DRUGS IN THE WORKPLACE

Drug use in the workplace is all too common. The cost of drug use to industry has been estimated at over 100 billion dollars per year.

Drug use in the workplace endangers coworkers, the company, customers, and the public. It affects the quality of service delivery and of products. Coworkers may often have to cover up for an affected employee by making excuses or redoing poor quality workmanship.

Drug-using workers have a greater frequency of sick days, use of healthcare benefits, and of work-related injury.

Supervisors need to be educated about the signs of drug abuse and coworkers should report concerns or suspicious behavior to the supervisor. Keeping quiet enables the affected person to get sicker, expose others to increasing risk, and not be held responsible for his or her own behavior.

Some signs of drug use in the workplace include:

decreasing quality of work
mood swings and irritability
unpredictable behavior
frequently ill, absent, or late
desire to work alone
frequent trips to bathroom
not letting briefcase or purse out of sight
decreased ability to tolerate usual workload and
change in hygiene and/or dress

Obvious signs include:

alcohol on breath
odor of marijuana or
caught using or selling drugs

Employees have a right to a safe, drug-free workplace. Read the alcohol and drug policy at your place of employment. Utilize the Employee Assistance Program, if your company has one, but do not ignore the issue.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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