any aspects of continuing support from the employer.

Referral by Management

  1. employee has work capability problems, the cause of which is known or suspected to be alcohol-related and disciplinary measures have been applied or are indicated
  2. Head/Chairman of Department or section interviews employee in normal course of endeavouring to rectify work performance difficulty in presence of union representative (subject to employee’s wishes)
  3. Head/Chairman offers employee referral to Designated Officer as alternative to either commencing or proceeding with disciplinary procedures
  4. if the employee rejects the offer of referral, then normal disciplinary procedures will ensue
  5. where referral is accepted, it is emphasised that disciplinary procedures are only suspended, pending a satisfactory outcome of assessment and treatment
  6. the Designated Officer will arrange an interview with an appropriate assessment agency who will report back to the Designated Officer indicating the outcome of the assessment interview(s), and, if relevant, what cooperation is required to facilitate recovery
  7. if, however, the agency indicates that no alcohol-related problem exists, the suspended disciplinary procedures will be commenced or revived
  8. during the course of agreed treatment, should the employee cease to cooperate in any way with the agency, the suspended disciplinary action would again be enforced
  9. if the course of agreed treatment is satisfactorily concluded, then the suspended disciplinary procedures will be removed after an interval of three months, during which period there has been no recurrence of work problems
  10. in the event of problems recurring, either during the course of the three month waiting period or at a later date, each case will be considered on its own merits in conjunction with the treatment agency.