To
Employers
AMONG
MANY employers nowadays, we think of one member who has
spent much of his life in the world of big business. He
has hired and fired hundreds of men. He knows the alcoholic
as the employer sees him. His present views ought to prove
exceptionally useful to business men everywhere.
But let him tell you:
I
was at one time assistant manager of a corporation department
employing sixty-six hundred men. One day my secretary
came in saying Mr. B—— insisted on speaking with me. I
told her to say that I was not interested. I had warned
him several times that he had but one more chance. Not
long afterward he had called me from Hartford on two successive
days, so drunk he could hardly speak. I told him he was
through—finally and forever.
My secretary returned
to say that it was Mr. B—— on the phone; it was Mr. B——’s
brother, and he wished to give me a message. I still expected
a plea for clemency, but these words came through the
receiver: “I just wanted to tell you Paul jumped from
a hotel window in Hartford last Saturday. He left us a
note saying you were the best boss he ever had, and that
you were not to blame in any way.”
Another time, as I
opened a letter which lay on my
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desk,
a newspaper clipping fell out. It was the obituary of
one of the best salesmen I ever had. After two weeks of
drinking, he had placed his toe on the trigger of a loaded
shotgun—the barrel was in his mouth. I had discharged
him for drinking six weeks before.
Still another experience:
A woman’s voice came faintly over long distance from Virginia.
She wanted to know if her husband’s company insurance
was still in force. Four days before he had hanged himself
in his woodshed. I had been obliged to discharge him for
drinking, though he was brilliant, alert, and one of the
best organizers I have ever known.
Here were three exceptional
men lost to this world because I did not understand alcoholism
as I do now. What irony—I became an alcoholic myself!
And but for the intervention of an understanding person,
I might have followed in their footsteps. My downfall
cost the business community unknown thousands of dollars,
for it takes real money to train a man for an executive
position. This kind of waste goes on unabated. We think
the business fabric is shot through with a situation which
might be helped by better understanding all around.
Nearly every modern
employer feels a moral responsibility for the well-being
of his help, and he tries to meet these responsibilities.
That he has not always done so for the alcoholic is easily
understood. To him the alcoholic has often seemed a fool
of the first magnitude. Because of the employee’s special
ability, or of his own strong personal attachment to him,
the employer has sometimes kept such a man at work long
beyond a reasonable period. Some employers have tried
every known remedy. In only a few instances
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has
there been a lack of patience and tolerance. And we, who
have imposed on the best of employers, can scarcely blame
them if they have been short with us.
Here, for instance,
is a typical example: An officer of one of the largest
banking institutions in America knows I no longer drink.
One day he told me about an executive of the same bank
who, from his description, was undoubtedly alcoholic.
This seemed to me like an opportunity to be helpful, so
I spent two hours talking about alcoholism, the malady,
and described the symptoms and results as well as I could.
His comment was, “Very interesting. But I’m sure this
man is done drinking. He has just returned from a three
months’ leave of absence, has taken a cure, looks fine,
and to clinch the matter, the board of directors told
him this was his last chance.”
The only answer I
could make was that if the man followed the usual pattern,
he would go on a bigger bust than ever. I felt this was
inevitable and wondered if the bank was doing the man
an injustice. Why not bring him into contact with some
of our alcoholic crowd? He might have a chance. I pointed
out that I had had nothing to drink whatever for three
years, and this in the face of difficulties that would
have made nine out of ten men drink their heads off. Why
not at least afford him an opportunity to hear my story?
“Oh no,” said my friend, “this chap is either through
with liquor, or he is minus a job. If he has your will
power and guts, he will make the grade.”
I wanted to throw
up my hands in discouragement, for I saw that I had failed
to help my banker friend understand. He simply could not
believe that his
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brother-executive
suffered from a serious illness. There was nothing to
do but wait.
Presently the man
did slip and was fired. Following his discharge, we contacted
him. Without much ado, he accepted the principles and
procedure that had helped us. To me, this incident illustrates
lack of understanding as to what really ails the alcoholic,
and lack of knowledge as to what part employers might
profitably take in salvaging their sick employees.
If you desire to help
it might be well to disregard your own drinking, or lack
of it. Whether you are a hard drinker, a moderate drinker
or a teetotaler, you may have some pretty strong opinions,
perhaps prejudices. Those who drink moderately may be
more annoyed with an alcoholic than a total abstainer
would be. Drinking occasionally, and understanding your
own reactions, it is possible for you to become quite
sure of many things which, so far as the alcoholic is
concerned, are not always so. As a moderate drinker, you
can take your liquor or leave it alone. Whenever you want
to, you control your drinking. Of an evening, you can
go on a mild bender, get up in the morning, shake your
head and go to business. To you, liquor is no real problem.
You cannot see why it should be to anyone else, save the
spineless and stupid.
When dealing with
an alcoholic, there may be a natural annoyance that a
man could be so weak, stupid and irresponsible. Even when
you understand the malady better, you may feel this feeling
rising.
A look at the alcoholic
in your organization is many times illuminating. Is he
not usually brilliant, fast-thinking, imaginative and
likable? When sober, does
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he
not work hard and have a knack of getting things done?
If he had these qualities and did not drink would he be
worth retaining? Should he have the same consideration
as other ailing employees? Is he worth salvaging? If your
decision is yes, whether the reason be humanitarian or
business or both, then the following suggestions may be
helpful.
Can you discard the
feeling that you are dealing only with habit, with stubbornness,
or a weak will? If this presents difficulty, re-reading
chapters two and three, where alcoholic sickness is discussed
at length might be worth while. You, as a business man,
want to know the necessities before considering the result.
If you concede that your employee is ill, can he be forgiven
for what he has done in the past? Can his past absurdities
be forgotten? Can it be appreciated that he has been a
victim of crooked thinking, directly caused by the action
of alcohol on his brain?
I well remember the
shock I received when a prominent doctor in Chicago told
me of cases where pressure of the spinal fluid actually
ruptured the brain. No wonder an alcoholic is strangely
irrational. Who wouldn’t be, with such a fevered brain?
Normal drinkers are not so affected, nor can they understand
the aberrations of the alcoholic.
Your man has probably
been trying to conceal a number of scrapes, perhaps pretty
messy ones. They may be disgusting. You may be at a loss
to understand how such a seemingly above-board chap could
be so involved. But these scrapes can generally be charged,
no matter how bad, to the abnormal action of alcohol on
his mind. When drinking, or getting over a bout, an alcoholic,
sometimes the model of honesty when
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normal,
will do incredible things. Afterward, his revulsion will
be terrible. Nearly always, these antics indicate nothing
more than temporary conditions.
This is not to say
that all alcoholics are honest and upright when not drinking.
Of course that isn’t so, and such people may often impose
on you. Seeing your attempt to understand and help, some
men will try to take advantage of your kindness. If you
are sure your man does not want to stop, he may as well
be discharged, the sooner the better. You are not doing
him a favor by keeping him on. Firing such an individual
may prove a blessing to him. It may be just the jolt he
needs. I know, in my own particular case, that nothing
my company could have done would have stopped me for,
so long as I was able to hold my position, I could not
possible realize how serious my situation was. Had they
fired me first, and had they then taken steps to see that
I was presented with the solution contained in this book,
I might have returned to them six months later, a well
man.
But there are many
men who want to stop, and with them you can go far. Your
understanding treatment of their cases will pay dividends.
Perhaps you have such
a man in mind. He wants to quit drinking and you want
to help him, even if it be only a matter of good business.
You now know more about alcoholism. You can see that he
is mentally and physically sick. You are willing to overlook
his past performances. Suppose an approach is made something
like this:
State that you know
about his drinking, and that it must stop. You might say
you appreciate his abilities, would like to keep him,
but cannot if he continues to
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drink.
A firm attitude at this point has helped many of us.
Next he can be assured
that you do not intend to lecture, moralize, or condemn;
that if this was done formerly, it was because of misunderstanding.
If possible express a lack of hard feeling toward him.
At this point, it might be well to explain alcoholism,
the illness. Say that you believe he is a gravely-ill
person, with this qualification—being perhaps fatally
ill, does he want to get well? You ask, because many alcoholics,
being warped and drugged, do not want to quit. But does
he? Will he take every necessary step, submit to anything
to get well, to stop drinking forever?
If he says yes, does
he really mean it, or down inside does he think he is
fooling you, and that after rest and treatment he will
be able to get away with a few drinks now and then? We
believe a man should be thoroughly probed on these points.
Be satisfied he is not deceiving himself or you.
Whether you mention
this book is a matter for your discretion. If he temporizes
and still thinks he can ever drink again, even beer, he
might as well be discharged after the next bender which,
if an alcoholic, he is almost certain to have. He should
understand that emphatically. Either you are dealing with
a man who can and will get well or you are not. If not,
why waste time with him? This may seem severe, but it
is usually the best course.
After satisfying yourself
that your man wants to recover and that he will go to
any extreme to do so, you may suggest a definite course
of action. For most alcoholics who are drinking, or who
are just getting
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over
a spree, a certain amount of physical treatment is desirable,
even imperative. The matter of physical treatment should,
of course, be referred to your own doctor. Whatever the
method, its object is to thoroughly clear mind and body
of the effects of alcohol. In competent hands, this seldom
takes long nor is it very expensive. Your man will fare
better if placed in such physical condition that he can
think straight and no longer craves liquor. If you propose
such a procedure to him, it may be necessary to advance
the cost of the treatment, but we believe it should be
made plain that any expense will later be deducted from
his pay. It is better for him to feel fully responsible.
If your man accepts
your offer, it should be pointed out that physical treatment
is but a small part of the picture. Though you are providing
him with the best possible medical attention, he should
understand that he must undergo a change of heart. To
get over drinking will require a transformation of thought
and attitude. We all had to place recovery above everything,
for without recovery we would have lost both home and
business.
Can you have every
confidence in his ability to recover? While on the subject
of confidence, can you adopt the attitude that so far
as you are concerned this will be a strictly personal
matter, that his alcoholic derelictions, the treatment
about to be undertaken, will never be discussed without
his consent? It might be well to have a long chat with
him on his return.
To return to the subject
matter of this book: It contains full suggestions by which
the employee may
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solve
his problem. To you, some of the ideas which it contains
are novel. Perhaps you are not quite in sympathy with
the approach we suggest. By no means do we offer it as
the last word on this subject, but so far as we are concerned,
it has worked with us. After all, are you not looking
for results rather than methods? Whether your employee
likes it or not, he will learn the grim truth about alcoholism.
That won’t hurt him a bit, even though he does not go
for this remedy.
We suggest you draw
the book to the attention of the doctor who is to attend
your patient during treatment. If the book is read the
moment the patient is able, while acutely depressed, realization
of his condition may come to him.
We hope the doctor
will tell the patient the truth about his condition, whatever
that happens to be. When the man is presented with this
volume it is best that no one tell him he must abide by
its suggestions. The man must decide for himself.
You are betting, or
course, that your changed attitude plus the contents of
this book will turn the trick. In some case it will, and
in others it may not. But we think that if you persevere,
the percentage of successes will gratify you. As our work
spreads and our numbers increase, we hope your employees
may be put in personal contact with some of us. Meanwhile,
we are sure a great deal can be accomplished by the use
of the book alone.
On your employee’s
return, talk with him. Ask him if he thinks he has the
answer. If he feels free to discuss his problems with
you, if he knows you under-
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stand
and will not be upset by anything he wishes to say, he
will probably be off to a fast start.
In this connection,
can you remain undisturbed if the man proceeds to tell
you shocking things? He may, for example, reveal that
he has padded his expense account or that he has planned
to take your best customers away from you. In fact, he
may say almost anything if he has accepted our solution
which, as you know, demands rigorous honesty. Can you
charge this off as you would a bad account and start fresh
with him? If he owes you money you may wish to make terms.
If he speaks of his
home situation, you can undoubtedly make helpful suggestions.
Can he talk frankly with you so long as he does not bear
business tales or criticize his associate? With this kind
of employee such an attitude will command undying loyalty.
The greatest enemies
of us alcoholics are resentment, jealousy, envy, frustration,
and fear. Wherever men are gathered together in business
there will be rivalries and, arising out of these, a certain
amount of office politics. Sometimes we alcoholics have
an idea that people are trying to pull us down. Often
this is not so at all. But sometimes our drinking will
be used politically.
One instance comes
to mind in which a malicious individual was always making
friendly little jokes about an alcoholic’s drinking exploits.
In this way he was slyly carrying tales. In another case,
an alcoholic was sent to a hospital for treatment. Only
a few knew of it at first but, within a short time, it
was billboarded throughout the entire company. Naturally
this sort of thing decreased the man’s chance of recovery.
The
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employer
can many times protect the victim from this kind of talk.
The employer cannot play favorites, but he can always
defend a man from needless provocation and unfair criticism.
As a class, alcoholics
are energetic people. They work hard and they play hard.
Your man should be on his mettle to make good. Being somewhat
weakened, and faced with physical and mental readjustment
to a life which knows no alcohol, he may overdo. You may
have to curb his desire to work sixteen hours a day. You
may need to encourage him to play once in a while. He
may wish to do a lot for other alcoholics and something
of the sort may come up during business hours. A reasonable
amount of latitude will be helpful. This work is necessary
to maintain his sobriety.
After your man has
gone along without drinking for a few months, you may
be able to make use of his services with other employees
who are giving you the alcoholic run-around—provided,
of course, they are willing to have a third party in the
picture. An alcoholic who has recovered, but holds a relatively
unimportant job, can talk to a man with a better position.
Being on a radically different basis of life, he will
never take advantage of the situation.
Your man may be trusted.
Long experience with alcoholic excuses naturally arouses
suspicion. When his wife next calls saying he is sick,
you may jump to the conclusion he is drunk. If he is,
and is still trying to recover, he will tell you about
it even if it means the loss of his job. For he knows
he must be honest if he would live at all. He will appreciated
knowing you are not bothering your head about him,
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that
you are not suspicious nor are you trying to run his life
so he will be shielded from temptation to drink. If he
is conscientiously following the program of recovery he
can go anywhere your business may call him.
In case he does stumble,
even once, you will have to decide whether to let him
go. If you are sure he doesn’t mean business, there is
not doubt you should discharge him. If, on the contrary,
you are sure he is doing his utmost, you may wish to give
him another chance. But you should feel under no obligation
to keep him on, for your obligation has been well discharged
already.
There is another thing
you might wish to do. If your organization is a large
one, your junior executives might be provided with this
book. You might let them know you have no quarrel with
alcoholics of your organization. These juniors are often
in a difficult position. Men under them are frequently
their friends. So, for one reason or another, they cover
these men, hoping matters will take a turn for the better.
They often jeopardize their own positions by trying to
help serious drinkers who should have been fired long
ago, or else given an opportunity to get well.
After reading this
book, a junior executive can go to such a man and say
approximately this, “Look here, Ed. Do you want to stop
drinking or not? You put me on the spot every time you
get drunk. It isn’t fair to me or the firm. I have been
learning something about alcoholism. If you are an alcoholic,
you are a mighty sick man. You act like one. The firm
wants to help you get over it, and if you are interested,
there is a way out. If you take it, your past will be
forgotten
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and
the fact that you went away for treatment will not be
mentioned. But if you cannot or will not stop drinking,
I think you ought to resign.”
Your junior executive
may not agree with the contents of our book. He need not,
and often should not show it to his alcoholic prospect.
But at least he will understand the problem and will no
longer be misled by ordinary promises. He will be able
to take a position with such a man which is eminently
fair and square. He will have no further reason for covering
up an alcoholic employee.
It boils right down
to this: No man should be fired just because he is alcoholic.
If he wants to stop, he should be afforded a real chance.
If he cannot or does not want to stop, he should be discharged.
The exceptions are few.
We think this method
of approach will accomplish several things. It will permit
the rehabilitation of good men. At the same time you will
feel no reluctance to rid yourself of those who cannot
or will not stop. Alcoholism may be causing your organization
considerable damage in its waste of time, men and reputation.
We hope our suggestions will help you plug up this sometimes
serious leak. We think we are sensible when we urge that
you stop this waste and give your worthwhile man a chance.
The other day an approach
was made to the vice president of a large industrial concern.
He remarked: “I’m glad you fellows got over your drinking.
But the policy of this company is not to interfere with
the habits of our employees. If a man drinks so much that
his job suffers, we fire him. I don’t see how you can
be of any help to us for, as you see, we don’t have
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any
alcoholic problem.” This same company spends millions
for research every year. Their cost of production is figured
to a fine decimal point. They have recreational facilities.
There is company insurance. There is a real interest,
both humanitarian and business, in the well-being of employees.
But alcoholism—well, they just don’t believe they have
it.
Perhaps this is a
typical attitude. We, who have collectively seen a great
deal of business life, at least from the alcoholic angle,
had to smile at this gentleman’s sincere opinion. He might
be shocked if he knew how much alcoholism is costing his
organization a year. That company may harbor many actual
or potential alcoholics. We believe that managers of large
enterprises often have little idea how prevalent this
problem is. Even if you feel your organization has no
alcoholic problem, it may pay to take another look down
the line. You may make some interesting discoveries.
Of course, this chapter
refers to alcoholics, sick people, deranged men. What
our friend, the vice president, had in mind was the habitual
or whoopee drinker. As to them, his policy is undoubtedly
sound, but he did not distinguish between such people
and the alcoholic.
It is not to be expected
that an alcoholic employee will receive a disproportionate
amount of time and attention. He should not be made a
favorite. The right kind of man, the kind who recovers,
will not want this sort of thing. He will not impose.
Far from it. He will work like the devil and thank you
to his dying day.
Today I own a little
company. There are two
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alcoholic
employees, who produce as much as five normal salesmen.
But why not? They have a new attitude, and they have been
saved from a living death. I have enjoyed every moment
spent in getting them straightened out.*
*
See Appendix VI-We shall be happy
to hear from you if we can be of help.
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