Welsh consultancy provides answers to dealing with employees on drink and drugs

A WELSH workplace health consultancy has led the development of new Europe-wide guidelines to help managers deal with employees under the influence of drink or drugs.The Leonardo Foundation, part of the EC’s Lifelong Learning Programme, commissioned a project called Mepmis – Maximising Employee Potential by Minimising the Impact of Substances – to provide managers with the knowledge and confidence to take appropriate action.

Representatives of seven countries were selected to develop and pilot the service and the job of leading the two-year project was given to Cardiff-based specialists work2health Ltd.

It is the latest in a series of international commissions for the consultancy, which in Wales helps deliver the Welsh Government’s flagship Corporate Health Standard for public and private sector organisations. The project team looked at legislation, literature, company policies and practices and what support is currently available to organisations in different countries and sectors. They have distilled best practice into an e-learning and on-site training resource for managers.

John Griffiths of work2health said: “We spoke to managers and occupational health and safety professionals in each country and asked them what they perceived as their main challenges in this area and what they felt they needed in terms of information and support.

“They are aware that this problem – and associated issues such as testing – can be a legal and social minefield and they want to know what actions are open to them, what’s expected of them and what the sensitivities are.

“This is a complex issue; the problem cannot be ignored but employers who think they can simply dismiss workers or force them to undergo tests without developing and implementing proper policies, procedures and training are likely to face a host of problems.”

Read the full aricle at walesonline.co.uk.

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- Emma George
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MEP MIS Partner Services cover most of the European Union area.

You can contact one of the regional advisors and organisations here.

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The MEPMIS project is funded by the LEONARDO DA VINCI Programme. All projects and products funded by the programme are hosted on a database called ADAM.

Details of the MEPMIS project in ADAM can be found here.