A Manager Successfully Helps a Worker Address His Depression, Hazardous and Heavy Drinking, and His Shattered Relationship and Helps Him Learn How to be a Happier Individual

13
Jun
0

Russ got suspended from high school when he was fifteen years old and eventually found employment at a local . For the past five-and-a-half years he has gained a reputation as a hard-working person who seldom calls off work because of illness.

About seven-and-a-half months ago he started dating a young woman named Emma. They seemed to hit it off immediately and looked like they had a lot of good times together.

The Excessive and Abusive Drinking Begins

When Russ met Emma, he hardly ever drank. This situation totally changed when Emma and Russ started seeing one another on a fairly constant basis. Actually, their relationship was going fine until Emma called Russ one night approximately 3 AM and said that she had to stop dating him and that she couldn’t tell him the reasons for her decision at that moment.

The next morning before he went to work, Russ drove to her apartment and found out almost immediately that Emma had already moved out. Russ took this particularly hard. Actually, he was astonished because they appeared to be getting along so well.

When Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking Leads to Problems at Work

So what did Russ do about Emma’s leaving? Instead of letting himself go through the grieving process, he started getting drunk almost every night. It didn’t take long for his coworkers or for his supervisor to notice that Russ was coming to work late at least once per week and that he over and over again called off ill. Not only this but some of his co-workers made an appointment with staff in Human Resources Department and mentioned that Russ over and over again came to work with a strong odor of alcohol on his clothes or on his breath.

Russ’s boss heard about all of this from Human Resources and also from Russ’s co-workers. So one Thursday afternoon he asked Russ to come into his office. He told Russ that he had recently noticed a distinct change in his behavior, attendance, sick time, and in his work performance.

When a Manager Can Motivate an Employee to Get Help For His or Her Hazardous and Abusive Drinking

Russ’s supervisor also stated that a number of his co-workers reported him to Human Resources because he had been coming to work with a noticeable smell of alcohol. His boss then stated the following: “Russ, your fellow employees are not reporting you to the Human Resources Department to get you into any trouble or because they dislike you but instead because they care about you. And I care too. I don’t want to poke my nose into your affairs, but it is evident that you are displaying some of the normal signs and symptoms of abusive drinking. Consequently, I want you to go and see a therapist in the employee’s assistance program to discuss your drinking behavior and your depression.”

“Russ, I’m no physician or a psychologist, but I have seen several of my friends and relatives go through some extremely bad alcohol side effects. Furthermore, I have also experienced the signs of alcoholism first-hand in my own family. When people experience problems with drinking, these difficulties not only affect the drinker, but they also make an impact on his or her neighbors, co-workers, relatives, family, and friends.”

Russ respected his boss quite a lot and as a result followed through with his recommendation the next morning when he called and scheduled an appointment with a counselor in the employee’s assistance program.

Russ is Still Depressed But Experiences Some Hope That He Will Get His Life Back on Track and Begin Feeling More Happiness

Although Russ didn’t automatically feel any better or less depressed about the loss of Emma, he felt comfort knowing that his boss and his fellow employees cared about him and wanted what’s best for him. This gave Russ some emotional relief for the first time in a number of weeks and he actually felt some hope that he would get back on track with his life and start to experience more happiness.