Human Resource Role in Dealing with Alcoholism - Research Paper Example

HRM: Dealing with Alcoholism, drug addiction, stress and emotional illness Introduction An organization’s human resource department is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the human component is utilized effectively and efficiently in order to achieve the organization’s goals. The ability of the human resource management to effectively deal with social issues such as drug abuse and emotional stress within organizations significantly is a key competence which promotes performance of the company. The increasing number of cases of alcoholism, drug abuse, stress and emotional illness among employees has significantly reduced their effectiveness prompting the human resource management to device mechanisms for dealing with such issues in the organization. Substance abuse and stress related conditions among employees often lead to substantial costs for the organization which may negatively impact on a company’s profitability in the long run. Consequently, the human resource managers in most organizations seek to address these challenges by providing employees suffering from such problem with the necessary help required for recovery and maintenance of good health. Through extensive literature review, the report analyzes various methods and techniques through which the human resource management can address problems of alcoholism, drug abuse, stress and emotional illnesses among the workforce in order to promote good health conditions and to ensure that the employees adhere to the rules and guidelines governing drug use in the organization and society at large. In dealing with alcoholism and substance abuse, the report analyzes the use of random drug testing as a means of ensuring employees adherence and commitment to a drug free working environment, and the establishment of employee assistance programs which are aimed at creating awareness and assisting employees to deal with problems of alcoholism and drug abuse as well as the underlying causes prompting them to indulge in the deviant behavior. Stress and stress related disorders in the work place are also analyzed in the report with methods of dealing with mental illnesses among employees such as provision of counseling and psychiatric services, creation of a stress free working environment, training on stress management as well as the establishment of wellness programs being emphasized on as the strategic means of dealing with stress in organizational context. Although it is not practically possible to create an absolutely stress free working environment, the organization should seek to minimize pressure and further provide employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to deal with their stressors or to relate with other employees suffering from stress. The report further recommends that more strict measures should be put in place by the human resource management while dealing with people engaging in drug abuse and excessive drug abuse while those suffering from mental illnesses should be treated with more caution. Human Resource Role in Dealing with Alcoholism Estimates of drug use in the work place populations provide clear evidence that alcoholism and drug abuse are not only problems of the unemployed but also adversely affect employed people. Alcohol related problems among employees may arise as a result of personal and work place problems or a combination of both. These problems not only affect the health and well being of workers, but also lead to reduction of overall output of employees indulging in alcoholism which impacts negatively on organization performance. Employees’ drug abuse and alcoholism is estimated to cost U.S business and industries billions of dollars annually and a study conducted by Research Triangle Institute revealed that the cost of reduced productivity was over $99 dollars per year while that of treatment and support services amounted to over $17 billion (Scanlon 1991). Just as there are multiple causes of alcoholism problems among employees, there exist numerous approaches through which the human resource management can address the issue of alcoholism and drug abuse in the work place. The human resource management may formulate policies that assist individuals with drug related problems. One of the first steps in dealing with alcoholism involves the identification of the causes of alcoholism. This is especially challenging for human resource managers who depend on the cooperation of the alcoholic employees to unveil the causes of their problem after which they can offer assistance. For instance, employees may be having difficulties in dealing with certain stressing events and frustrations and gains relaxation and relief from intake of alcohol. In addition, certain stressful working can lead to alcoholism conditions. Consequently, the human resource management must recognize that alcoholism is a disease that follows a set course before proceeding to provision of assistance (Kleynhans 2006). In the US, Americans with Disabilities Act describes alcoholism as a disease and require that employees suffering from alcoholism to be treated like any other employee with disability and should not be discriminated against. However, alcoholics often lose control which reduces their overall performance hence requiring them to undergo rehabilitation. At this stage, the human resource managers are faced with the challenge of identifying the problem and getting the employee to accept that she or he has a drinking problem and therefore needs help. Therefore, in order to identify alcoholism problem as early as possible, they should conduct constant and systematic checks on employee’s performance in order to identify those whose performance is deteriorating over time and discuss with such employees the cause of decline in their performance. Techniques commonly used by human resource management in dealing with the problem of alcoholism include identifying the initial problems that led to the alcoholism problem, ensuring that the levels of stress and anxiety in the work place are kept at their minimum, implementing rehabilitation programs for employees suffering from alcoholism, and using other health care and employee assistance programs to deal with alcoholism in the work place (Kleynhans 2006). While disciplining alcoholic employees may result in negative behavior among the victims or stigmatization of the same by other employees, the human resource should ensure that they put in place, strict measures and policies regarding use of alcohol among the company’s employees. The company may also refer such employees to external agencies from where they can access help or in house counseling after which the employee resumes work after recovery. SANCA Johannesburg proposed a constructive confrontational approach in dealing with the issue of alcoholism in the work place which involves four steps (Kleynhans 2006). First the HR managers should confront individuals in a firm in a supportive manner and should ensure that the interaction is objective, factual and none threatening in order to meet the intended objectives. Secondly, managers disclose to the employee, all the factual evidence that drove the confrontation such as absenteeism records and task completion figures in order to prove that the employee’s behavior is impacting on his or her performance in the work place. Thirdly, the human resource managers should encourage effective communication in the process in order for the employee to be open and honest. Finally, on identification and acceptance of an alcoholic problem by the employee, the managers should assist the employee to seek professional help. Human Resource Role in Dealing with Drug Abuse among Employees The issue of substance abuse by employees in organizations has become a major area of human resource concern due to the increasing awareness of costs associated with substance abuse in organizations as well as the associated loss in productivity, health care costs and liability risks. These costs continue to increase over time due to the fact that drug abuse is widespread, expensive to treat, and the process of dealing with such cases does not in most cases amount to successful outcomes. Evident from appendix 1, the rate of illicit drug intake prevalence in United States was higher among the unemployed relative to the employed in both 2008 and 2009 while the number of people who engaged in the same was higher among the employed. Drug abuse by employees within the work place is a liability risk since such employees are likely to engage in behavior that place other employees, customers, and the employer at risk. Consequently, if the employer has any reasonable cause to suspect that an employee is engaging in drug abuse, he may assume civil liability for the employee’s actions on the job (Klingner & O’Neill 1991). Under occupational Health and Safety Legislation, employers are under the obligation to provide a safe work place for their employees and other stakeholders and this liability extends to the employees’ actions regardless of their state of mind. This responsibility assumed by employers have been the major driving force behind drug testing within organizations which has been widely viewed as a reflection of an organization’s management way of taking responsibility of reducing harm that emanates from drug abuse by employees. Drug testing is one of the most common yet controversial ways of preventing substance abuse in the work place. This practice raises controversy over employees’ commitment and efficiency and their individual rights since it is perceived as degrading and invasive. In addition to imposition of economic costs on the organization, drug testing results in significant human costs for which the human resource management is ultimately responsible. Research has revealed that drug testing programs employed during employment and pre employment has played a significant role in reducing incidences of employee absenteeism and accidents which results from recklessness by employees operating under influence of drugs. Consequently, the process is recognized as one of the most popular methods of dealing with the issue of substance abuse in the organization and potential litigation and reputation damage associated with the same (Deckop & Deckop 2006). The human resource managers often use random drug testing of employees in order to ensure that the employee are meeting the their contractual obligations to a satisfactory standard as well as contributing towards achievement of employer’s duty of care as provided for in the occupational, health and safety legislation. However, the cost effectiveness of drug testing has been found questionable with the American Civil Liberties Union arguing that based on the analysis by a committee of The National Academy of Sciences, most workers who use illicit drugs do not use them in the work place and often use such drugs to in such a way that they do not affect their performance in the work place. The organization further criticizes the studies that claim that drug use implicate costs of over $ 100 billion arguing that such studies are based on dubious comparisons of household drug use and income and do not analyze the actual productivity data making them less valid (Deckop & Deckop 2006). In order to prevent substance abuse among employees and to promote a drug free working environment within an organization, the human resource management may develop a comprehensive drug free work place program which aims at preventing, detecting and dealing with substance abuse in the work place (Sharma 2009). The program should incorporate components such as a written policy which clearly outlines how the employees are expected to behave within the organization context and consequences that follow violations of rules and substance abuse prevention program which promote employee drug education component that enhances awareness on the effects of drugs within organizations. In addition, the program should emphasizes on training of management and the human resource personnel dealing with substance abusers in order to equip them with the relevant skills and competency to deal with such issues upon occurrence. Further, the management should adopt an appropriate testing method as well as an employee assistance program to assist in prevention, identification, and referral to treatment for employees with drug problems. Human Resource Role While Dealing With Stress among Employees In order to effectively manage stress among the employees, the human resource management should seek to identify the individual’s underlying causes of stress which results to provision of assistance by addressing the stress causing stimuli. Back in the 80s, mush research in the field of work place stress suggested six major sources of pressures at work (Cartwright & Cooper 1997). These factors vary according to the degree to which they are found to be linked to stress in a particular job or organization. Researchers classified these sources of stress as; those intrinsic to the job, individual role in the organization, relationships at work, career development, change in organizational structure and environment, as well as the non work factors. In order to prevent stress resulting from factors within the organization, the human resource management should ensure that they address the factors intrinsic to the job by improving the working conditions and addressing the grievances brought forward by employees in order to promote their job satisfaction. The conditions prevailing in the working environment may negatively impact on the employees senses consequently affecting their mood and overall mental state. The human resource management should among other things ensure that the environment under which the employees are working in is conducive in order to promote their health and overall wellbeing. They dynamic nature of the modern organizations which often drives organization change has prompted change in organization structures which often results in stress for employees who have to adjust to these changes. The human resource management should therefore seek to effectively manage the associated pressures of organizational change in order to minimize stress among the employees. Cartwright and Cooper (1997) came up with a three process approach to stress management in organizations which provide a comprehensive framework through which the human resource management should maintain level of stress as low as possible within the organizational context. The primary prevention is concerned with the human resource management’s move to modify or eliminate the sources of stress inherent in the working environment in order to reduce the negative impacts of the same on individuals. This may include strategies such as redesigning tasks and work environment to meet employees’ needs, establishing flexible working schedules and encouraging participative management, involving the employees in career development, providing social support as well as ensuring fair employment policies which promote the wellbeing of the employee in the work place. Secondary prevention is concerned with prompt detection and management of experienced stress by increasing awareness and improving the stress management skills of the employee through extensive training and educational activities (Burke & Cooper 2006). Due to the existing individual differences that determine the personal stress threshold, secondary prevention method assists in developing self awareness and other stress reducing techniques to enable them to adapt to certain stressful events. The secondary level intervention therefore involves health promotion activities and lifestyle modification programs through stress education and stress management training which helps employees to identify symptoms of stress, and overcome negativity and stigma which is often associated with the stress label. One of the limitations associated with secondary prevention is the fact that it seeks to address the consequences rather than the sources of stress within the organization. Consequently, this type of intervention is often referred to as “band aid” since it emphasizes on strengthening individual’s adaptability to the stressful working environments rather than promoting stress free working environment. In tertiary prevention, the human resource management engages in promoting treatment, rehabilitation and recovery process of those employees suffering from the negative impacts of stress. At this level, intervention often takes the form of counseling service to the troubled employees, Employee Assistance Programs and in house counselors which in turn promote the psychological wellbeing of the employees (Burke & Cooper 2006). This kind of intervention is particularly effective due to its ability to help individuals to only deal with organizational related stressors, but also other kinds of stressors that emanate from external environment. Role of Human Resource Management in Dealing with Emotional Illnesses among Employees Individuals in the modern society have to deal with a lot of stressors emanating from work, family, and personal life pleasures. As shown in appendix 2, both low and high levels of stress may result in low performance of the individual. Consequently, the human resource management aims at maintaining stress at optimum level in order to achieve high level of performance from the employees. While some people manage these pressures successfully, other has severe difficulties in handling such pressure and end up suffering from severe cases of stress. Emotional illnesses may result from other external factors such as loss of spouse or close member of the family and medical complications. Since emotional illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression are considered as disabilities under ADA, the human resource managers should be particularly careful when dealing with such cases in the organization and while imposing disciplinary policies in cases where an employee has been diagnosed with emotional related problems. While in most cases, the employees are often referred to counselors and employee programs to access help for mental health, employees with severe cases of stress and depression are encouraged to attend psychiatric therapy in order to receive specialized treatment (Kahn, 2004). Employees suffering from depression are offered treatment through employee assistance programs and medical treatment. In order to promote mental health among the employees, the human resource management should establish wellness programs which are designed to maintain and improve employee health by encouraging self directed lifestyle changes and avoiding the long term impacts of stress (Jackson & Mathis 2005). In addition, such programs promote healthy lifestyles which in turn reduce cases of mental illnesses and heart related diseases. The human resource management can further promote company sponsored support groups which help individuals dealing with health related issues such as weight loss and smoking cessation which in turn promotes their wellbeing and reduces the chances of stress among the individuals engaged in such activities. Further, the company should constantly evaluate the effectiveness of their health promotional programs in order to assess whether they are serving their intended objective of promoting mental health among employees. Conclusion and Recommendations As we move further into the twenty first century, it has become more evident that effective human resource management in an organization is a major source of competitive advantage and the single most important determinant of an organization’s long term performance. Since organizations have acknowledged that sustained performance will only be achieved through efficient utilization of human resource component, organizations have heavily invested on human resource management professionals who are charged with the responsibility of addressing challenges, issues, and opportunities arising in this sector. As described in the study, some of the major challenges facing the human resource in modern organizations include alcoholism, substance abuse, stress and emotional distress. These challenges have to be addressed professionally by the human resource management in order to ensure that they do not impact negatively on the overall performance of the company. Alcoholism, one of the major problems facing the modern society has negatively impacted on the performance of organizations through reduction in overall output of the employees indulging in excessive alcohol intake, negligence, and increased absenteeism. Consequently, the human resource management seeks to actively assist individuals suffering from alcoholism by establishing the root cause of the problem after which the individual is subjected to disciplinary measures or put under mandatory rehabilitation in order to promote recovery and improve his overall wellbeing. The problem of drug abuse is equally important for the human resource management. In additions to the legal implications associated with illicit use of drugs, the practice negatively impacts on the performance of the company and research has revealed that costs amounting to billions of dollars are incurred annually in various industries as a result of drug use by members of the organization. Since an organization is under legal obligation to ensure a safe environment for all the relevant stakeholders, they should be strict while dealing with drug related problems within the organizations and implement measures such as random drug testing to ensure that employees adhere to rules and regulations governing drug use. In addition, employees found operating under the influence of drugs should be subjected to disciplinary measures in order to discourage other employees from engaging in the same. In addressing issues relating to stress and stress related diseases, the human resource management should aim at reducing stressful conditions existing in the organization in order to reduce the amount of pressure being subjected to the employees on daily basis. Ensuring a favorable working environment provides employees with an opportunity to deliver their skills in a less stressful environment which promotes their mental health and overall wellbeing and positively impacts on their performance in the company. Consequently, while it may be difficult for HR to address the stressful issues emanating from external environment, they should seek to improve conditions within the organization which produces stressful stimuli for employees. In addition, the management should provide assistance to employees suffering from stress and stress related conditions through the provision of employee assistance programs, counseling services, and establishment of wellness programs which aim at promoting the employees mental and physical health. Evident from the study, condition of an organization’s human resource plays an important role in determining the company’s overall performance. If employees are engaging in substance abuse and alcoholism, this not only impacts on the productivity of the company but can also cause significant damage to the corporate image of the organization hence negatively impacting on sales revenue. Consequently, a company should formulate strict rules and guidelines governing the use of alcohol and prohibiting use of illicit drugs in and out of the organization breach of which should result in immediate termination of employment. This would significantly reduce cases of alcoholism and drug use among the work force. However, the human resource management should be lenient when dealing with employees suffering from stress and other mental illnesses. Despite the fact that these illnesses may not always result from factors existing within the organization, the organization should formulate measures aimed at assisting employees to address the issues causing stress and mental illnesses in order to promote their health which in turn translates to higher output and improved performance for the organization. Reference List Burke, J. R., Cooper, C. L., 2006. The Human Resources Revolution: Why Putting People First Matters. New York, Emerald Group Publishing. Cartwright, S. & Cooper, L. C., 1997. Managing Work Place Stress. New Delhi, SAGE Publications. Cooper, L. C., Burke, J. R., 2006. The Human Resource Revolution: Why Putting People First Matters. New York, Emerald Group Publishing. Deckop, R. J., & Deckop, R. P., 2006. Human Resource Management Ethics. London, Information Age Publishing Inc. Jackson, H. J., & Mathis, L. R., 2005. Human Resource Management. New York, Cengage Learning. Khan, A. P., 2004. The Encyclopedia of Work Related Illnesses, Injuries and Health Issues. New York, InfoBase Publishing. Kleynhans, R., 2006. Human Resource Management. Cape Town, Pearson South Africa. Klingner, E. D. & O’Nelli, G, N., 1991. Work Place Drug Abuse and Aids: A Guide to Human Resource Management Policy and Practice. Connecticut, Greenwood Publishing Group. Scanlon, F. W., 1991. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in The Work Place: Managing The Care And Costs Through Employee Assistance Programs. New York, ABC-CLIO. Sharma, S. K., 2009. Handbook of HRM Practices: Management, Policies and Practices. New Delhi, Global India Publications. Appendices Appendix 1 Source: http://www.brighthub.com/office/human-resources/articles/106337.aspx?image=151256 Appendix 2 Source: http://www.google.co.ke/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mbaknol.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/stress-graph.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mbaknol.com/management-articles/introduction-to-stress-management/&usg=__KyRv6sx6CyHswmxk8OSlxvJ7DwU=&h=321&w=500&sz=15&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=BOYWk5nfI_OpWM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhuman%2Bresource%2Bmanagement%2Bof%2Bstress%2Bgraphs%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D792%26bih%3D378%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=cGeLTdr0J4aB4QailpGADg Read More