Leadership Responsibilities

As a leader, you hold responsibility—including if you notice changes in a staff member’s behaviour or performance. However, addressing addiction in the workplace can be challenging.

We help you respond early and professionally. The members of the Addiction Prevention and Support Working Group de provide advice, background knowledge, and practical guidance for conversations with team members affected by addiction. This enables you to respond with confidence and empathy—in the best interest of both the affected staff and the entire team. Confidentiality is always the highest priority.

It is important to remember that you are not a physician or therapist; therefore, you should not make a diagnosis or provide treatment. However, you should document any conspicuous behaviour of the team member concerned and raise this issue with them. Clearly communicate the level of performance you expect, which can be based on the Agreement on Addiction Prevention and Supportpdf, 45 kb · de. 

Practical advice on this is also provided in our Intervention Guidepdf, 47 kb · de and Intervention Pathwaypdf, 24 kb · de.

How should acute incidents be handled?

If an employee is under the influence of addictive substances to such a degree that they are clearly unable to carry out their work properly, they must not be allowed to continue working under any circumstances. As their line manager, you are responsible for ensuring they have safe transport home. Simply telling the employee to go home is not enough. In the event of acute substance abuse during working hours, safe transport home has to be arranged for the employee. 

What is safe transport home?

Safe transport home includes accompanying the employee concerned to the door of their residence, not just the journey from the workplace. Based on your duty of care as the line manager, you must take all reasonable steps to ensure that your team member reaches home safely. It is recommended that the line manager accompanies the employee concerned. This task can also be delegated to a colleague, provided that the colleague is able to ensure the safety of the employee who is unable to work.

Various options are possible for the journey home; the use of an official car, a taxi, or public transport is recommended. If there is a medical emergency, you can dial 112 to call an ambulance.

The choice of transport depends on the employee’s condition and the workplace circumstances, and must be made by the line manager on a case-by-case basis.

It is advisable for someone at home, such as a spouse or flatmate, to meet and look after the employee upon their arrival. However, this is neither necessary nor mandatory for safe transport home—for example, if information regarding someone living in the same household is not available.

What else is important to know?

The employee will be charged for the costs for their journey home. As a general rule, if an official car cannot be used, the colleague escorting the employee home will initially have to cover the costs, but can claim reimbursement from the employer immediately.
In addition, it is recommended to prepare a record of the interruption of work, which should be signed by the employee concerned the following day.