*Gauri Shanker, a Data Analytics Engineer, was caught consuming prohibited substances during his work hours, resulting in the termination of his employment.

Is the termination justified?

How does it violate the Code of Conduct?

What could have been done to prevent this loss for the employee & the company?

Continue reading to find the answers to these questions and many more.

Every company has its own culture, values, and beliefs. Since every employee in an organization comes from a distinct background, they have diverse behaviors, which they may think are fine, but those behavior's may not align with their company culture. A code of conduct helps employees learn to avert behaviors against their company's values. When employees are educated on the Code of Conduct, they can behave appropriately and communicate effectively with their colleagues, resulting in a healthier work environment. 

The Code of Conduct often lays down the company’s policy against using Prohibited Substances at the workplace, which includes protocols against using intoxicating substances like alcohol, nicotine and drugs by the employees. Prohibited Substance use among employees can be costly for industry and businesses as it could lead to problems that include injuries, lost productivity, theft, absenteeism, low employee morale and legal liabilities. Intoxication has become a growing problem in workplaces, and employers must take measures to help prevent undesirable situations or workplace emergencies concerning on-the-job substance abuse.

Use of Prohibited Substances: Why does a workplace need to address this issue?

Multiple aspects of the workplace need alertness and quick reflexes. Any impairment to these qualities may result in accidents and interference with the efficiency and accuracy of work. 

Here is how an employee suffers because of substance abuse in the workplace:

• Injury or illness;
• Decreased productivity; 
• Negative effects on an individual’s judgement, perception, emotional state, or motor coordination, that in turn impacts their safety;
• Preoccupation with using intoxicating substances while at the workplace, interfering with concentration;
• After-effects (withdrawal, hangover, etc.) impacting job performance;
• Psychological effects on an employee’s job performance owing to substance abuse by a coworker; 
• Unlawful activities at the workplace like selling illegal drugs to colleagues. 

More often than not, using Prohibited Substances is considered a dependency or addiction. Still, their use may fall anywhere on the spectrum, from recreational to periodic to problematic. The effects of substance abuse are also varying in work and life. 

Employers need to consider if there’s a risk to the safety of an individual or others owing to the scale of an employee's substance use. Even if someone doesn’t consume a Prohibited Substance at their workplace but is on the verge of addiction owing to its frequent use outside of the workplace, it tends to affect their workplace performance. They might turn up to work in an unfit state, deprived of the ability to make good judgments. 

How does substance abuse affect your health? 

Here’s how the use of common intoxicating substances affects your health:

Nicotine (chewing tobacco, cigarettes, snuff): The initial effects of nicotine is that of a stimulant, and later the person experiences the effects of a depressant. Stimulants and depressants are the two chief classes of drugs that impact a person's behaviour, feelings, and thoughts. Both can become addictive and result in the need for treatment.  

Alcohol (spirits, wine, beer): The effects of alcohol abuse include slowed reflexes, impaired judgement, drowsiness or sleepiness, impaired motor function, and an overdose that could be fatal.

Cannabis (hash, marijuana): Cannabis & other drug abuse results in impaired memory and coordination, and a distorted sense of time.

Inhalants (solvents, hydrocarbons, cleaning fluids, thinners, gasoline, paints): The intoxication from inhalants is similar to that of alcohol. The effects of inhalants include headache, dizziness, muscle weakness, weight loss, lack of coordination, inattentiveness, depression, and disorientation.    

Consequences of substance abuse on psychological health 

Regular use of substances, at times, changes the way your brain functions, and you lose control over the amount you consume. The changes to your brain function can result in health conditions like substance abuse disorder. This disorder is a medically diagnosed condition, not a moral failure or weakness. How fast someone gets addicted varies from substance to substance. Certain substances like opioid painkillers pose a greater risk and result in the disorder more quickly than other substances. 

Addiction is not something someone chooses. When someone is affected by substance abuse, they crave the drug without worrying about its harmful effects. The drug becomes the center of their thoughts, activities, and feelings. Substance abuse disorder is quite complex, and people can develop it for multiple reasons: 

• Environmental factors
• Mental health issues
• Biology and genetics
• Life events like chronic stress or trauma

Such reasons make it tough to stop a person’s dependence on substances. It’s not as simple as having the willpower to control or stop themselves from consuming substances. Substance abuse disorder is a treatable medical condition. You need to understand when someone seeks help, recovery can have multiple routes, and healing can take time. 

Ways in which a workplace suffers due to substance use

The costs to a workplace due to substance use are mostly masked by general illness, absenteeism and lack of productivity that could go unnoticed. Costs to an organization can be direct as well as indirect. The common effects of a prohibited substance in the workplace include:

• Sick leave and absenteeism
• Workplace harassment and violence
• Loss of productivity
• Safety issues like accidents, fatalities, etc.

Other intangible impacts on a workplace include the following: 

• Poor decision making
• Lower morale of employees
• Lowered physical well-being 
• Disciplinary procedures 
• Increased possibility of having trouble with supervisors and fellow employees
• Need for rehabilitation or employee assistance programs
• Need for drug testing programs

How can a workplace address substance abuse issues? 

There are several measures a workplace can take to address substance use issues. Both the employees and employers can work together to create a Prohibited Substances or Impairment Policy that outlines the acceptable code of behavior. The idea is to encourage workplaces to set up a policy or procedure to professionally offer help and mitigate substance abuse and its ill effects. 

The challenge of making all employees aware of and following the Code of Conduct is easily resolved with Rainmaker’s engaging, bite-sized training modules. To know more, click here: Code of Conduct - Rainmaker

Certain renowned organizations have banned smoking and consuming intoxicating substances at the workplace. For instance, after taking over Air India in January 2022, the Tata Group laid down a policy wherein employees were prohibited from smoking and consuming any intoxicating substances at the workplace. All the employees of Air India are bound by the Tata Code of Conduct and everyone has to comply with providing a safe and healthy environment for their co-workers.

Managers and supervisors need a counselling procedure or resource to effectively help the employees seeking help. Employees should be assured that they will not suffer ill-treatment or discrimination if they come forward to call out for help. Such actions help in reducing the stigma linked with substance abuse. When there’s no fear of stigma attached, people can request support without any embarrassment or fear and will openly discuss their issues around substance use. 

Lastly, employers should be educated in recognizing and managing substance abuse issues. Educational programs should be offered to employees to promote awareness. It’s important to note that it is not the employer’s role to diagnose a potential substance use problem. They can simply identify if an employee is affected by the problem and take the required steps per the organization's policy. 

Were Gauri Shanker and the Company's losses easily preventable?

*Gauri Shanker was terminated as his employer considered his actions to amount to misconduct, as the company had a zero-tolerance policy towards using Prohibited Substances. Cannabis was listed along with other illegal drugs in the Code of Conduct as a Prohibited Substance. Unfortunately, the company had not spent adequate time and resources on training employees. Had they invested in the Code of Conduct training, particularly in Prohibited Substances, Gauri Shanker and many others like him could have been educated and not have lost their jobs. The company also shouldn’t lose its competent employees as they are valuable resources for the company.

Rainmaker’s Code of Conduct Training comes in the form of an e-Module and includes a section on Prohibited Substances. Our unique training method is practical and engaging for employees and is delivered through OTT-like bite-sized dramatized modules based on real-life scenarios. Your employees watch episodes of content while at work - and before you know it, they have a thorough understanding of the Code of Conduct! You can also avail of facilitator-led workshops on the Code of Conduct and Prohibited Substances. Take action TODAY and reap benefits for the entire year. Watch the trailer of Rainmaker’s Code of Conduct offering here

*Fictional

Author: Surbhi Sharma Editor: Sumali Nagarajan

References: https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/in-focus/tata-prohibits-smoking-consumption-of-intoxicating-substance-at-workplace-for-air-india-article-91708502

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