Policy 8.6 Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy

8.6 Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy

LUU does not condone any form of drinking of alcohol or substance abuse from its employees whilst on duty or during working hours.

We also request that employees are aware of the length of time that alcohol and other drugs remain in the body and continue to have an effect and that employees do not attend work whilst still under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Under no circumstances must any illegal substances be brought into work.

It is also recognised that LUU is a licensed premises and therefore staff may consume alcohol on-site outside of their working hours. There will also be occasions when LUU holds staff parties to celebrate key events. Staff are reminded that as such occasions are related to work that they are required to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. For further information please see the Off Duty Staff Behaviour policy.

If you have any concerns about a colleague who may be working under the influence of alcohol or drugs, talk to your line manager a member of the People Team.

Dealing with unacceptable conduct or unsatisfactory performance at work related to alcohol or drugs consumption

If a manager considers that their concerns about a member of staff's performance and/or conduct might be related to alcohol or drug misuse, they are advised to arrange to meet the member of staff.

At this meeting the manager will discuss their concerns regarding the member of staff’s performance or conduct which suggest possible drug or alcohol misuse.

If, following this meeting, the manager’s view remains that the member of staff's unsatisfactory work performance or conduct is due to either alcohol or drug misuse, they will inform the member of staff to this effect and alert them to the assistance LUU is able to offer them to help them to overcome this dependency.

The manager will also inform the member of staff that, whilst this support is being provided, LUU requires their performance and/or conduct to improve to an acceptable standard and that if improvement is not made it may be necessary to take disciplinary action.

Employee support

Employees who believe that they may have an alcohol or drug-related problem/dependency are encouraged to seek confidential help and advice from the Staff Counselling Service, the Occupational Health Service, their GP or relevant external agencies. All parties should acknowledge that a full recovery may take time. Details of support services can be obtained from the People Team.

Any appointments made to receive medical treatment during work hours should be agreed in advance with your line manager.

Members of staff may need to take sick leave while undergoing any treatment and will be required to produce medical certificates to cover any period(s) of sickness as per the sickness absence procedure.

Any prolonged absences will be dealt with in the same way as any other long-term sickness absence (under the sickness absence procedure) and may ultimately lead to termination of employment upon the advice of the Occupational Health Service.

Relapse

If a member of staff who has received assistance and support suffers a relapse, LUU will consider the case on individual merit. Advice will be obtained from the Occupational Health Service as to how much more treatment or rehabilitation time is likely to be required for a full recovery. At the manager's discretion more treatment or rehabilitation time may be given in order to help the member of staff to recover fully.

In the event that the member of staff relapses on more than one occasion, unless there are very exceptional circumstances, the ongoing performance and/or conduct issues will be dealt with under the sickness absence or disciplinary procedures as appropriate.

Dependency raised as a mitigating factor in a disciplinary meeting

If a member of staff's alcohol or drug problem/dependence is raised as a mitigating factor in a disciplinary meeting, it may be appropriate to postpone the meeting and the member of staff then referred to the Occupational Health Service for advice. It is also recommended that the member of staff is encouraged to seek advice as outlined in this policy.

Confidentiality

A member of staff with an alcohol or drug misuse problem has the same rights to confidentiality as they would for any other health-related condition. This information is considered to be sensitive personal data and therefore should not be disclosed to anyone without the express consent of the member of staff.

Serious misconduct caused by alcohol or drugs

When a member of staff consumes alcohol or drugs during the working day such that their work performance is affected, the manager will meet with the member of staff to advise them that this is unacceptable and they may be sent home.

If the member of staff is severely incapacitated they may need to be escorted from LUU premises and taken to a place where they are considered to be safe. Consideration may also need to be given to suspension from duty under the disciplinary procedure. Such occurrences will be investigated and may result in disciplinary action, which could ultimately lead to dismissal.

Members of staff found in possession of illegal drugs (as defined by relevant drug related legislation) or believed to be buying or selling illegal drugs will, following an investigation in accordance with the disciplinary procedure, be deemed to be committing an act of gross misconduct which may result in summary dismissal.

Monitoring and evaluating the policy

• The effect of this policy will be monitored by looking at the following areas:

• number of accidents and periods of absenteeism which can clearly be related to alcohol or drug misuse;

• disciplinary warnings (including dismissal) relating to alcohol or drug misuse;

• awareness of sensible drinking and basic facts about alcohol and • how the respective responsibilities under this policy are dealt with.