Prescription Drugs and a Supervisor

Aileuron

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-16-03 AT 10:23AM (CST)[/font][p]It seems as if there are so many potential pot holes to this one.
In a nutshell...my warehouse manager hurt his back...thankfully not on the job. But he is on Vicadan and continues to report to work. He is not able to perform the duties for which he was hired and although he is not operating any equipment it is a big concern. this has been going on for a week. We are trying to accomodate BUT>>> Our company is too small for FMLA and he has used all his PTO for the year. My instincts tell me to lay him off so he can at least collect until he is able to come back to work. We want to save this situation but it is getting out of hand. His manager is too "easy" on him and now it is becoming my problem!
HELP...please

Update:
Thanks all for helping - good stuff and things I needed reminding of. We have, for now resolved the issue - Our employee is on a "forced paid leave" until he is well enough to return to work.He understands that his being here was creating a danger to him and the other employees. He is a bit of a workaholic so we helped him to create an action plan for getting the healing process going. If he can only focus 10% of the energy he puts into his work on getting better he should be back in no time!

Don D

"Lay him off" so he can "collect" what? He will not draw unemployment if his back condition does not allow him to work unless you fudge the truth and he lies on his paperwork. If you have a temporary disability policy he may be able to draw that. If I were you, rather than trying to summon up my knowlodge of pharmacology, I would call my personal drug store and ask the pharmacist to tell me what the cautions are for Vicadan. And then proceed accordingly. There's surely lots of paperwork he can do until he gets better.

Down_the_Middle

Ailuron:
I would re-think the lay-off issue. Why would you lay him off, enabling him to collect unemployment comp and then turn around and re-hire him????? This issue seems to be his ability to perform his job. If he's not performing, it may be due to the prescription med's and that can be addressed by determining whether he's physically able to work. Either the doseage may need adjustment or he may be overdosing and impairing himself. Sending him to an employee health MD or his own MD if you don't have one, will be the way to determine if the med's are affecting his performance. If the med's are a benign issue, then his performance can be addressed straight up. Can he perform the essential functions of the job or are you expecting him to maintain full capacity while he has the back injury?? He may need to be excused from work until he improves. Laying him off is camouflaging the issue of his backpain/medications and his performance. Don't let yourself skirt the problem.

Pork

AILEURON:

Welcome to the forum! Everyone is jumping on the "lay him off" words, which I, likewise, read this situation as not a "lay him off situation". You probably meant to say "cut him lose", or terminate our employer/employee relationship" or "FIRE HIM"! You should, most likely cancel your employee / employer relationship. To do that you need a medical disqualification from his physician; you can also make an appointment to your physician of choice that knows of the job descriptions in your company and ask him/her to provide a medical evaluations of the total person's aphysical abilities to work in your position and industry! With a medical disqualification the relationship can be easily cancelled.

PORK

FLAhr

What is his normal Job? If he can't do paperwork I would get off the road during his commute hours.
If your's is a right to work state? Termination can happen for any reason. I suppose if you lable it as Layoff, you should not post for his replacement in the paper.
Be carefull.

Rockie

Are prescription drugs covered under your Drug and Alcohol policy? We have this incorporated into our policy. If an employee is taking any type of prescription medication, they must let us know and/or if the supervisor feels employee is impaired because of medication, they are sent home. Vicodin is a very high powered narcotic type medication that will indeed, impair your faculties. It is also one of the most abused prescription drugs.

Since we are a medical practice, we have no choice but to monitor this very closely in order to protect patient safety. If you have employees that work around machinery or are in any decision making capacity, I would advise that you have a policy like this.