Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

In the face of persistent alcohol and drug abuse problems in the workplace, the author proposes five "universal principles" to be applied to these and other discipline cases. He suggests that arbitrators respect the limitations of their contractual role and that they avoid the temptation to become therapists or psychiatrists in dealing with alcohol and drug abuse cases.

Alcohol abuse has been a problem in the workplace for hundreds of years and in virtually every society. Contemporary awareness of the serious physical, psychological, and societal consequences of alcohol abuse has not diminished the allure of alcohol. It is a social and business lubricant whose importance may rival Middle Eastern oil. (And is it not a poignant irony that conferences on alcohol abuse in the workplace typically conclude with a cocktail party?)

In the still new field of labor arbitration, alcohol abuse in the workplace is an old and familiar problem. Drug abuse is a much newer problem, one that seems to be associated with younger workers. In combination, these "substance abuse" twins account for a disproportionate number of discipline cases, although they are sometimes concealed under other categories, such as absenteeism, tardiness, insubordination, and violence.