[Who's business is it?]

Daily we hear about dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, but then when they come into the level of workplace that becomes something else. Many people do drink alcohol and smoke cigarette, and we say nothing bad that stigmatize them. Is it maybe because of their social acceptance due to commercialization or just plainly cool doing them?

There seem to be a wave of ill treatment directed at people who smoke and drink non-mainstream stuffs like codeine, weed, cocaine and other related stuffs. My issue with those tasked with managing workers is that they're judgmental against those who are using or consuming non-mainstream stuffs. Why be against someone who hasn't done anything wrong or say anything untoward that may be deemed abusive or offensive in any way to them or others? Why fight that which isn't provoking you or anyone? Or is it being proactive?

Some argue the impact of the stuff they consume, but that's not to the health of any staff member or you except theirs, so it shouldn't be of worry to you if they don't present any harm unto anyone and the business. What managers should encourage is dedicated spaces for such people. The truth is, if an employee who's used to being judged gets support and love unconditionally at work, they tend to perform at their optimum because of feeling welcomed. The exception to that should be to those who disclosed. Business is about making money with people who do what they're deployed to do for a reward, not a correctional institution.

In conclusion: in the workplace all of your staff are your family, and in each family we deal with individuality and oddities that makes us be who we are. In light of that meaning we need to embrace those differences between selves and not be discriminating against others. As a leader of your entity, protect your staff and encourage their self-being. Develop a policy that embrace individualism and protect oddity that brings out excellence in staff. Workplace kills character and soothe personality, and that's where we lose talent in that at most is hidden behind what we judge behavior of. So now, if a person is strange yet performing, who's business is it anyway what they do privately? Just let your staff be...dp