• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health - Addiction & Mental Health Care Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

ContactCareers

Call for Immediate Help (833) 596-3502

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • The Health and Wellness Center at FHE Health
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Opportunities
          • Community Impact Award
          • First Responder Families Podcast
          • First Responder Paws
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Rehab
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof FHE Health(First Responders)
          • Compass Program
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
          • Family Support
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Massage
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • Neurofeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • FHE Podcasts
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • Our Research Articles
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact
  •  
Home > Featured Help for Loved One > Signs a Workplace Accident May Be Drug- or Alcohol-Related

March 4, 2022 By Kristina Robb-Dover

Signs a Workplace Accident May Be Drug- or Alcohol-Related

Signs of an Alcohol Problem or Drug Abuse in a Workplace Accident

Ron W. had worked for Lewisburg Concrete & Pavement Service since 2015. Lee R., the owner of the company, hired Ron when another employee said Ron had been laid off and needed a job. Since Ron already had a CDL license, Lee hired Ron as a truck driver for the company.

Recently, Ron started showing up late for work, looking like he hadn’t slept or changed his clothes. When Lee asked him why he was late, Ron blamed it on his new baby crying all night. A couple of times, Lee thought he had smelled alcohol on Ron’s breath but decided not to bring up the subject. Lee liked Ron as a person and had no complaints about his job performance—so far.

One day, while Ron was hauling equipment to a construction site, Lee got a phone call from the state highway patrol. Ron had caused a pile-up on the interstate by slamming into the back of another car.

“He failed the sobriety test,” the trooper told Lee. “He was way over the limit. You’ve got big problems, buddy.”

Although no one died in the accident, several people sustained serious injuries. The accident victims sued Lewisburg Concrete & Pavement Service, claiming Lee had failed to properly supervise and train Ron about safely operating company vehicles while on the job.

As a consequence of ignoring the signs of Ron’s alcohol problem, Lee had to file bankruptcy and nearly lost his business. Failing to spot the signs of an alcohol problem and take action can harm more than just the drinker.

Need Help?

Treatment can begin quickly and discreetly, get started now

Contact Us

6 Signs a Co-worker Could Be Abusing Drugs or Alcohol

No doubt, Lee missed other signs that Ron had an alcohol abuse problem simply because Ron had been a good employee in the past and the two were friends. But, how many serious or fatal workplace accidents could be prevented if supervisors or co-workers took immediate action to stop drunk or high employees from harming others?

The smell of alcohol or weed on an employee is just one of many signs that they could be impaired on the job. However, since methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine do not have distinct odors, it is always worth knowing these other cues that potentially signal substance addiction:

1. Taking long or numerous bathroom breaks. It’s easy to hide drugs or airplane-size alcohol bottles in uniform pockets or baggy pants. Unless someone is ill or has a medical condition that causes them to need extra bathroom breaks, that employee who is running in and out of the bathroom could be swigging alcohol, snorting cocaine, or shooting heroin.

2. Getting caught sleeping on the job. It’s normal for shift workers to inadvertently doze off for a few minutes while on break or lunch. However, day workers who are frequently found sleeping in areas where the boss isn’t likely to find them may be high on weed, heroin, or opioids.

3. Asking co-workers for loans “just until payday.” Many people with substance abuse problems learn how to be manipulative early in the course of an addiction. Co-workers with drug or alcohol abuse disorders may seem friendly and genuinely likable to others. They’ll “buddy up” to co-workers in order to ask them for loans. When soliciting money, an addict may claim their water is being shut off or that they have no gas to get to work, when they really are just buying drugs.

4. Offering strange excuses for physical signs of substance abuse. A supervisor might ask an employee they suspect of being high on the job why their eyes are so bloodshot. The answers given will often be more wild and implausible than they should be: “I was taking a shower and a whole bottle of shampoo fell off the shelf and into my eyes,” or “My girlfriend put on perfume this morning and it caused an allergic reaction.”

5. Not coming back from lunch on time/acting differently after lunch. When co-workers return from lunch late and appear to be in a different mood, they could be using drugs while at lunch. For example, if a co-worker frequently seems depressed and moody every morning but typically returns late from lunch in a euphoric, hyperactive mood, they might be using stimulants such as meth or cocaine.

6. An increase in workplace thefts. Anything that can be sold for money and in turn drugs is fair game for someone with a substance addiction. If your workplace suddenly develops a theft problem after the hiring of a new employee, it could be that the new person is stealing to fund an addiction. (This especially applies if they show other signs of drug or alcohol abuse.)

In addition to chronically bloodshot eyes, other physical signs of substance abuse may include rapid weight loss, neglect of personal hygiene (especially if the employee in question once practiced good hygiene), increased clumsiness, and visible shakiness of their hands and/or body that cannot be attributed to a medical problem.

How to Report Suspected Drug Abuse in the Workplace

Employees who are high or drunk on the job represent a direct safety threat to other employees and, in the retail and service industries, to customers. They can also compromise the future of the company (as in Lee’s situation) and potentially cause other employees to lose their jobs.

While it may be tempting to confront another employee directly about their substance addiction, especially if you are friends, this is generally not recommended. That employee may try to take advantage of the friendship and talk you out of reporting them to the manager. Also, because many addicts will not admit that they have a problem until they have hit “rock bottom” and are essentially forced into a treatment program, the conversation could result in an angry backlash.

Companies with drug- and alcohol-free policies recommend that employees first talk to their supervisor about their suspicions. Providing multiple, first-person accounts of why they believe a co-worker is using drugs on the job can also be helpful. The supervisor will likely have the employee meet with HR representatives to discuss the co-worker’s actions and behaviors.

The company may then order the employee to take a drug test at some point. The employee does have the right to refuse a drug test. But, if the company provides proof that the employee is abusing drugs while on the job, that employee risks losing their job. However, most companies offer treatment programs to employees with a substance addiction, along with time off to complete the program.

Employers covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allow eligible employees to take a leave of absence for medical and family reasons. Substance abuse falls under one of the categories listed by the FMLA as a qualifying reason for a leave of absence. If you see signs of an alcohol problem or drug abuse in someone you work with and need advice about how to help them, reach out to FHE Health at any time. Our counselors know how to help.

Contact Us
  • Call Now:
  • Best Time to Call:

Filed Under: Featured Help for Loved One, Help For Loved Ones, Experience Blog

About Kristina Robb-Dover

Kristina Robb-Dover is a content manager and writer with extensive editing and writing experience... read more

Primary Sidebar

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

Footer

FHE Health

© 2025 FHE Health

505 S Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-833-596-3502
youtube facebook instagram linkedin twitter
  • Contact
  • Careers at FHE Health
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

Copyright © 2025 · FHE Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

833-596-3502

Text/Call Me