I am astonished that no one suggested that as a first step the museum as
employer should have a written drug and alcohol policy in place. Such a
policy would spell out what behavior is expected of all employees AND
volunteers.

Such a policy should outline specific prohibited behavior, for example it
might say that the possession and or consumption of any substance which may
impair an employee's ability to perform his/her job in a safe manner is
prohibited.

The policy should define controlled or illegal substances, it should
address prescription drug use, and even identify how the employer should
act given "reasonable suspicion" of drug or alcohol use.

My employer, for example, when presented with "reasonable suspicion"
requires the employee to sign a concent form allowing for urine testing or
breath sampling. Failure to sign the form or provide a sample subjects the
employee to disciplinary action--including discharge.

The policy also provides for assistance in overcoming illegal druge use or
controlled substance abuse. Our goal is to get employees into successful
rehab but the decision to seek treatment is the employee's responsibility.

I urge you to get sample policies--they're becoming an HR standard so
sample policies must be easily available--and talk to HR professionals
about how to approach someone.

Please also remember that some medical conditions mimic alcohol abuse and
may give a sufferer an alcohol-like odor to his/her breath. I'm not sure
I'd start the conversation by saying "have you been drinking?" As a
supervisor, I may sit the person down and focus the conversation on that
persons job tasks. Act in a manner that does not demean or label this
person. It IS NOT your responsibility to diagnose this person or to provide
therapy. You're in trouble if you go into this conversation with out clear
procedures for handling an alleged violation.

I suppose I could ramble on about this forever, but the bottom line is this
is a sensitive matter and I urge you to focus on the volunteer's work
output. Tell her/him you're concerned about her performance. State the
problem. Refer to documented specifc events. IF you don't have these, start
now! Ask for an explanation and try to get her to acknowledge what you see
as the problem. PROTECT HER CONFIDENTIALITY. Set a time frame for
resolution. Follow up.

Standard supervisor stuff.

Good luck
Diane Gutenkauf


On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 12:05:59 -0600, plb2f <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I would suggest asking the woman if she has been drinking on a day when you
>smell alcohol on her breathe. You don't need to state your suspicions or
>concerns, but by asking her the question she will, hopefully, realize that
her
>drinking is apparent to others and she may remedy the situation on her own.
>In the meanwhile, I would consult with an attorney and follow his/her
advice
>respect to the liability issue.
>

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