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Would you know exactly what to do if you thought a co-worker or supervisor was impaired at work? It’s likely a tough situation for adults to handle, so it may be especially difficult for young people who may be unsure what to do or don’t want to get anyone (including themselves) in trouble. Impairment in the workplace is a serious health and safety issue, so it’s important that your kids know what to do. Read on to learn about more best practices.
1. What causes impairment?
When you think of someone showing impairment, it’s common to think it begins and ends with drugs or alcohol, but there’s more to the story. Impairment could be the result of many other things in addition to alcohol or legal or illegal drugs. It could be something like fatigue, mental strain, or a medical issue, among others.
Examples include:
- substance use
- side effects from medications
- fatigue
- medical issues, such as blood sugar levels in Type 1 diabetes, or radiation treatment causing fatigue
- having a family crisis
- shock after a workplace incident
- experiencing harassment
- exposure to extreme temperatures
Signs of impairment
The Canadian Human Rights Commission
uses the following characteristics as they relate to changes in an employee’s attendance, performance, or behaviour:
- personality changes or erratic behaviour (for example, increased interpersonal conflicts; overreaction to criticism)
- appearance of impairment at work (for example, the odour of alcohol or drugs, glassy or red eyes, unsteady gait,
- slurring, poor coordination)
- working in an unsafe manner or involvement in an incident
- failing a drug or alcohol test
- consistent lateness, absenteeism, or reduced productivity or quality of work
Your teen's responsibilities as a worker
Make sure your child understands their responsibilities as a worker in Ontario, Legally, all workers:
- must work in a way that will not cause injury to yourself or another worker
- should know about workplace hazards and what to do about them
- have the right to refuse work that you believe is unsafe
Your teen should tell their employer or supervisor if they:
- feel that they are not able to work safely
- see anyone working unsafely
- notice any hazards (including impairment)
What about medical cannabis?
When it comes to the workplace, the legal use of medical cannabis is a relatively new situation, so you or your child may have questions. The federal Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety goes into this issue in more detail regarding policies and accommodations, but does note that “the use of medically authorized cannabis does not entitle an employee to be impaired at work, nor allow that employee to endanger their own safety or the safety of others.”
What should your teen do if they suspect someone is impaired on the job?
As part of their health and safety training, your child’s workplace should have a procedure in place for reporting hazards in the workplace, which includes an impaired colleague. Your child’s role is to just report the facts of what they have observed to their supervisor, without judgment or opinion. There’s also no need for your child to speak directly to the person they’re concerned about.
If your teen is aware of a potential risk, it’s important they report it. From there, it becomes the supervisor or employer’s responsibility to investigate. In some cases, the manager may already be aware of the situation and could have a plan in place with the employee, especially if it involves medical or emotional concerns. To help your child feel more at ease, remind them that they’re sharing what they’ve seen, not making judgments. It’s not their role to determine whether someone is impaired, but rather to report specific behaviours, like slurred speech, stumbling, or falling asleep, that raise concern.
Your teen might hesitate to report a concern, fearing they’ll get a coworker in trouble or face criticism. However, if someone is impaired at work, it could put your teen, their colleagues, and even customers or clients at risk, depending on the nature of the job. That’s why it’s important they feel empowered to speak up and report any potential impairment to their employer.