Ensuring that a business is a drug-free workplace is something many employers might not spend much time thinking about until they encounter a substance abuse-related problem with an employee. Of course at that point, they might come face-to-face with these issues in a very costly way, and one that could likely have been preventable.
Here are a couple of sobering statistics from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
- Nearly 70% of illicit drug users over the age of 18 (about 15.4 million) are employed either part-time or full time in the United States.
- About four out of every five of adults who identify as either binge or heavy drinkers (a combined 53.6 million) are employed part-time or full time in the United States.
With so many substance-abusers in the workplace, do you know for sure whether or not any of them are on your payroll?
When you consider that workers with substance abuse problems are more likely to negatively impact the workplace ”” from problems as simple as frequent tardiness and absenteeism to being more likely to suffer (or cause) workplace injuries, or even deaths, it makes sense to get ahead of the problem and take some simple steps protect your business and ensure you have a drug-free workplace.
Five Key Components of a Drug-Free Workplace
- Written Policy
- Explain why you have the policy. Is it part of meeting goals or standards you have for your organization? Is it necessary to meet compliance requirements?
- What is your company’s policy? What are the expectations? To whom does it apply? What will your company do to enforce the policy?
- Will your company offer assistance to its employees that will help them remain compliant?
- What consequences will there be for violating the policy?
- Employee Education
- Provide information and training to your employees so they will understand why substance abuse is not only bad for the workplace, but it’s an unhealthy choice for them as individuals.
- Share information about the kinds of problems that drug and alcohol abuse can cause and why that is not only counter-productive but potentially dangerous for all staff.
- Supervisor Training
- Provide the supervisors in your organization with training on the company’s Drug-Free Workplace policy, including legally sensitive areas.
- According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), supervisors should, “be trained on how to document potential problems in a fair and systematic manner, honor confidentiality, and refer employees to appropriate services.”
- If employees receive services for substance-abuse issues, supervisors will need to have a clear protocol for how to help reintegrate those employees back into the workplace.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Establishing an EAP can be a highly effective way of dealing with substance abuse issues in the workplace.
EAPs are confidential and can involve assessment, short-term counseling, and possibly referral of employees to facilities or service-providers that help with substance abuse issues. - According to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, there are some very good reasons for ensuring your business has an EAP in place:
- Research has demonstrated that alcohol and drug treatment pays for itself in reduced healthcare costs that begin as soon as people begin recovery.
- Employers with successful EAP’s and DFWP’s report improvements in morale and productivity and decreases in absenteeism, accidents, downtime, turnover, and theft.
- Employers with longstanding programs also report better health status among employees and family members and decreased use of medical benefits by these same groups.
- Establishing an EAP can be a highly effective way of dealing with substance abuse issues in the workplace.
- Drug Testing
- Drug testing is not only helpful for improving workplace safety, but it can also serve as an effective deterrent against employees showing up to work impaired.
- BlueArbor performs over 10,000 drug and alcohol screens every year. As an experienced Third-Party Administrator (TPA), we offer testing options that are compliant to State, Federal (HHS), and Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations. We utilize SAMHSA accredited laboratories and NHTSA approved alcohol testing devices.
If you’re interested in setting up drug and alcohol screening for your employees, please visit this page to learn more: http://bluearbor.com/human-resources-services/screening-services/drug-alcohol-testing/
Find more information about establishing a Drug-Free Workplace at https://www.samhsa.gov/workplace/toolkit.