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Handling Substance Abuse Cases
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) affects how management can handle
substance abuse cases. Current users of illegal drugs are specifically excluded from
the definition of disabled under the act. However, those addicted to legal substances
(e.g., alcohol and prescription drugs) are considered disabled under the ADA.
Medical Marijuana
HR Perspective: Using Drug Testing to Determine Medication Use
Urine analysis is viewed as an effective means for determining if employees are taking
prescription drugs given to them after an injury. In addition, these tests can also show
whether or not an employee is using other drugs as supplemental medication. It can also
indicate if the individual is failing to take medication so that the drugs can be sold
illegally on the open market.
• Many employees don’t really need the prescription drugs to help manage pain and
recover.
• Employees could be either over-medicating or under-medicating, thus generating
peculiar lab results.
• The employees could be taking illegal drugs to supplement the effects of the
medication provided by doctors.
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The use of marijuana for medical reasons, mainly as a mechanism for relieving
severe physical pain, has been authorized in some states including Alaska,
An organization might consider developing a zero-tolerance policy if employers are
not currently required by states to make accommodations to medical marijuana users.
Consumption of the drug is still illegal under federal law. Another option involves
placing medical marijuana users on disability leave (or time off associated with the
B. Emotional/Mental Health
A variety of emotional/mental health issues arise at work that must be addressed by
employers. Many individuals are facing work, family, and personal life pressures.
Although most people manage these pressures successfully, some individuals have
difficulty handling the demands. Specific events, such as death of a spouse, divorce, or
medical problems, can affect individuals who otherwise have been coping successfully
with life pressures.
C. Health and Older Employees
The graying of the workforce has health and safety implications. All signs point to an
abundance of older workers and many work beyond age 65. Key practices for dealing
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D. Smoking at Work
In response to health studies, complaints by nonsmokers, and resulting state laws, many
employers have instituted no-smoking policies throughout their workplaces. The
E. Health Promotion
Health promotion is a supportive approach of facilitating and encouraging healthy
actions and lifestyles among employees. Health promotion efforts can range from
providing information and increasing employee awareness of health issues to creating
an organizational culture supportive of employee health enhancements (Figure 14-10).
Obesity
Obesity is a fact of modern life and a concern to employers, and a movement to
involve employers in employee weight management is apparently gaining
momentum. The reason employers are concerned is cost. The economic costs of
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Wellness Programs
Employers’ desires to improve productivity, decrease absenteeism, and control
health care costs have come together in the “wellness” movement. Wellness
programs are designed to maintain or improve employee health before problems
arise. They encourage self-directed lifestyle changes, including reduced cholesterol
and heart disease risks and individualized exercise programs and follow-up.
Employee Assistance Programs
One method organizations use as a response to specific and difficult health issues is
an employee assistance program (EAP), which provides counseling and other help
to employees having emotional, physical, or other personal problems. In such a
program, an employer typically contracts with a counseling agency for the service.
VI. Security Concerns at Work
Traditionally, when employers have addressed worker health and safety, they have been
concerned about reducing workplace accidents, improving safety practices, and reducing
health hazards at work. However providing security for employees has recently become
important.
A. Workplace Violence
Workplace violence is violent acts directed at someone at work or on duty. Workplace
violence can be instigated by several individuals:
• Criminal—a crime is committed in conjunction with the violence by a person with
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Workplace Violence Warning Signs
There is reason to believe that some people might downplay the risks associated with
violent colleagues. However, there are warning signs and characteristics of
HR Skills and Applications: Defining Workplace Violence Can Be Tough
Even though workplace violence usually involves inappropriate conduct of a physical
kind, guidelines issues by the U.S. Occupational Safety Commission indicate that such
violence can also include verbal assaults of others in the workplace. Such guidance
However, the standards offered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act specify that,
while verbal abuse can be considered workplace violence in some instances, claiming
that the general duty clause has been violated when such actions occur is incorrect
because circumstances resulting in considerable physical harm or death are not present.
The following best practices can help HR professionals handle such a complaint,
particularly if OSHA has been notified and sends an inspector to investigate:
• Discuss the issue with an attorney well-versed in OSHA compliance and
regulation and get advice.
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Workplace Incivility and Bullying
Workplace incivility occurs when rude behavior by ill-mannered coworkers or
bosses makes the targets of incivility feel annoyed, frustrated, or offended. Incivility
Domestic Causes of Workplace Violence
Too often violence that begins at home with family or friends can spill over into the
workplace. Many abused women report being harassed frequently at work, by
telephone or in person, by abusing partners. Such behavior can disrupt the workplace
and create a negative work environment for all parties involved.
Dealing with Workplace Violence
The increase in workplace violence has led many employers to develop policies and
practices for trying to prevent and respond to it. Policies can identify how workplace
violence is to be dealt with in conjunction with disciplinary actions and referrals to
EAPs.
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Post-violence response is another part of managing workplace violence. Whether the
violence results in physical injuries or deaths or just intense interpersonal conflicts, it
B. Security Management
A comprehensive approach to security management is needed to address a wide range
of issues, including workplace violence. HR managers may have responsibility for
security programs or may work closely with security managers or consultants.
Security Audit
In a security audit, HR staff conduct a comprehensive review of organizational
security. Sometimes called a vulnerability analysis, such an audit uses managers
Controlled Access
A key part of security involves controlling access to the physical facilities of the
organization. Many workplace homicides occur during robberies. Therefore,
employees who are most vulnerable, such as taxi drivers and convenience store
clerks, can be provided bulletproof partitions and restricted access areas.
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Violence Training
Managers, HR staff members, supervisors, and employees should be trained on how
to recognize the signs of a potentially violent employee and what to do when
violence occurs. During training at many firms, participants learn the typical profile
of potentially violent employees and are trained to notify the HR department and to
refer employees to outside counseling professionals. Specific suggestions addressed
in training for dealing with potentially violent employees typically include the
following:
• Ask questions requiring explanations and longer answers that allow individuals
to “vent.”
C. Employee Screening and Selection
A key facet of providing security is screening job applicants. HR management is
somewhat limited by legal constraints on what can be done, particularly regarding the
use of psychological tests and checking of references. However, firms that do not screen
employees adequately may be subject to liability if an employee commits crimes later.
D. Security Personnel
VII. Disaster Preparation and Recovery Planning
During the past several years, many significant disasters have occurred. Some have been
natural disasters, such as hurricanes, major snowstorms, etc. There also has been concern
about terrorism, and some firms have been damaged by fires and explosions. To prepare
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for any instance in which organizations and their employees are impacted by such events,
crisis management has become important. Learning how to effectively manage a crisis that
a company faces can be described in three basic steps:
• Pre-crisis phase—managers should identify how crises can be avoided through
proper preparation, risk assessment, and disaster prevention.
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A. Disaster Planning
For disaster planning to occur properly, three components must be addressed by HR
(Figure 14-12).
Organizational Assessment
Organizational assessment includes establishing a disaster planning team, often
composed of representatives from HR, security, information technology, operations,
and other areas. The purpose of this team is to conduct an organizational assessment
of how various disasters might affect the organization and its employees.
HR Perspective: Response Plans Should Be Current and Viable
The first step a company should take is conducting an audit of vulnerability to determine
the risks associated with potential disasters. This requires businesses not only to identify
the potential for large-scale disasters including earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, but to
also determine the likelihood of less serious setbacks such as utilities problems, fires,
losses of power and electricity, IT crashes, and theft of property and other resources.
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Human Impact Planning
Disaster Training
All of the planning efforts may be wasted if managers and employees are not trained
on what to do when disasters occur. This training covers a wide range of topics,
including the following:
• First aid/CPR
B. Disaster Planning for Disease
A significant worldwide concern is the occurrence of environmental risks. One issue
during the past few years has been the spread of various kinds of viruses and flu
throughout the world. The global nature of business travel has increased the likelihood
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Critical Thinking Challenges
1. How does one go about controlling workers’ compensation costs, and why is that
important?
A key to keeping workers’ compensation costs low is to take preventative steps to
reduce accidents and work-related illnesses. Safety programs, health programs, and
security measures (particularly those that prevent workplace violence) all help provide
2. What should an employer do when facing an OSHA inspection?
The OSHA provides for on-the-spot inspections by compliance officers or inspectors.
The employer, however, should decide whether to insist on a search warrant before
permitting entry, or to invite the inspector to undertake the safety inspection. Whether
3. As the HR manager of a distribution and warehouse firm with 600 employees, you
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plan to discuss a company wellness program at an executive staff meeting next week.
The topics to cover include what a wellness program is, how it can benefit the
company and employees, and the process for establishing it. To aid in developing your
A wellness program is a company initiative to promote employee health. There are six
reasons for worksite wellness:
• Containing and decreasing health care costs
• Most illnesses can be avoided
• The work week is expanding and workers health could suffer
• The technology revolution is on and can cause health issues
• Employees’ stress levels are increasing
• Increasing diversity in the workforce can bring new health issues
The following are the seven benchmarks of success:
• Capturing on senior level support
• Creating cohesive wellness teams
• Collecting data to drive health efforts
4. What should be included in disaster planning for a big employer in New York City
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that is concerned about terrorism attacks that might shut down the company and part
of the city?
In general students should refer to Figure 14-12 that includes the major disaster
5. Due to an increase in recent employee layoffs because of economic conditions and the
increased risk of workplace violence, as well as an increase in domestic restraining
orders that several employees have recently obtained against former spouses, company
management has decided it is time to take a proactive position and develop a
workplace violence action plan. There are many factors to consider, as your company
has three locations and more than 500 employees. For information to assist you in
identifying workplace violence categories and prevention strategies, visit the website
at www.fbi.gov.
A. Which workplace violence categories are of most concern to your company?
Students might make arguments for any of the four categories—criminal,
Case
Wellness Programs Help the Bottom Line
1. What are some factors that you consider to be important predictors of successful
wellness programs?
Student answers could include the following points:
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2. What types of activities should companies include in a wellness initiative to increase
employee participation?
Companies can offer special benefits to employees who quit smoking. They can start
3. Which of the success factors for wellness programs identified in the case do you think
is the most important? Which factor is the least important?
Student answers will vary. Some students may answer that offering wellness programs
Supplemental Cases
Data Security
This case explores the different challenges associated with the management of data
1. How would you communicate a data security policy that required software checking of
employees’ emails?
Students should include communication tools such as a policy statement that each
conversation or presentation about this during an employee orientation.
2. What elements should a data security policy for a bank include?
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Any data security policy should include details about what is appropriate and what is
3. Employee data theft most frequently occurs with new employees or when an employee
has given notice and is leaving. How would you deal with these two very different
issues?
To prevent this problem with brand new employees, it is critical that there are good
screening procedures and reference checking done for each new employee. Also, the
What’s Happened to Bob?
This case concerns some of the warning signs of possible alcohol abuse and the
Questions
1. What actions, if any, should Jack Otto take?
Student answers will vary. Some students may say that Jack Otto should discuss
the work-related signs with Bob and indicate that the company is willing to assist Bob,
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2. Identify some ways that the company and Jack have contributed to the existing
problem with Bob.
The organization and Jack did not respond to personal problems that long service,
Comments
This case illustrates the need for organizations to respond to personal problems that long
service, productive employees have. Bob Hill is exhibiting a number of symptoms from
extreme stress or alcoholism. The “blow ups” and Monday absenteeism problem are
indications that Bob needs help.
Communicating Safety and Health Success
This case provides information on the success of safety and health efforts in the workplace.
1. Identify how these two firms have incorporated elements of safety management and
health promotion described in this chapter into their programs.
Safety management includes safety policies, discipline, and recordkeeping. It also
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2. Discuss how the reductions in injuries can be used to justify the expenditures on the
various programs in NorthStar and Cox.
A cost-benefit analysis could be conducted yearly to track any decreases in medical