Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace: Is Your Company Sick with Addiction?

Many small businesses think themselves somewhat immune to the problems of drug and alcohol abuse, but believe it or not, it is the companies with less than twenty-five employees that are far more likely to be drug abusers than those of larger firms.  America is rampant with alcohol and drug use—it is natural that these people will be employed someplace, and it is also natural that those employees will purposely get a job where it is difficult to sustain their habit.

This means that if you are not implementing strategies to keep your workforce drug-free, you are seriously putting yourself at risk.  Not only can drug and alcohol cause missed days and lower productivity but impaired abilities from using both on and off the job can lead to accidents and workers comp claims.   

It’s time to get serous, and the first step is learning to recognize what is going on before the biggest problems occur.  Unfortunately, the symptoms of addiction are not always the same.  It’s impossible to list or detect all the possible symptoms, but an awareness of changes in behavior or something being awry is something that you can and should do.

Pay attention to big changes in behavior especially, including frequent changes in temporary behavior or a bigger long-term change like sudden frequent occurrences of mishaps on the job or missed days of work.  Some people may act out, get irritated easily, or talk faster.  Others may lose energy, slur their words, or lose coordination. 

Of course, someone who smokes marijuana or is addicted to alcohol may give themselves away just by the way they smell, but it is not always so clear-cut.  I highly recommend implementing a drug testing program to protect your company.

First, you will need to develop a clear and concise policy.  Having a strong policy in the first place will discourage many users from even applying for a job and will save money over time with decreased costs on treatment, compensation claims, and productivity. 

The policy should be as clear as possible.  It should go into detail about why the measures are taken and what is expected of employees as well as what will absolutely not be tolerated.  Also outline actions that will be taken whenever someone is found to be in violation.

After your policy is instituted, you need to develop a drug testing program, which can be put together with the help of an outside human resources management firm if you do not have the experience for this in-house.  In many ways, the program will act merely as a deterrent, and in cases where the policy is breached, it can serve as evidence. 

Testing can occur before new candidates are brought on to the team, after an accident occurs, randomly after an employee with a prior violation is back to work, or on regular basis for everyone.  You can also retain the right in your policy to test any time you see reason for suspicion.  Make sure you check with local laws to find out what is allowed in your area as far as testing procedures go.

Do not get too discouraged if you get a lot of positive tests when the program first launches.  This is natural and, unfortunately, to be expected.  Over time this will change as future candidates catch word about your policy, and within a couple years you will have a consistent work environment and a very low rate of positive tests. 

It is a winning battle as well as one worth ensuing, and by taking on experts who have done it all before you can get all the guidance you need.

Until next time

I am always at your service,

Rick Matthews

We help business owners increase profits, solve employment problems, reduce employer liabilities and protect valuable assets thru outsourcing.  www.primaryhroutsourcing.com