According to the 'Lectric Law Library, about 70 percent of substance abusers work in full or part-time jobs, making it important to recognize the signs of drug abuse for employers. With 1 in 12 employees possibly involved in illegal drug use, employers are losing money every day due to absenteeism, theft and other problems in the workplace. Businesses lose money through lower productivity, worker's compensation claims and a host of other reasons. Learn how to recognize the signs of drug abuse to save your business profits.
Step 1
Develop a substance abuse policy that includes supervisor-training, drug testing parameters, employee education and access to an employee assistance program and drug treatment.
Step 2
Keep track of employee absenteeism patterns. Counselors at SACS Counseling and Investigative Services report that people with drug problems often call in sick or miss Mondays and Fridays on a regular basis, are frequently late and use up all their vacation time as soon as it's available.
Step 3
Watch for regular work habits that interfere with productivity, such as frequent trips to the restroom, general carelessness and inconsistency in work quality. Drug abusers often have periods of very high or very low production. They may make more mistakes than usual as their addiction progresses and have trouble remembering previous mistakes.
Step 4
Count accidents to see if a pattern emerges. Drug problems may directly involve the substance abusers as well as those who have contact with the employee suspected of drug abuse.
Step 5
Look for behavioral changes that seem suspicious. Employees using drugs may talk rapidly, have mood swings, complain more than others and avoid talking to supervisors. Employees on drugs may receive an inordinate amount of phone calls and get calls that hang up if anyone else answers the phone.
Step 6
Observe an employee's physical signs if you suspect drug abuse. Employees using drugs may walk unsteadily, slur their speech or wear sunglasses indoors. Many employees with drug problems will exhibit more obvious signs of addiction after lunch and long breaks.
Tips and Warnings
- Follow your instincts if you believe an employee is abusing drugs and use the company's drug policy criteria to test for drug use when you have collected enough evidence.
- Make sure that supervisory education includes information about other illnesses or conditions with symptoms that could mimic drug abuse, such as diabetes, depression or bipolar disorder.
Things You'll Need
- Substance abuse policy
- Record of absenteeism
- Record of accidents
