One too many.
Q. I think one of my designers has a drink problem. They are often off sick on Mondays and sometimes late during the week. I’ve also noticed they find it difficult to concentrate. What’s particularly annoying is the fact that their design work can be amazing one day and absolutely dire the next!
I really don’t know how to tackle this – in some respects it would just be easier to sack them!
A. Given recent events with the Lib-Dem party, this is hugely topical and rings a few bells, doesn’t it!
I’m glad at least that you’ve stopped to ask the question before doing something as drastic as sacking them.
There are two sides to this story and you must decide your own approach.
If this is a talented individual who has only recently started behaving erratically then this may be the result of some lifestyle change or temporary issue that is easier to address. If the individual has always been erratic and you are simply losing patience, then I would have to question why you had not addressed this before.
Basically, whilst everyone has the right to a private life, when it affects work, the company or the workplace then you can legitimately get involved. On the one hand, you can address it simply as a performance issue. Call them in, raise the issues of attendance and inconsistency, and seek improvement over a specified period of time. This may ultimately become a disciplinary issue and could result in termination of their employment having followed the requisite procedure.
However, in my view, this is missing a vital ingredient. You are their employer and have a moral responsibility for their wellbeing, as well as the legal responsibility for their health and safety within the workplace.
I would urge you to raise the work-related issues, but also to ask if there is anything that is causing this pattern of behaviour with which you can help. Perhaps they are under undue stress and they drink to relax? Are they unhappy at work and suffer the Sunday Night Syndrome? (You may know the one: can’t face work the next day, worrying about workload/politics/job security, drink to help you sleep and avoid thinking about it…..) Whilst you can’t force them to tell you, it is at least not only raising the negative aspects, but offering a potential way out of what may become a downhill spiral towards termination of employment.
Part of any disciplinary process addressing their erratic performance should be to help them overcome any issues that are affecting that performance. If you have an Employee Assistance Programme, you can recommend contact and counselling. In any event, you can point them in the direction of their doctor, or any other form of professional help.
I am not suggesting for one minute that it is your responsibility to solve whatever their problem may be. This is likely to be a matter for professionals and a doctor is a good place to start. However, your duty of care as an employer should direct you to helping them to overcome any such problems, and supporting them whilst they do so.
If you have a talented individual in the office whose work has helped to enhance your company’s design reputation in the past, but who has recently failed to maintain these standards, it is in your interests to try to retrieve the situation. Communication is the key!
February 2006
FX Magazine