How to Help a Co-worker in Need

Figuring out how to help a co-worker with a drinking problem can prove to be a difficult dilemma for Boeing managers and employees.

"I wish I could encourage managers who think an employee has a problem to acknowledge it and deal with it," says Holly Rainwater, a Boeing employee and recovering alcoholic.

Feelings of embarrassment and discomfort, as well as a lack of knowledge, often lead managers and employees to inadvertently participate in what independent intervention specialist Joyce Sundin calls "a conspiracy of silence."

"Companies are limited in how they can approach this," says Sundin, who has consulted with the Boeing Employee Assistance Program. "They can only talk about how the problems affect work performance."

The Drug/Alcohol-Free Workplace Program offers information to managers and employees through its Web site at http://dfw.web.boeing.com. The site describes the various educational and training opportunities that are available on the subject, details company policy and includes information on the Employee Assistance Program, which assists employees experiencing personal problems.

Regional Employee Assistance Program telephone numbers are as follows:

(An extensive list of locations and phone numbers was listed here.)