Masonry Magazine December 1998 Page. 19
Substance Abuse
in the Workplace
Can your company afford a substance abuse problem?
Consider these 10 facts:
1) It is estimated that more than nine million American workers are currently drug users. In one study, 20 percent of young workers admitted using marijuana on the job. And one of every four employed Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 has used drugs in the last year. In that age group and time span, 3.1 million had used cocaine.
2) Robert Stutman & Associates reports that one of every six employees in the United States has a substance abuse problem and that each employee with a problem costs $7,000 per year.
3) Courts are increasingly holding employers responsible for their employees' actions involving drugs and alcohol, according to Robert Stutman & Associates.
4) Up to 40 percent of industrial fatalities can be linked to alcohol consumption and alcoholism. Robert Stutman & Associates adds that 47 percent of workplace accidents involve substance abuse.
5) One study estimates the costs of reduced productivity because of alcohol abuse were more than $27 billion in 1985.
6) Some 32 percent of employees know of the sale of drugs in their workplaces.
7) A recent study has shown substance abusers to be absent from work three weeks more per year than the average worker. At one work site, drug abusers took 10 times more sick leave than nonusers.
8) Substance abusers are five times more likely to file workers compensation claims as nonabusers. The average disability costs employers $12,600.
9) In two recent studies involving employees who drive trucks, more than one out of six tested positive for marijuana or cocaine use. When they are involved in accidents, the more likely victims are occupants of passenger and other vehicles. And according to a study by the National Transportation Safety Board, one in four of the drivers in a study of fatal-to-the-driver heavy truck accidents had detectable blood concentrations of at least one drug of abuse (excluding alcohol).
10) One analysis has shown that each year drug abusers use 2 and 1/2 times more medical benefits than nonabusing employees.
Chances are you have at least one employee with a substance abuse problem. But given the fact that such problems aren't evident in early or middle stages of use, how do you detect if you have a problem in your company?
First, identify indicators of substandard performance, such as increases in accidents, theft and property losses, security breaches, benefits utilization, absenteeism, training costs, and workers' compensation costs.
Second, call together representatives from key units within your company, such as occupational safety and health, security, employee benefits, personnel, and the employee assistance program (EAP) to get a companywide sense of the problem. Include employee representatives.
Next, obtain local, state or national statistics from substance abuse agencies (health or law enforcement), medical or health societies, hospitals or
by Carol Brzozowski-Gardner
This is the first in a three-part series on substance abuse in the workplace. The first story addresses statistical data and how companies can detect and deal with the problem. Future stories will outline strategies on employee education, supervisor training, establishing an employee assistance program (EAP) and drug testing.
Can your company afford a substance abuse problem?