Drug and alcohol abuse by employees can cause a considerable amount of costly concerns for organizations ranging from an increase in health insurance claims, injuries, as well as lost productivity. How substance abuse can negatively influence the workplace efficiency, impact judgment, alertness, and decision-making will be discussed here.
Dealing with workplace addiction has become a vital aspect for employees and HR departments. It has become essential for organizations wanting to keep a healthy office setting to enact rules to avoid and mitigate drug addiction amongst staff, especially with the increase of people suffering from addiction.
If you are one of those employers who suspected drug use in the workplace, here are some tips you might want to consider. Allow this blog to help you learn the best advice on how you can handle employee substance misuse and mental health.
- Implementing drug in the workplace and alcohol abuse strategy
The first step in dealing with drugs and mental health problems in the workplace is to create and implement a clear plan for the employee. Tell them the stance your company takes regarding alcohol and drug use. Placing those rules in writing allows you to talk about what you will and will not tolerate in connection to drugs and alcohol.
What the policy will include depends on the individual situation. Organizations aren’t the same, nor the employees working for them. Thus, your policy statement must reflect the values and needs of your workplace. And take into account the people who will be affected by you to create an individualized strategy.
- Support employees with issues of drug and alcohol in the workplace
Do you like to help an employee with their substance abuse issue to get the assistance they need? Get the employee ask themselves questions like: ‘How long does cocaine stay in your system?’ ‘how to stop drinking alcohol?’ ‘Do I have an alcohol dependence?’ ‘Can I go to alcohol anonymous meetings to beat this addiction?’. As employers, you should provide comprehensive health plans, which will cover every stage of treatment for substance abuse disorders.
Take note that a lot of substance addicts have personal problems in their lives, and they might not get the social support they require. Your role must always stay as private as possible. You can support your staff by providing addiction recovery support and motivating them to get their treatment.
The ideal plan must cover treatment, counselling, aftercare, as well as teaching employees about the risks of abusing drugs and alcohol.
- Set out testing for abuse of substance requirements in contracts
It will surely cost your organization some capital. Nevertheless, educational programs and drug testing support a healthy ROI for small businesses that take the time to adopt them. Some of its proven benefits include reduced cost of insurance and worker’s compensation claims, reduce employee turnover, improved productivity, lowered workplace incidents, lessened employee theft, and improved morale.
- Carry out fair testing across all employee groups
You should make a series of decisions on how your drug testing program will be set up and operated. Below are some questions you should answer:
- Who will you test?
- When will you test?
- For what drugs will you test?
- How often will you conduct the test?
- What will you do if an employee tests positive?
- What will you do when an applicant tests positive?
- What type of tests will you utilize, and the processes will you follow?
You will possibly like to ask a legal official first who understands more about drug testing and take action on addiction. You must be sure as well that your drug testing program is fair, accurate, and legally secure. Bear in mind that it must be undertaken only as a portion of a wide-ranging drug-free workplace program.
- Conduct a full investigation if abuse is suspected
When substance abuse is present among the staff in your workplace, do not wait to deal with the issues happening. Putting these things off will not help you. Make sure you conduct a thorough and fair investigation if abuse is happening in your organization.
You also need to remember that alcoholism and drug addiction could be both considered disabilities. That indicates you have the responsibility to treat your staff fairly, especially when substance abuse is alleged.
Managing drug and alcohol misuse at work could prevent issues which not controlled could deteriorate, affecting both the employer and employee. Employees suffering from substance abuse concerns tend to cause workplace accidents and tend to be less prospective and be absent. That could impact the morale of the team, even when no one gets hurt.
As an employer, you have to monitor and be cautious about suspicious behaviours and be able to respond appropriately. Keep in mind that these concerns can be addressed sensitively; however, always consult with a legal professional if you have particular concerns.
To conclude, the goal of the employer must be to support an addicted worker to get the medical assistance he or she needs to be as productive and healthy as possible. If you have any further questions on how substance abuse can negatively influence the workplace, get in touch with me.
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