Jan 19 2009
Poor Performance by Co-Worker
A coworker starts acting strangely in the workplace. This is someone you have been friendly with in the past and now notice she is dressing carelessly, looks tired and worn out, and she is not “with it” anymore when it comes to being a solid job contributor. You don’t understand what has happened.
There are a number of possible explanations including alcohol abuse, drug abuse or even mental illness. The best thing you can do as a friend is to pull her aside privately and tell her you have noticed a change and are concerned because you care about her.
Ask her what is going on and how you could help her to get back on track at work. If she denies there is a problem or becomes very defensive, you know there is something wrong but she is not willing or ready to talk to you.
She may show some minor improvement because she knows people are watchful. However, most often, the problem will continue. One thing you might consider is to talk to either your boss or your HR representative about your concerns.
More often than not, this kind of thing will go on until something bad happens before anyone will try to step in. For example, the person may start having serious absentee issues.
It is incumbent on the immediate supervisor, with assistance from HR, to talk to her as soon as her performance on the job dips or sputters, and to give her a referral to an Employee Assistance Program, where one is available.
Even if there is no EAP, talking to her about seeking counseling or other needed services, without being accusatory, may result in her seeking help. If she continues to backslide, you can talk to her again, but she has to make the decision to fix her problem, whatever it may be.
