A Survival Guide to Managing Employees from Hell: Handling Idiots, Whiners, Slackers, and Other Workplace Demons

Chapter 18. In the Drink

Drinking can cause workplace problems, such as tardiness, missed work, and mistakes on the job, but it also can lead to accidents that can not only hurt the employee but also the business. When workers’ compensation claims and costs are factored in, drinking can be even more costly. This kind of situation can be especially troublesome when the employee’s drinking can’t be proved but you know there is a problem.

That’s the problem Judy, a staffing manager for an employment service, faced when she learned that Garrett, one of the employees she sent out on a job, might have a drinking problem. Her company handled a range of employees. They would find the appropriate employee for a client, but they remained the official employer, ...