Substance abuse in the workplace

Alcohol and drug use among employees and their family members can be an expensive problem for business and industry, with issues ranging from lost productivity, absenteeism, injuries, fatalities, theft and low employee morale to an increase in health care, legal liabilities and workers’ compensation costs.

MAJOR ISSUES

The impact of alcoholism and drug dependence in the workplace often focuses on four major issues:

• premature death/fatal accidents;
• injuries/accident rates;
• absenteeism/extra sick leave; and
• loss of production.

Additional problem areas can include:

• tardiness/sleeping on the job;
• after-effects of substance abuse, such as hangovers and withdrawal, that affect job performance;
• poor decision-making;
• loss of efficiency;
• theft;
• lower morale of co-workers;
• increased likelihood of having trouble with co-workers/supervisors or tasks;
• preoccupation with obtaining and using substances while at work, interfering with attention and concentration;
• illegal activities at work, including selling illicit drugs to other employees;
• higher turnover;
• training of new employees; and
• disciplinary procedures.

In addition, family members living with someone’s alcoholism or drug use also may suffer significant job performance problems, including absenteeism, lack of focus, increased health related problems and use of health insurance.

ALCOHOL USE

Two specific kinds of drinking behavior significantly contribute to the level of work-performance problems: drinking right before or during working hours (including drinking at lunch and at company functions) and heavy drinking the night before that causes hangovers during work the next day.

It isn’t just alcoholics who can generate problems in the workplace, however. Research has shown that the majority of alcohol-related-work-performance problems are associated with nondependent drinkers who may occasionally drink too much—not exclusively by alcohol-dependent employees.

While alcoholism can affect any industry and any organization, big or small, workplace alcoholism is especially prevalent in these particular industries:

• food service;
• construction;
• mining and drilling;
• excavation; and
• installation, maintenance and repair.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE

A level of risk always accompanies using any drug, including prescription or over-the-counter medications.

Drug reactions vary from person to person. If a person is taking a drug he or she hasn’t had before, that person won’t know how it will affect him or her. It is important to follow the doctor’s advice when taking prescription drugs and to discuss any potential side effects and how this might affect work performance.

Prescription drugs such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, for example) can affect an individual’s work performance, and employees should discuss these potential side effects with their doctors. Long-term use in particular may become problematic.

WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO?

Work can be an important and effective place to address alcoholism and other drug issues by establishing or promoting programs focused on improving health. Many individuals and families face a host of difficulties closely associated with problem drinking and drug use, and these problems quite often spill over into the workplace. By encouraging and supporting treatment, employers can dramatically assist in reducing the negative impact of alcoholism and addiction in the workplace while also reducing their costs.

Without question, establishing an employee assistance program (EAP) is the most effective way to address alcohol and drug problems in the workplace. EAPs deal with all kinds of problems and provide short-term counseling, assessment and referral of employees with alcohol and drug abuse problems, emotional and mental health problems, marital and family problems, financial problems, dependent care concerns and other personal problems that can affect the employee’s work. This service is confidential. These programs are usually staffed by professional counselors and may be operated in-house with agency personnel, under a contract with other agencies or EAP providers or with a combination of the two.

Additionally, employers can address substance use and abuse in their employee populations by:

• implementing drug-free workplace (DFWP) and other written substance abuse policies;
• offering health benefits that provide comprehensive coverage for substance use disorders, including aftercare and counseling;
• reducing stigma in the workplace; and
• educating employees about health and productivity hazards of substance abuse through company wellness programs.

Research has demonstrated that alcohol and drug treatment pays for itself in reduced health care costs that begin as soon as people begin recovery.

Employers with successful EAPs and DFWPs 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.

Reprinted with permission from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc. (NCADD), www.ncadd.org, based in New York.