ALCOHOL AND DRUGS POLICY GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYEES
Introduction The Company has no higher priority than health and safety. For this reason, the Company has developed an Alcohol and Drugs Policy which gives clear guidance and information on the impact of alcohol, drugs and other substances on the workplace. The Alcohol and Drugs Policy is intended to provide a framework for the Company to use should any employee need help and support for an alcohol, drug or other substance dependency, and also provides guidelines for dealing with any employee who is impaired due to alcohol, drugs or other substances whilst at work.
The aims of the Policy The Company has a responsibility towards employees, sub contractors and agency workers to: Provide a safe and healthy working environment and recognises that this may be compromised by those who misuse/abuse alcohol, drugs or other substances Ensure that its business and commercial interests are not jeopardised as a consequence of any such misuse/abuse Ensure that a reasonable balance between the Company’s interests and the rights of an employee to a private life is maintained Ensure all workers understand the implications of alcohol, drugs or other substance misuse/abuse on the workplace Ensure all workers understand the implications of alcohol, drugs or other substance misuse/abuse on the workplace this includes those working from home are also aware of their responsibilities
Who is covered by the policy? This policy applies to all employees, sub contractors, agency workers and any other person associated with the Company.
Your Responsibilities The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 states that it is the duty of all workers to “take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work”. Workers must not attend work in an impaired state due to alcohol, drugs or other substances (including prescription and non-prescription over the counter medicines). Where an employee is taking a medication that could impair their work performance they have a responsibility to inform the Company. All workers are required to adhere to the policy and understand that this is also incorporated into their contract of employment.
Guidelines and Rules To ensure all workers comply with the Alcohol and Drugs Policy no employee or contractor should: Report for work whilst impaired due to alcohol, drugs (whether illegal or not) or other substances Be in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs on company premises or in a company vehicle Consume alcohol, illegal drugs or take any substance in an unsanctioned way whilst at work Attempt to sell, distribute or supply illegal drugs whilst on company premises or whilst representing The Company Contravention of these rules is a very serious matter and the Company will take disciplinary action in the event of an infringement under the Company’s disciplinary procedures, which may include dismissal.
Dealing with Alcohol, Drugs or other Substances To ensure that due diligence is exercised and to deter and detect individuals working on Company premises whilst impaired due to alcohol, drugs or other substances, testing will be carried out by the Company in the following circumstances:
New Starter As a part of the new starter process, all successful applicants will undertake an alcohol and/or drug test.
Intervention (For-cause, conduct and behaviour) Where it is reasonably suspected that an employee’s behaviour, actions or omissions may be attributed to alcohol, drugs or other substance misuse/abuse or where a manager has reasonable belief that an employee is impaired and unable to perform their duties due to alcohol, drugs or other substances.
Post accident/incident Where an accident/incident has occurred and there is cause to believe that the accident/incident may have been attributed to alcohol, drugs or other substance misuse/abuse.
Assurance As part of an ongoing help and support programme to aid and assist the employee in their recovery.
Random Testing Workers will be randomly selected and tested throughout the course of the year. This process is regardless of the employee’s status or job function. It is to ensure fairness within the policy and give a clear message that the misuse/abuse of alcohol, drugs or other substances cannot be tolerated by The Company. Should an employee working from home be suspected of being impaired due to the use of alcohol and or drugs. The company will arrange transport for the employee to and from the Company Premises. Please be aware that a refusal of a test or a failure to provide will be treated the same as a positive test result.
The Limit for Alcohol The Company will apply the limit of 35mcg/100ml Breath Alcohol Concentration or equivalent in Blood Alcohol Concentration within the scope of the policy. Any employee who has a level that exceeds this level will be in breach of the policy.
The Limit for Drugs The use of illegal drugs or the misuse of legal drugs is not permitted. If you test positive for drugs following a laboratory drug test you will be in breach of the Company’s policy.
How Alcohol, Drugs and other Substances can affect us Alcohol, drugs and other substances can affect our behaviour and how we perform everyday tasks. Every one of our actions is dependent on the messages from the brain. Alcohol, drugs or other substances can delay or disrupt these messages. This could have serious consequences for the health, safety and well-being of the user, anyone they come in to contact with and ultimately the working environment. Alcohol, drugs and other substances can affect our: • Co-ordination and the ability to control eyes, hands and movement • Reaction speed and the ability to judge distance accurately • Short-term memory • Ability to make effective and rational decisions • Interaction between colleagues.
Counselling and Rehabilitation The Company recognises that alcohol, drug and other drug dependency can be defined as an illness, which can be overcome by the appropriate treatment. Where a person’s alcohol, drug or other substance misuse/abuse becomes a dependency problem then the employee must seek the assistance of the Company at the earliest opportunity. They can speak to any manager they wish and raise their concerns with that manager. Alternatively they can speak to Human Resources or Occupational Health. They will be offered help and support through the Human Resources Department and provided with a relevant treatment programme. Workers will be treated sympathetically, and in the strictest confidence.
If a manager has established that an employee may be suffering from a dependency problem, they will be encouraged by their manager with Human Resources to seek assistance. It is better to discuss it now, than to be involved in an incident that could lead to disciplinary action or you are proven to be in breach of the Alcohol and Drugs Policy. Therefore, you should seek help at the earliest opportunity.
Substance Dependency Identification A combination of the following indicators could be due to alcohol, drugs or other substance dependency. However, the Company also recognises they could be due to other problems such as stress, depression, relationship issues, etc. • Lateness and absenteeism • Repeated absence from post or extended breaks • Deterioration of their work performance, output and accuracy • Unreliability • Deteriorating relationships with colleagues etc. • Sudden mood changes and/or unusual irritability or aggression • Dishonesty/theft or borrowing money from colleagues • Reduced concern for personal appearance Remember: where impairment is suspected due to alcohol, drugs or other substances whilst at work this will be treated as a disciplinary offence and workers (whether they have a problem or not) may be subject to the appropriate testing procedures
Information on Alcohol The current daily guidelines for alcohol consumption are 2 – 3 units or less for men and women. Refraining one day should not mean excess on another. All workers are responsible for ensuring they are not over the Company limit of 35mcg/100ml Breath Alcohol Concentration whilst at work. The impact of alcohol depends on factors such as: • Amount consumed • ABV (alcohol by volume) of the drink • Size, age, sex, body build and metabolism • Type and amount of food eaten • Time of last drink consumed
As the information shows below just one pint of premium lager or one large glass of wine could potentially put you on or over the company limit. Guidelines indicate: “It would take a healthy liver one hour to breakdown and remove one unit of alcohol”. Typically accepted as one unit of alcohol is: • Half a pint of average strength beer, lager or cider (3.5% ABV) • One small glass of wine (125ml glass) (8-9% ABV) • A standard pub measure (25ml) of spirits/fortified wine (40% ABV) However, today the premium lagers and many wines have an ABV content significantly higher than those listed above. For example a premium lager would be the equivalent of 3 – 3.5 units of alcohol or a large glass of wine (250ml) would be the equivalent of 3 – 3.5 units of alcohol. Therefore a pint of Stella could take 3 hours to be removed completely from the body. To work out the unit of alcohol for each drink a formula can be used by multiplying the volume of the drink in ml by the strength or ABV% and divide by 1000. In addition all cans and bottles will have the content measured in units on the label.
Volume x abv% 1000 = units Additional health information is available from the Occupational Health Department.
External Helplines A totally confidential service is provided by: Drinkline – 0300 123 1110 Talk to Frank Helpline – 0300 123 6600