Substance Abuse

Effect on Work Environment

According to a recent survey, an estimated 14.8 million Americans are current illegal drug users. What does this statistic have to do with your workplace? The fact is, most individuals who abuse drugs or alcohol are also employed. And when they show up for work, many bring their problems with them.

How Drugs/Alcohol Can Affect Your Work Environment

Employees who use drugs can cost your company big, both financially and emotionally. Frequent absences, high illness rates, low morale, increased accidents, and low productivity are just some of the problems associated with substance abuse. These issues affect everyone—employers, co-workers, managers and customers. Consider these numbers:

• One out of every five employees state that they have had to redo work, work harder, cover for another employee, or have been put in a dangerous situation because of a co-worker’s drinking or drug use.
• Alcoholism accounts for 500 million missed workdays per year.
• Employees who currently use illegal drugs are more than twice as likely to change employers three or more times in one year.
• Up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of industrial injuries can be attributed to alcoholism or alcohol use.
• 75% of callers to the National Cocaine Helpline have admitted to using drugs on the job while 44% have sold drugs to co-workers.

For assistance in helping employees with alcohol or drug issues contact us.