How to Recognize Drug or Alcohol Addiction in Your Employees

Alcohol and drug abuse has become a very serious threat to our workplace. Recognizing this behavior in your employees has become a vital function in the role of a supervisor. How do you know when your employee is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction? There are some signs to look out for that are less obvious than beer breath and finding a needle in the desk. How well you recognize these potential signs will determine if you are being an effective supervisor.

One sign that tends to always be present in an employee who is addicted is that they will begin to have a decline in their normal production. If an employee normally does twice the work they are currently doing, you need to pay attention to why. This is a signal that something is going on, and you can not afford to ignore it.

Another sign that addiction may be lurking is if an employee starts to let their personal hygiene go. If a normally clean cut person starts to ignore bathing, you can be sure that they are experiencing something to cause it.

If an employee is often involved with accidents around the workplace, this can sometimes be a sign that they are addicted to drugs or alcohol.

When an employee that never misses work suddenly starts to be late and miss work all the time, this is a sign that they are having a personal issue. Address this issue quickly as you may help the person to solve a problem before it gets worse.

Employee theft is certainly a reason to be suspicious. When a person is addicted, they are much more likely to steal company property. These addictions can be strong and an otherwise honest person will quickly become a thief if they need a fix. Be aware of your inventory at all times, and address any losses right away.

Employees that are overtly emotional are sometimes suffering from addiction. These emotions can range from depression to extreme highs and everything in between. Watch out for any employees that exhibits these types of extreme emotional tendencies.