For most business owners, keeping their employees happy and healthy is a top concern. A workforce that is happy will usually be more productive and loyal. One of the main things that can affect productivity levels is employee drug abuse.
Studies show that nearly 10 percent of working adults have substance abuse issues. Ignoring red flags that indicate an employee is using drugs can be disastrous. The longer these issues are allowed to persist, the harder it will be to avoid things like overdoses or even death.
Below is some information on how to prevent, detect and treat workplace drug abuse.
Workplace Drug Abuse Affects Everyone
Some business owners think that workplace drug abuse is a problem that only affects the user. In reality, this drug abuse can affect everyone that works for a company. When an employee makes decisions on the job in an impaired state, accidents are bound to occur. Over 20 percent of the people that die at work, when a drug test is conducted, test positive for drugs and alcohol.
Employees that use drugs also put a business owner’s profitability in jeopardy. This is why addressing this issue head-on is something you need to view as a priority. Hence, why most companies opt to drug test for employment of new hires, as well as routine testing for current employees.
Effective Ways To Prevent Drug Use in the Workplace
Protecting your assets and employees is no easy task. If you are serious about keeping drug addiction out of the workplace, you have to be willing to take preventative measures. Keeping substance abuse out of the workplace will be easy if you implement the tips below.
Create Drug Use Policies
The first thing you need to do to keep drug use out of your business is to create certain policies. Clearly laying out what will happen if an employee is caught using drugs is important. The policies you create should feature details of disciplinary actions and what employees’ rights are if they are caught using drugs.
These policies need to instruct members of management on what to do if an employee is suspected of drug use. Properly training managers on how to spot the signs of substance abuse is crucial. The more information you can give your team about the dangers of drug use, the easier it will be to keep this problem out of the workplace.
Routine Drug Screening is Important
Before hiring a new employee, you need to make sure they are healthy and ready to work. The prevalence of drug use in the workplace makes pre-employment drug screenings a must. These screenings allow you to hire people that are sober and motivated.
You also need to make sure that random drug screenings are performed on existing team members. These tests can be performed by local labs and provide your team with the motivation to stay off of drugs. Before you choose a lab to perform these screenings, find out more about the methods they will use. These tests usually involve the collection of hair follicles, saliva, or urine.
Help Employees Who Enter a Recovery Facility
If an employee decides to enter a treatment facility to deal with their substance abuse problems, you need to do all you can to support them. When getting treatment at a facility like Behavioral Health Centers, your employee will need support. Reassuring the employee that you are holding their job can provide them with motivation as they try to get their life together.
How To Detect Drug Abuse in the Workplace
As a business owner, you need to walk your team closely. By doing this, you can detect signs of drug abuse in the workplace early on. If an employee is struggling with substance abuse issues, you might notice one or more of the signs below.
An Employee is Consistently Missing Work
A recent study found that people struggling with substance abuse will miss around 30 days of work every year. If an employee has gone from being punctual and present to missing work regularly, this could be an indication that they are addicted to drugs. As soon as this problem is noticed, you need to speak with your employee and offer them help if they express problems with addiction.
Drastically Lower Productivity
If you want to keep a small business successful, then keeping all of your employees productive is vital. When an employee goes from extremely productive to not productive, it is your job to figure out why. It is extremely difficult for a person to be in active addiction and do the job they are being paid for. As soon as productivity levels drop off, you need to spring into action.
Major Mood Shifts
Another sign that an employee might be addicted to drugs is a major shift in their behavior. If it seems like an employee is flying off the handle over little things, this is an indication that drug addiction is present. Failing to address this problem quickly can lead to other team members quitting due to the abuse they are taking while on the clock. By helping a drug-addicted employee get help, you can boost morale and restore peace to the work environment.
Being Caught Sleeping on the Job
Have you caught the same employee sleeping on the job multiple times? If so, it is probably time to stage an intervention. An employee that is too tired to function at work is a hazard to everyone around them. This is why confronting the employee and offering them help if imperative.
Helping Employees Get Treatment
If a loyal employee starts having problems with substance abuse, you need to do all you can to help them. The best way to do this is by finding treatment options. With some time and research, you can find a substance abuse treatment facility that can help your employee. You can also get some guidance from the treatment facility on how to confront an employee about drug abuse.
Now that you know more about keeping drug abuse out of the workplace, it is time to take action. With these great tips, you can keep your business drug-free.